Learn Guitar

Learn guitar today and play it like legend. It will be the best decision you will ever make, because you can have so much fun learning to play it. If you really want to learn the guitar here is some good advice for you. To learn guitar in no time, you need to own a guitar or borrow a guitar from a good friend to see if the instrument is meant for you or not. The guitar is the easiest instrument to learn to play music on in the whole wide world.

So many styles of music can be played on that special instrument. There's so many different examples, you will never get bored with your guitar. Remember you need to put effort and time to achieve your goal, so don't give up!

You can play the guitar in so many ways, for example you can sit and play it, or standing. Whichever is comfortable for you. Hold the right tabs on the guitar to hear the right notes playing. By holding your instrument the right way, you will keep your back in the right position so you won't have any back pain. If people sit while playing the guitar, they rest the guitar on their leg. People tend to change legs to rest the guitar on, when they play different music styles.

For example if you are playing classical music, rest the guitar on your left leg, but if you play jazz music, rest it on the right leg, this is how other people do it. If you choose to stand while you are playing on your guitar, I would advise to put the shoulder strap on it.

Make sure you are comfortable when you play your instrument. If you made the effort and took the time to learn guitar, it's better if you sit, to avoid any pain. To learn guitar it is very important to be in a comfortable position to avoid any future pain. It can be drastic.

It's important that you don't push the neck of the guitar with your thumb to hard because you're going to mess up holding the tabs properly and it can cause pain in your wrist and hand. Use your fingers to hold the tabs while you strum or pick the guitar with the other hand.

If it's easier for you to use a pick, hold the pick between your index finger and your thumb. With a lot of time and effort you will be an awesome guitarist. Just go and start to learn guitar today and don't ever give up.

Fader Hand Tension - Why Less Equals More

Have you ever felt like you were putting way too much effort into scratching? You push and push and yet your results seem to be pretty stagnant. Well there are several symptoms that could be at the root of your suffering. In this article I plan to focus in on one of them.

This issue typically plagues the beginner worse than anyone, but make no mistake, this can and will affect anyone. I'm talking about unnecessary tension in the fader hand. I want to share with you some ways you can begin to alleviate this problem so you can focus on your development as a scratch dj more freely.

Taking An Assessment

First let's take a look at your average beginner scratch dj so we can get a better understanding of what I'm addressing. You begin scratching and the fader is all over the place. You just can't seem to control it. You're having trouble getting together any proper technique. You're probably strong arming the fader way too much and straying way too far from the cut off point.

Does Equipment And It's Settings Play A Role?

Now two things have to be made clear before I go any further. If you want to get the most out of your scratching in the short and long term you need to have your cutoff point set as close to instant as possible. Also it's ideal to have a very loose fader. I personally love the fader of the Rane 56, but regardless of what mixer you have, nowadays there are options for using scratch friendly faders regardless of what type of mixer you're using.

No Fader Control, No Dice

Obviously if you have a hard time controlling the fader you will have basically no hope of getting any decent scratches pulled off. The solution to this may seem as obvious as taking the power you're exerting back a few notches and in a way it is. In fact the solution is actually not much more complex than that. What you need to realize is that although this will help, you are not through correcting this problem.

Ultimately you need to discover with experimentation what the least amount of power is needed to control the fader and only use that. Simple right? Well not so fast. Understand that this is not a fix and forget issue. Only through consistent, highly concentrated awareness can you really reap the benefits of focusing on this method.

Why All DJ's Will Benefit

This is truly a lesson for scratch dj's at any level. No matter how well you grasp the concept of minimum power you can always improve your current technique. I personally can attest to this as I've gone through many stages of this issue.

Sometimes you may be taking on a new technique and have yet to really gauge what is needed to pull it off. You may be starting off slow and not ready to put a lot of speed into it. You may be doing one technique that requires more energy and power than another technique. Not to mention all the combinations of things you already know. As you can see it begins to become somewhat intricate.

Narrowing Down The Process

What we need to do right now is take things down a notch. Several notches in fact. Take the most simplest fader based scratch possible. We'll use a forward 2 click transform for this exercise.

Execute a simple forward transform over and over at a low tempo such as 60 beats per minute and pay close attention to how much power you're exerting. Is your forearm, wrist or hand getting sore? Are you pushing the fader too far away from the cut off point? Is the sound of the record running out before you have a chance to finish? These are things you should be asking yourself as you're performing the transform scratch. If the answer is yes to any of these, try relaxing and releasing as much power as you can while still maintaining control.

Is Doing Nothing A Solution?

Well yes, it can actually be a highly effective solution. However you would not simply be doing nothing and stopping there. You would be resting between each repetition. This is one of the easiest ways to avoid unnecessary tension. So always make sure you bear that in mind.

While it is typical while learning new scratches that there will be some forearm burn, you can usually reduce it substantially by following the advice outlined in this article, especially this particular point. In fact it really doesn't matter what technique or combinations of techniques you do. Resting between every transition will make a HUGE difference.

What Else Is Choking The Life Out Of Your Potential?

There is another culprit that creates unnecessary tension and that is unnecessary tension in the body. While it may seem obvious by now that you need to have just the right amount of tension in your hand, wrist and arm, it's important to note that holding extra tension in other parts of your body can be detrimental as well.

The biggest key here is awareness. You have to pay attention to how you're feeling while you're scratching. If you notice that you're tightening up in your neck, back or another area you'll need to consider changing your posture and sending a message to your brain to relax. This is a process that will require consistent, focused monitoring so keep alert.

Keeping Things At The Forefront Of Your Mind

One final point I'd like to mention is that you shouldn't just read this article and then let it leave to memory. Use this information to your advantage on a regular basis. You can potentially shave off years of frustration by following this advice. Stay aware, focused and above all else have fun!

If you are interested in more information on how to further improve your scratch technique, go to http://kwotemusic.com and sign up to my newsletter where I feature free lessons monthly.

? 2011 Kwotemusic

Piano Beginners - Learn The Basic Chords On The Piano to American Pie by Don Mclean

A great song for beginners to learn on the Piano is American Pie, by Singer and Songwriter Don Mclean. It was released from the American Pie album in 1971, and became a number one hit in the US for four consecutive weeks in 1972. American Pie is renowned as Don McLean's signature song.

The song was inspired by the death of Buddy Holly, who sadly died in a plane crash in 1959, and the song was written about the memories of the event.

This song shot him to fame, but Don Mclean found this very difficult suddenly being in the public eye and rarely having any privacy, it sadly made him depressed at times, and all linked back to losing his father at the young age of 15, and having a failed message, which is represented in the American Pie Album. A lot of his emotions at the time are linked to songs on the album.

The song is an incredible 8 minutes and 33 seconds long, but cleverly manages to keep you captivated throughout the whole length of time with its catchy melody and gripping lyrics. When Don Mclean talks about the song to people he would describe it as starting off with his memories of the death of Buddy Holly, and then moves on to describe America as how he was seeing it and how he fantasized about how it might become.

He explained that it is perfectly okay for him to talk about being in the gym and seeing this girl dancing with someone else and suddenly have this become this other thing that this verse becomes and moving on just like that. That is his reasons why he never analyzed the lyrics to the song.

The Song is still played regularly on the radio today, even though it was originally released over 20 years ago, Madonna famously covered this song for the Soundtrack of the Austin Powers film the Next Best thing, which once again proved a popular hit with the public, reaching number one in many countries across the world.

The song is in an easy key signature to play which makes it ideal for a beginner learning piano. It is in the key of G Major, and is quite a repetitive song. The main chords in the Song are G Major, E Minor, A Major, C Major, D Major and A Minor. It has a clever arrangement by which the intro is featured later on in the song as part of the end section, so it links in very nicely, and a great song to have in your repertoire as a budding pianist.

Learn How To Do Warm Up Vocal Exercises

The warm up vocal exercise I'm going to share with you does the following:

It warms up your vocal muscles so that you can sing with ease. This activity lets your tone flow smoothly through your vocal range.
It helps balance the air going in to your lungs making it easier to sing through your vocal registers. The vocal registers are the chest voice, mixed voice and the head voice.
It helps link your vocal registers so you can sing all over your range. Usually when you sing through your range, you tend to break into a falsetto when reaching the highest notes. Warm up vocal exercises minimize that from happening.
It makes singing so easy. Voice warm ups tend to relax the vocal muscles so that singing is just like talking.

This exercise has proven to be very effective! Just practice this for a month and viola! You will feel that your voice has improved.

Now let us do this! This is known as the lip-roll exercise.

Place a hand on either side of your mouth and let your fingers hold up your cheeks. Push your fingertips in until you feel your teeth meet. Your lips should be kept loose and flappy. Make a blowing noise like you are very tired. It should sound like a horse. At this position, try to make an MMMMM sound. While doing this, flap your lips freely and produce a dopey BRRRRRRR!

Doing this will allow your larynx to be gradually pulled down, easing vocal tension. This enables you to move with ease from one vocal register to another. In short, this warm up vocal exercise helps you sing easy and it also improves your voice.

Strange warm up vocal exercises? Not! This sound teaches you to determine your vocal range. Forget about how strange sounding it is. Just focus on its ability to improve your voice.

Let us move on to the next step. Now choose a song from your mp3 collection that you like to belt out. In singing it, replace the lyrics with BRRRRR. While singing, hold your cheeks up to produce MMMMMM. Sing this and you will be amazed at the outcome. It is easier to sing. You can hit the high notes with more ease and you have a nice sweet tone.

Are these warm up vocal exercises great or what? Try it now and you will see wonders in your singing career!

Violin Maintenance - Looking After Your Bow

How To Play Chords On the Guitar - Five Easy Steps To Learning To Play Acoustic Guitar

Guitar Practice Guide

I have three modes of playing:
One is the practice mode, where I try to learn a new skill. This is when you are mastering the tools you will use.Another is performance mode where I combine what I learned in practice mode with how I feel at the moment. All the different techniques and skills you acquired in practice become the "colors" available to you when performing. You use your skills to recreate or create artwork on the spot.Then there is experimental mode where I just try new and crazy things and create new patterns or techniques. This is the mode where anything goes, and nothing is wrong. This is the time to try it the wrong way just to see what it sounds like, or to change things to match the way you feel inside and make it more personal. This is the time to throw as much paint or as little paint on the canvas as you want in whatever combinations you want. I think I have the most fun in experimental mode, but in order to get to this stage, we need those skills gained through disciplined practice.

In order to be able to have lots of tools to use, and fun with playing an instrument, we have to go through the practice mode. If you like to learn, you like the guitar, and you like music, then I don't see why practice shouldn't be fun. Practice should be fairly steady and regular so that you're not always backtracking and re-establishing what you have already done. If you have lessons weekly, I would recommend at least 1 hour of practice every other day. Your guitar, your body, and mind have to warm up before you can make progress in your practice. The more practice the better, though you should stop if your fingers start to hurt. Practicing a few times a week for at least a half hour is the minimum. For example, it's better to spread your practice out into 30-60 minute intervals than to practice 3 hours in one day before the lessons.;)

I think of it as a time to discover the potential inside you. It's a language not restricted by words, where you can express your creative side. You are learning about yourself. Just take it one step at a time and don't get frustrated when you can't learn a song in one day.

"With every mistake we must surely be learning" -George Harrison
Learning takes time. I recommend practicing at least 15 minutes every day or 30 minutes every other day to keep things fresh in your mind. An hour to a few hours is the ideal amount of time to practice each day. When you go too long without practicing your brain will start to forget and your dexterity will suffer. You will spend your time regaining lost ground instead of advancing into new territory. In order to advance at a steady rate you need to keep with it.Practice should involve learning. When you practice, concentrate and try to do it right. If you are doing something over and over and at some point become distracted, lose concentration, or become tired, you should stop and continue another day. Or just play another song and come back to it later. Once you are tired you will not make meaningful progress that you will retain. You may also end up hurting yourself.Practice Slowly. Whatever you practice is what your brain will retain. So if you're rushing through something playing it with mistakes then that is how you will perform. In order to correct this we need to slow down. Learning and perfection can't be rushed. If you need to slow down to a crawl in order to do it right, then do so. It's better to play slow the right way, than fast the wrong way. In the beginning the learning must be done slowly so your brain can have the time and space it needs to grasp the problem and solve it. If you play things too fast when practicing, errors will go unnoticed and uncorrected. Speed comes with time and practice. Try to do things correctly when practicing. If you start to lose concentration take a break.Painful Fingers or Wrist. If your fingers start to hurt take a break, your body is telling you something is wrong and you should stop. A little at a time is better than a lot at once. Eventually you will build thick calluses on your left "fretting" hand. This will take time and should not be rushed. Routine practice will ensure that you do in fact build these calluses that will ease your playing. The problem might also be that the strings you are using are too heavy for you. Switch to a lighter gauge or the lightest gauge, you will feel a big difference. Also, you could be making it harder on yourself by playing in an awkward and bad position. That brings me to the next point.Proper Position. Practice in the position I show you during the lesson. If you don't have the proper support structures you can use a stack of books or other mass to create it. If you don't practice in the proper position you may strain your wrist or hurt yourself. To avoid this, always practice in the proper positions that I will show you. The focus here is to minimize the bending and tension in the hands, wrist, and body. You want to be comfortable when you're playing. You want efficiency of effort. Playing in the proper position will enable you to play chords and shapes with the proper and efficient use of force behind it.Using a Metronome. A metronome can be a useful tool for learning to steady yourself and play in time with the music. It's also a good way to test where your trouble spots are and focus on those.Focus on Trouble Spots. To make practice time more efficient, focus on the parts of the music you are having trouble with. If you can play the entire song perfectly but have problems with one section, then practice the one section you have trouble with. Aim for being able to play the trouble spot ten times in a row the same way without deviation. If you deviate then your brain has not solidified what you have learned. Give yourself breaks and come back to the trouble spots again later. Sometimes you need a day of rest before it sinks in after a good practice session. Try to include the bar before and after the trouble section so that when you incorporate it back into the entire song you will be familiar with the transitions.

I'm a professional musician that has been involved in music since an early age. I started with violin at age six, choir at eight, and guitar at fourteen. I started writing my own songs at age seventeen. Since then I have been refining my craft.

I've taught guitar lessons, played weddings, played guitar in a restaurant, studied acoustics, and designed and built a recording studio. Music has become my full time profession. I now also do guitar string reviews online. For more information and to check out my string reviews visit my website at:

http://www.stringcritic.com/

Guitar String Reviews, Ratings, and Comparisons. Compare with audio files and post your own reviews in the forum.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brendan_Macias

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Article Submitted On: February 28, 2011

Are Online Piano Courses Worth Your Money?

If you've done a search about how to play the piano online, chances are you've come across a variety of courses that promise to help you learn to play piano quickly and effortlessly. But are they worth your money? Are they all fluff and no real substance?

It's hard to believe that a worthwhile piano course could cost less than a month of traditional private lessons from a teacher. But the truth is, there are several quality piano learning programs online that will take you from beginner pianist to strong intermediate player... if you put in the practice, of course!

How to Choose a Piano Course

First of all, a good piano course teaches you what you most want to learn.

If you're interested in playing old standards and show tunes why take a traditional classical course? Find a course that teaches you chord method and how to play from fake books. You'll be playing music you love more quickly than you ever thought you'd be able to.

Into jazz? There are piano lessons on the internet specifically for you.

Gospel might be the music that makes your heart sing. Believe it or not, there's lessons just for you out there.

Love classical? A traditional teaching system will get you moving in the right direction.

Don't assume you have to start with learning F-A-C-E and Every-Good-Boy-Does-Fine in your piano journey. Yes, I'm sure most aspiring pianists will get to the music reading at some point, but many adults simply want to play songs they love. That's why I'm such a cheerleader for non-traditional piano methods.

Your method should fit your goals, in a way that makes you happy to sit down and practice every day. Part of learning to play piano is enjoying the journey.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The key to success in any online piano course is practice. You knew that, right?

There are many solid piano courses available, but they can't help you learn to play piano if you don't sit down on the bench and get your hands on the keyboard. Try for 15 minutes per day to start - you'll make terrific progress and won't believe where you are a couple of months from now.

Many adults lose hope and get frustrated because they put so much pressure on themselves to be perfect, or to practice an hour (or more) per day. Instead, look at the learning process as fun, and your time at the piano as "your time." Start small, and watch yourself succeed!

Choose your best time of day to practice... when you're in the best mood. Is that first thing in the morning? Or maybe in the evening when your work days is done? Don't assume you have to practice at a certain time of day.

Why not get started today? You can carve out 15 minutes from your schedule, can't you?;-)

You could be on your way to be playing piano by the time you go to bed tonight. Don't wait any longer to pursue your dream of making music!

Kimberly Luker is a piano teacher and mom who believes everyone is deeply and naturally musical. For more information on a great, affordable online piano course called Rocket Piano and all that's included, visit the in-depth Rocket Piano review at h You Can Play Piano. Visit today and get lots of helpful practice tips, encouragement, and motivation to make music!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Luker

What Is The Price Of A Decent Beginner Flute?

I have played a whole lot of various musical instruments aside from the flute. Exactly what I have found is that even though you are investing in a beginner instrument you really need to move over a sudden price tag to acquire a great musical instrument.

A lot of individuals give the guidance to go for a low-priced flute to discover if actively playing the flute is a thing for you. Then subsequently on you can buy a more expensive flute, I think this is the wrong strategy. When you are beginning actively playing a musical instrument it is valuable that it is exciting and straightforward. One of the cheapest options will most of time be just the contrary - really hard to play and not sounding that good.

Low-priced Flutes Will Typically Give You A Considerable Amount Of Complications

This is certainly true when it comes to today's flutes. The modern classical flute has a whole lot of physical components that all have to operate perfect, in order to get the results that you really want. If you decide one of the cheap options a whole lot of negative conditions can present themselves.

The pads may not be absolutely air tight making it pretty much hopeless to play the fluteThe springs that handle the pads could break after actively playing for a handful of weeksMechanised components may well break and you could very well end up shelling out more on maintenance tasks than you did on getting the fluteA cheap flute is generally not constructed accurately enough and the tones will hence not be in perfect pitch, despite the fact that they are played the right way

What Exactly Is A Good Cost Range When Ordering A Beginner Flute?

A good place to begin for beginner flutes is about $500- $1200. In this price range it is possible to get top-notch musical instruments that you are able to play for years to come. The right flute acquired in the $500 - $1200 cost range can sound astonishing in the hands of a good flute player.

"A legendary flute player once held a master class on playing the flute. The trainees desired to find out if their flutes were of sufficient quality to play all the great classic flute pieces. The legendary flute player wound up playing every one of the students' flutes 1 by 1 and concluded that all of the student flutes could sound wonderful. They just simply had to be played the right way."

Exactly Why Is The Cost Range On The Subject Of Flutes So Overwhelming?

Producing a good quality flute a very demanding procedure. Listed above are merely a few of the things that must be done right to come up with a great sounding and playable flute. In case you invest in a flute $50 flute you do not get yourself a playable musical instrument and you are better of saving up, to obtain a good beginner flute. Making a great $50 flute is simply hopeless and really should be viewed as just a hoax.

Spending $20.000 is extreme in the other direction and only being an expert or being a player for several years, you will be able to appreciate every one of the minor perfections costly instruments have to give you.

A Flute In The $500- $1200 Price Range Will Be Easier To Sell Used

In the event you learn that playing the flute isn't you, a flute you have paid less than $500 for is going to be quite hard to sell used. A flute purchased in the $500- $1200 price range will be much easier to get rid of and you'll thus be able to get some of your dollars back.

The flute is an astonishing instrument and selling will probably not be the case - however if you have paid a little more you can simply be delighted because you now have a very good flute for years to come.

Guitar Superstars Review - Let 7 Professional Tutors Guide You!

So many people would love to able to play the guitar. But whether you dream of being on stage to screaming fans, or playing guitar alone in your sitting room, learning any instrument can be difficult, as well as expensive. Guitar SuperStars is a popular online guitar program.

It is there to teach and guide you on how to earn guitar in the fastest way possible. It is also there to ensure that you have the best access to seven professional guitar teachers - and at a fraction of what it would cost you if you hired a private guitar tutor!

Guitar SuperStars has been created by Andy Johnson - a guitar teacher for more than 20 years experience. Once you have accessed the course you will be given a list of videos covering many of the most popular guitar styles, such as rock, metal, acoustic, classical, jazz, funk, blues and bass.

The guitar is a very versatile instrument, and by mastering all (or even some!) of the available styles, this type of practice will help you will turn into an excellent player. With Guitar Superstars you will learn all basic and advanced techniques, like chords progressions, rock licks, finger picking technique, scales, and lots more.

Everything you need to seriously improve in a hurry is contained in the teaching of this course. Some of the videos will teach you how to play along to popular songs, and each course teacher has their own style and expertise. You'll never grow bored as there are hundreds of fantastic lessons for all levels of ability.

The course has an excellent bonus which is called the GSS Jam Machine. This tool will help make your learning fun and practical, and allows you to jam songs with real bands.

Playing with professional musicians is always a fantastic way to enhance your guitar techniques, and is also a fun way to check your progress and keep yourself motivated. Guitar SuperStars is definitely a great program for those who have been dreaming of being a guitarist - either for fun, or professional.

At a low ?47 price, the cost is minimal in comparison to regular one on one private lessons from a guitar tutor. This course has now been downloaded by thousands of happy customers, and a large amount of feedback from students has given Guitar Superstars a very high satisfaction rating.

So if you want to make your dream of playing the guitar into a reality, then you know where to start.

Learn Keyboard Keys Fast - Without Reading Music

Anyone can learn keyboard keys fast, without reading music, by knowing a few simple musical structures and practicing just a few minutes each day (NOT hours and hours, unless you want to!).

The word "key" can refer to the physical key on the piano or keyboard, or the key of the song you're playing, but we will address the physical keys in this article.

There's no secret shortcut to learning the keys and note names quickly, but you can speed up the process by keeping in mind just a few simple ideas.

First, the entire piano keyboard is simply a pattern of 12 distinct notes, repeated over and over up and down the keyboard: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, and B. C#, D#, F#, G# and A# are the same as Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, and Bb, respectively.

Second, as you probably noticed or already knew, the notes are lined up in a repeating pattern using part of the alphabet from A to G: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Most books and piano teachers start off on the white keys, in the key of C major, and the C major scale is C D E F G A B, which seems a bit confusing for some new students. After all, why not put A where C is and start the alphabet at the beginning? The answer is... that's the way it's always been and it's not going to change now!

Third, a note can be made sharp simply by moving it one half step up the keyboard (to the right), to the very next key on the keyboard or piano. That could be a white key or a black key, as long as it's the very next key.

Finally, a note is made flat by moving it one half step down the keyboard (to the left), again to the very next key on the keyboard or piano.

Learning the keyboard or piano keys is now a matter of simple repetition and testing. Call out any letter of the alphabet from A to G, possibly saying "sharp" or "flat" after it, and see how quickly you can get to that note on the piano or keyboard - anywhere on the keyboard is fine, since the key patterns repeat. You can also have a friend help you with this.

Some people also like to make flash cards with a single note name on each card - for example, C#, F, Bb, etc.

Don't try to learn them all at once, in one sitting, or you may get frustrated. In fact, if you reach the point in any practice session where you're getting angry or upset, that means it's time for a break.

The magical part about practicing is that little breaks help you - in fact, they're required if you really want to retain the information. So, practice your keyboard or piano keys (notes) a few minutes today, then maybe later in the day or tomorrow, and in just a few days, you'll be able to play them with lightning speed.

How to Write a Good Song: The Basics for Creating a Catchy Melody

Learning how to write a good song can be tough at times. Being concerned with your melody, chords, song structure, and lyrics can really intimidate the average beginner. I've learned through my trial and errors of songwriting that one thing holds true, your melody is the key to forming great compositions.

Seriously, whenever you listen to a new song and you can't get it off your mind what is it that you remember? Most times it is the repetition of about 3 to 5 notes which are stringed together in a way to completely carry the song and as a result making you a fan of the song.

Learning these basics to forming a memorable melody will help you learn how to write a good song;

Keep it simple

This is probably the most important. I was listening to a song on the radio the other day and it was number 1 on the countdown the station was having. The amazing thing about the song was that the melody contained only four notes! The key was that the notes were very well put together and the instrument chosen to carry it fitted well. Nothing complex just simple and right to the point. Always remember to never over do it.

Find a home note

Your home note is the note that your melody will be built around. For example, if my melody starts with a C note I would have the last note in my melody that same note or very close to it. Listeners hate huge jumps in intervals for the most part and I can't blame them. Having your melody jump from E6 all the way down to C5 is quite extreme and disturbs the flow of the melody which brings up my next point.

Keep your notes close to one another

This is important when learning how to write a good song. Keeping your notes close together helps your melody to become cohesive for lack of a better term. It is something about notes close together that makes a melody memorable. I really think it is because of what I mentioned above about extremes. Close notes prevent the sudden change of things.

Find your motif

A motif is the part of the melody that is repeated. It may be a note or it may be three notes. For example, with a melody that goes C, D, E, B, A, B, C, D; C and D will more than likely be the motif. The important thing about a motif is that it usually follows a certain rhythm along with those certain notes. Work on this aspect and your melody will pretty much construct itself.

Be creative

Never copy anyone. Learn from them and make their ideas your own. Usually the hits come from someone who is not afraid to step out of the box. Always experiment with different techniques and learn what works and what does not. Songwriting is all about trial and error but above all let your ear be the judge.

6 Great Tips on How to Sing Songs Properly

Many beginning singers make the mistake of learning how to sing songs by just listening and singing along to their favorite tunes on the radio. In truth, learning to sing a song is a process that will require you to apply all the techniques you have acquired and developed during your vocal training. The reasons for this include ensuring the production of beautiful tones, effectiveness in musical interpretation and expression, and the promotion and maintenance of voice health.

You may be a natural born singer. But in the long run, a truly high quality performance can only be achieved through hours of practicing the various techniques and by studying the songs you will be performing carefully. It is the erroneous belief of most beginners that the application of vocal techniques will give an operatic quality to the music genres that they prefer to sing. Nothing could be further than the truth. These vocal techniques help to ensure that you will not only sing beautifully, but also that you will be able to perform the song properly.

As mentioned earlier, learning how to sing songs is a process. This is best explained in the approach that will be detailed below. While doing the following procedure, it is ideal to have a tape or digital recorder on hand to monitor your progress.

1) Get the sheet music of the song that you want to sing.

2) Record the song's melody first without the accompaniment. Then record it again together with the piano background. Play the melody once while silently following along with the music. This will enable you to become familiar with each note in the melody.

2) Next, play the melody again together with the accompaniment. Try to determine what particular styles you will want to incorporate in the song. This stage of improvisation will enable you place certain techniques in particular sections. For example, you can insert a tremolo in one line or do a staccato to put emphasis on certain notes.

3) Sing along to the melody, using the syllable "la". Do not sing using the lyrics of the song. As you sing, mark on the sheet music which particular notes you have difficulty with and which sections you are often off-mark when it comes to rhythm. By knowing these points of difficulty, you may make the necessary improvisations that will help you to address these problems.

4) Having determined the pitches and rhythms that you need to work on, speak - not sing - the lyrics along with the melody. Most sheet music have the lyrics broken up into syllables and placed under the corresponding note. There will be times when it is difficult to pronounce certain words in time with the rhythm. This is especially true when you have to squeeze in two to three words in one note or the rhythm is syncopated. Learning how to enunciate the words along with the melody will it very easy for you when you start to sing the lyrics.

5) Memorize the music and the lyrics. See what other vocal techniques you can apply to your performance. Don't forget to record yourself singing. This will help you to determine if the vocal techniques work well with the song or not. It is also important to come up with a checklist of these techniques as well as other reminders, such as observing good posture and breathing.

6) The last step is to work on your expression. Stand in front of a mirror and work on your song presentation. Try out facial expressions and hand gestures that will help you to "communicate" your song to your audience. Avoid making exaggerated gestures and body movements as these will only diminish the quality of your stage performance.

Just follow this procedure you will soon find yourself learning how to sing songs in the proper way in no time at all.

As you can see dude, I know my stuff. If you want to learn how to sing, check out my website at Singing Basics dot Com!

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The Importance Of Practice

When you play any instrument, it is very important to practice as much as you can if you want to be really good at it. This is true for almost anything in life. If you want to get somewhere, you have to work hard for it. Unfortunately, nothing is handed to us on a silver platter; we have to work for accomplishments. As a pianist, it is very important to be able to reach the pedals and if you are young and not very tall, there are pedal extenders or an adjustable piano bench. Being organized and knowing where your sheet music storage is can also be a great help.

Children complain all the time that their parents force them to do things that they do not want to do. The only reason for this is that the parents want to keep options open for their children. There is no way to tell what they will want to do later in life, but if they have been taking piano all their life and start to like it when they grow up, they will appreciate the fact that their parents forced them through every practice, recital, or game.

When you are young, your brain is still developing and you learn what your interests are as you get older. It is easier to pick something up again when you learned to do it when you were little than if you are just starting up with it. Have you ever watched an older person trying to figure out how to use new technology? It is more difficult for them because they are just learning it. The only reason that we do not find it confusing is because we have grown up with it our whole lives and we are used to it by the time we are older.

As much as a child may hate going to practice once or twice a week, they will thank you when they are older and they are very good at playing. No one likes to be forced to do something and practicing an instrument is one of those things no matter how much you like playing. It is important to get your children to understand that practicing is the only thing that will make them good at playing. Some get discouraged, but if they realize that you cannot be good at anything without effort, they will work hard to be better at something.

You may think that it is no big deal to get your children to practice their instruments, but it is not just teaching them about an instrument. When children grow up getting everything they want and never being forced to do anything that they do not want to do, it teaches them that they can get whatever they want. If you teach them hard work, they will grow up understanding that you have to work hard to get results. Even if the child does not continue playing the instrument when they get older, they will learn a good lesson from it.

Learning Piano As an Adult

Adults often get to a stage in their lives in which they want to learn a new skill or a new hobby. Attending piano lessons for adults can be exactly what they are looking for. If you have never played piano before or whether you used to play piano and want to resume playing, it is never too late playing the piano.

Some people argue that children can learn faster than adults. However, what adults have that children often have not is a sense of commitment to learn to play the piano. This positive attitude creates the right focus to learn quickly. In fact, adults who are fully committed to piano lessons often learn faster than children.

Most adults however want to play a piece of music right away. Remember, even if you are highly motivated, you should be patient when taking piano lessons. You cannot expect playing a classical piece of music in the first month. Such high expectations may lead to frustration and disappointment. Instead, you should set yourself reasonable objectives and focus on your present accomplishments. Remember, playing the piano is a rewarding hobby and not a competition.

Private piano lessons can cost a lot of money these days. However, there is a good solution. You can pay much less without compromising on the quality. How is it possible? Today, many teachers offer online piano lessons for adults designed for beginners up to advanced players.

These online piano lessons are cost effective and also very comfortable because you can learn from your own home at your own pace. Some of these courses also combine different types of learning techniques which produce better results than relying on just one technique. In addition, you will be exposed not only to classical music but also to modern music, jazz, blues and gospel. With such method, you will progress much faster and with greater motivation because the focus here is on the student's interest.

Keep in mind that as you get older, your brain will be set on a mechanical mode and it will not develop any further than needed for basic functions, as long as you don't stimulate your brain. By learning new skills such as learning to play piano, you will not only stimulate your brain by acquiring a new skill but also you will be able to play the songs that make your heart sing. It's like killing two birds with one stone.

Three Steps To Learn Guitar Tabs

Have you recently bought a guitar, and are now looking at the best way to learn guitar tabs? If so, then it's important to remember that a huge number of people are put off playing guitar, or at least taking it much further than the occasional rather sad sounding twang, simply because they go about it the wrong way. In this article we'll be looking briefly at some of the best ways to make the most of every minute you spend with your guitar, in order to maximise both your success and the enjoyment that comes from learning to play guitar.

People tend to approach the whole idea of starting to learn guitar tabs in different ways. For a few people the best approach is to find a music teacher, and pay for regular music lessons, at least once a week, in order to learn how to play guitar properly. This is particularly useful if you're looking to play classical guitar, but there are plenty of music teachers available offering lessons in everything from acoustic and classical to rock.

Other people tend to stick to books and manuals, working out for themselves where their fingers need to be, and some can even judge their performance accurately enough by listening to the sounds they're making. Some people know a group of friends, and may well hang out with them, jamming and learning from each other, which can work well. But all of these methods tend to result in people giving up too soon. Music lessons can be expensive, and limit your creativity. Diagrams teach you very little about how to play guitar tabs, because they only show one aspect of the problem. Jamming with friends may be fun, but often the learning will be incidental, and the techniques you pick up may not be ideal.

However, if you want to learn guitar tabs properly, there are a few things you can do which will make a big difference. First of all, have a look at the many learn to play guitar video tutorials now available online. Many of these are published by well known, accomplished musicians and performers, who will not only teach you some of the best ways to learn guitar tabs, play chords and switch from one chord to another, but may even help show you how they go about playing some parts of their own songs. There's nothing quite like learning how to play one of your favourite songs than watching a real performer show you step by step.

The second thing to consider is that learning to play guitar, especially in the early days, will be slow. It's surprising just how much strength and tolerance you need in your fingers and wrists. As you get used to playing you'll start to relax more, but it is to be expected that to start with you'll be a little tense, a little stiff and a little tight, and this all adds up to strain. Limit yourself to no more than ten minutes at a time, a few times a day. Build up gradually, and give yourself a break.

Listen to your own performance. If you can record your performance, this is great - if you can video it, even better. By watching the learn to play video tutorials online, and comparing these to your own performance you can quickly start to identify the differences, helping you to build up gradually,

Finally, it's worth remembering that whilst it's great to have a dream and a goal, perhaps playing in a band, this is only going to happen after a very long period of learning, practising and trying. If you want to learn guitar tabs then take it slow and steady, use online video tutorials and listen to or watch your performance form time to time. Learning from the professionals doesn't have to mean paying for expensive music lessons, but it also doesn't mean you'll be playing Glastonbury next week either.

Learn To Play The Right Way

Along with the piano, the bench is a very important piece to playing the piano. Piano is meant to be calm and relaxing, so there is certain etiquette to it. Imagine someone playing the piano while standing up. Now imagine someone playing a piano sitting at a bench. Which mental picture looks right? Your answer will probably be the one where the person is sitting down because the piano keys are at a lower level. It definitely looks more elegant to have someone sitting at a duet piano bench with another player or alone at an artist piano bench.

Sitting at a bench with good posture is not the only thing that is important. Having good posture helps you play by keeping you more focused on what you are doing instead of being comfortable and slouching, and it also looks better than seeing someone slouched over on their bench. When you play, you have to realize that people are watching you and only you. When you are in a band or orchestra, the audience has more people to look at and may not recognize certain flaws. With playing the piano, it is easier to have your flaws noticed. When playing at a recital, remember to sit up straight, keep a good rhythm, and try to look confident in what you are doing. Even if you mess up, the audience will not notice if you keep going and act like nothing went wrong.

Throughout your lessons, you may have heard your teacher or instructor talking to you about your hand positions. There is a certain way to play and with everyone watching just you, you do not want to look sloppy. You want a fluid movement with your hands and this means that you will need a lot of practice determining what keys to hit with which fingers. Playing the piano can be related to typing on a computer keyboard. Anyone who has ever taken a keyboarding class knows that you have to move your fingers but keep them in the same general area. If you do not do this, you cannot type as fast and you have to look around to find what key to press next. Knowing where your fingers need to go and creating a fluid motion can help you produce less choppy music.

Another problem that many people have when they begin playing is not being able to read music. There are musicians, who like to listen and find the notes themselves, but these are the people who are self-taught; it takes serious dedication and a lot of skill to be able to play this way. For children or anyone learning to play the piano, it is important that they know how to read sheet music. It can be difficult for some people, but it is crucial to learning to play the right way.

Anyone can play any instrument if they learn how to read music or listen to the notes. It takes some practice, but there are tricks that seem fussy such as keeping good posture, but it looks better to the audience and can even help the pianist.

What Are the Basics to Learn the Guitar Online?

Sometimes people complicate things too much in life. I know sometimes I do. But to learn the guitar online does not have to be complicated. First things first, you need a guitar and then you need guitar lessons. That's how simple this should be.

Now, playing guitar can be a very fun experience if you really want to learn. At first, it is normal to feel a little frustration and to believe that the guitar is complicated, but the truth is that it isn't. The "tools" you need to start learning guitar are: a good guitar, a pick (actually a couple of them, for some supernatural reason they tend to mysteriously disappear) a computer with access to the internet (you already have it if you are reading this), about an hour a day to practice and the will to learn.

The first thing you need to learn is the chords. It will probably be difficult the first week, but usually after seven days practicing for at least one hour a day you will feel the difference. Your fingers will get used to the guitar and your fingertips will begin to be harder. After learning the major and minor chords, it is time to start learning songs. You probably have one or two in your list; you just have to make sure to pick easy songs. Do not attempt to start with a difficult song that will only lead you to frustration, if you do this, you could begin to lose interest in learning guitar.

Once you have learned a song or two, the next step would be to learn finger exercises such as the pentatonic scale or any other exercise. To make your fingers move faster, practice with these exercises and you will feel the difference in a couple of weeks. Remember, the key is to practice. Now is the time to get serious. At this point you will be able to play songs and your fingers will feel comfortable on the strings. This is not going to happen overnight, it usually takes about three months to learn the basics.
The next step is learning how to read tabs. Reading tabs is easy, in fact, many players, many good guitar players never actually get to learn to read music, they don?t find in necessary. Now, I?m not saying that you should not learn how to read music; but at first you could improve your skills a lot just by knowing how to read tabs. Also, finding a guitar buddy is a very good idea. You can exchange tips and lessons that will make you learn faster.

Excited? You should be. Scared? Not at all, learning guitar is easy. The difference between an average guitarist and a hot guitarist is consistency. Learning guitar is not a destination, is a journey (that's a phrase I like very much), you will always find something new to learn; there are literally thousands of lessons out there. The best thing you can do is getting online guitar lessons to start learning right away. Remember to practice every day and have fun.

Some Things To Keep In Mind When Learning How To Play Rhythm Guitar

The guitar can be one of the most beautiful or worst sounding instruments depending on whether it is played in the right manner. It's the guitar that provides chordal accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in an ensemble and, as such, is an integral member of any musical set up. Here are a few tips on how to play rhythm guitar.

Typically, a rhythm guitarist plays a pattern of chords using either the picking (for arpeggios) or strumming methods. These chords generally support and complement the main melody of the song played by the other instruments or sung by the vocalist. Chord progressions typically contain a root, the third and fifth note of a chosen scale. These are known as 'Triads'.

These are the most basic form of rhythm accompaniment, but there are much more complex forms of rhythm guitar play which lend from lead guitar techniques so that some of the phrase is played in a triad and other parts using lead guitar technique. The sound of the rhythm guitar varies hugely depending on how the musician wants to manipulate it.

Amplifier effects are often used broaden or distort the sound to give it more impact. Some rhythm guitarists even give the effect of there being two guitars playing with the use of an effects pedal which records and loops the first phrase before the guitarist adds the second over the top,

It seems pretty obvious from the name that the most important job of a rhythm guitarist is to keep a strong rhythm! While chords themselves can be hard to master, getting and maintaining the right tempo at a consistent rate can be an equally hard task. And unfortunately for some, the only way to master this is with many hours of practice.

When you start to play, you will find that your fingers start hurting pretty quickly. This is not unusual and you will find that, as time goes by, and with practice the skin on the end of your playing fingers will toughen and make it much easier to practice for longer periods.

It's also really important to make sure you practice what you have learned over and over again to make sure that you have picked it up properly before you move on to the next lesson.

And a final, important tip. The shorter your fingernails, the easier it is to hold down the strings and get a clear sound. So keep them trimmed.

My name is Chris Lake. I've been a professional guitarist for 15 years, and a guitar teacher for 10. I also write for several guitar related websites including my own.

If you are serious about learning to play guitar like a pro, then make sure you check out this page on my website:

How To Play Rhythm Guitar

Here you'll find a wealth of information that will help you become the guitarist you've always wanted to be.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_W_Lake

Piano Hits And Their Composers

Music is one of the most loved pass times and many people all over the world indulge in different genres. Piano hits have over the years remained steady in their popularity and paved way for great fame for the best pianists. With songs which have been popular for more than five decades one has to acknowledge that the keyboard produces some of the best music.

Ray Charles is one of the famous pianists who is famed for songs like I Got A Woman and his rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's Georgia On My mind which is still the song of Georgia State to date. Ray Charles life history has been documented in the Oscar award winning movie titled Ray in which Jamie Foxx played the lead role.

Billy Joel is well famed for iconic song The Piano Man which put him in the top charts of many countdowns on the music industry. Other songs that made him popular include Uptown Girl, Entertainer and It's Still Rock 'n Roll To Me.

Elton John is another famous pianist who is famed for his major songs like Crocodile Rock, Rocket Man and Don't Go Breaking My Heart. He performed his famous song Candle In the Wind at the late Princess Diana's funeral.

Even though he is blind, Stevie Wonder remains a great inspiration to the world and his famous songs Part Time Lover, My Cherie Amour, Higher Ground and For Once in My Life have endeared him to many fans. Despite his ability to play many instruments his way with the harmonica and the keyboard are believed to be the key to his success.

Jerry Lee Lewis is another famous pianist who is well known for his smashing song Great Balls of Fire which was released at around the time Rock 'n Roll was being born. His music is still influential in today's lyrics and music.

Many contemporary musicians have emerged and some great pianists have released great songs. Among major household names include Alicia Keys in the USA whose famous debut into the music scene saw her win five Grammy Awards for her much loved Falling. Jamie Cullum from the UK is also close in tow and her music has been well received in Europe and UK. Pianists have to practice for long hours in order to be better at their talent and release great piano hits. For those who wish to become great pianists there are many schools which offer lessons. Dedication and practice is the key in achieving this dream.

My name is Andrea D. Vacchiano. I've been a professional pianist for 15 years, and a piano teacher for 10. I also write for several piano related websites including my own.

If you are serious about learning to play the piano, then make sure you check out this page on my website

Piano Hits

Here you'll find a wealth of information that will help you become the piano player you've always wanted to be.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_D._Vacchiano

Learn Guitar: Top 7 Ways To Stay Motivated And Play Like a Pro

After forty-one years of guitar playing you start to notice things, one of the most significant things I have observed is a number of familiar patterns or cycles newbie (and not so newbie) guitar players go through when trying to learn the guitar; one of the most common patterns is the loss of motivation eventually resulting in one of two scenarios: (1) the player gives up altogether or
(2) the would-be guitarist keeps a guitar (usually gathering dust) laying around the home... just in case they get the urge... they never do!

The player cycle goes something like this, the reason for taking up the instrument may vary but the result is almost always the same. The player gets a guitar for Christmas or birthday messes around with the guitar for a while (usually 2 to 3 weeks) then loses interest and moves on to a new adventure; occasionally the would-be guitar player pick up the guitar, strums a few out of tune chords only to confirm yet again that guitar playing is not for them.

A variation of this theme is the guitar player who has been trying to learn how to play for years without any noticeable improvement, this type of player is big on new year resolutions but throws in the towel by the end of February, I'm not criticising just merely pointing out the facts... there's one particular player I know who has told me for five consecutive years "this is going to be the year he gets it all together".

So how do you overcome the dreaded "loss of motivation" syndrome and avoid being one of the guitar playing causalities?

Here's my top 7 ways to stay motivated and play like a professional guitarist

1. Maintain a positive practice experience: There's nothing worst than a bad practice session, it's the fastest way to lose your enthusiasm and motivation, diagnose what went wrong: was it the practice material, the equipment or practice environment, whatever the problem is change it immediately, too many bad practice experiences are fatal!

2. Rekindle your passion: Listen to the players who inspired you to take up the instrument in the first place and remember the only way they achieved their ability on their instrument is through PRACTICE, if you are as dedicated and practice as much as they did you will be able to achieve your dreams.

3. New strings: Put some new strings on your guitar they will feel better under your fingers and your guitar will sound a whole lot better.

4. Play with other guitar players: You can't beat playing and sharing ideas with other guitar players, that's what music is all about; caring and sharing with other humans. Computers are cool tools but they can never replace human interaction!

5. An instrument to die for: There's nothing more motivational than having an instrument you just absolutely love to look at, it just dares you to play it... save up and get an instrument you just can't stop playing, that does not mean the most expensive, just the most desirable!

6. Set goals: Most people give up very easy (not just guitar playing); to overcome this set goals and to achieve your goals remember you need two things (1) clarity of vision - write your goals down; (2) force of intent - guts!

7. Take lessons: Take weekly lessons from an inspiring teacher, just being around an inspiring guitarist will do wonders for your playing, remember the role of the teacher is to help guide you and help you overcome your mental and physical obstacles, they cannot do the practice for you, the best teacher in the world cannot help you if you are not committed.

Types Of Tubas

As you may or may not know, several types of tubas exist. Each of these has its own tonal properties. Having so many versions of the same instrument can be confusing to anyone. I am writing this guide as a general reference when purchasing or identifying one.

Contrabass Tubas

Contrabasses are the most common type of tuba today and are the lowest-pitched. There are two types of Contrabasses, pitched in either Bb or C.

BB-flat Tuba

The BB-flat Tuba is the most common tuba in the U.S. today and are the largest standard tuba. These are used by many school bands because most other brass instruments used by high schools are also keyed in Bb. They are also used by some professional players. BB-flat tubas are often designed to handle the rough treatment of young tubists and sacrifice responsiveness and tone as a result.

BB-flat tubas are the contrabass of choice in German, Austrian, and Russian orchestras. They are the standard for use in concert and symphonic bands.

CC Tuba

CC tubas are build a whole step up from BB-flat models. They lack the lowest notes of a BB-flat tuba, although many add extra valves to make up for this. In the US, most professional tuba players play C-pitched tubas. These tubas are easier to play in the sharp keys, allowing them to work better playing in an orchestra (String parts are often written in the sharp keys to make them easier for them). They are build more for responsiveness and not durability.

These tubas are typically the next step up for advancing tuba players, at least in the US. However; they are not a necessity. A good BB-flat player can play anything written with a CC tuba in mind.

Bass Tubas

Bass tubas are smaller than the Contrabasses and naturally play higher.

E-flat Tuba

Eb Tubas generally play an octave above the contrabasses in a brass band. They are somewhat rare in the US, although in the UK they are the standard orchestral bass. These widely used in bands in the late 1800's and early 1900's. According to one source "nobody remembers why"...

F Tuba

F Tubas are used mainly by professional players for solo works and to play higher parts in some older pieces. They are the standard orchestral tuba in much of Europe, with BB-flat or CC tubas used when additional low end is needed.

Tuba Variations

The Sousaphone

Attributed to and named after John Phillip Sousa, Sousaphones designed for marching. They wrap around the body, resting on the left shoulder and the bell faces forward to project sound into the crowd. They are most commonly pitched in Bb and have just three valves, although some are in Eb. The originals were in C. Just watch out for the wind!

Bell front (recording) tubas

These tubas are upright, but have bells facing forward to project the sound.

Contrabasses (Marching Tubas)

Often seen in DCI competition (Drum Corps. International), these resemble upright tubas but rest on the left or right shoulder, bell pointed to the crowd. These are more awkward than sousaphones and are not common in high school bands. Some upright tubas can be converted to marching tubas with special lead pipes that are interchangeable. This saves bands with low budgets the expense of buying a tuba for each season.

As you can see, many types and variations of tuba exist, each with their own purpose in a band. Hopefully this guide will shed some light on these instruments.

Online Piano Lessons Are For Everyone

Many people would like to learn to play the piano but they do not feel that they have the time to take the formal lessons that they know about. For those individuals there are now online piano lessons where they can practice their piano at any time. The lessons are actually available no matter what the time or day of the week is, so the schedule is fully customizable.

It is actually possible to learn all of the basics of the piano online. Plus in some cases one could experience the higher more advanced levels online as well. Just to make sure that one can master each lesson there is an opportunity to practice until one feels fully confident in his or her abilities.

No one is going to be around to pressure the individual in having to work harder or quicker while they are learning the piano. Actually it is going to be more like one is learning the art of music as they are taught the basic lessons of the piano. In addition they can come out with a sense of pride that they have accomplished something so magnificent.

Playing piano is something that is fun and relaxing and now with the lessons being available through the computer, it is something that everyone can learn. There are so many tools that are available with these lessons as well. They are made so that anyone who has ever wanted to learn is actually able to learn.

Since there is the option to download PDF files with all instructions it is no wonder that most people feel as though they have a teacher with them even though they really do not. In addition the student actually will find themselves able to play some type of piano in a much shorter time period. It seems amazing that playing songs can take years in private teacher taught lessons but only weeks in the available online lessons.

The lessons are really complete as well even teaching the individuals how to read sheet music so that they can use their skills in the real world. Plus they are affordable which means that it is not going to be expensive to learn a great new skill. Obviously the skills that one can learn online will have some limits.

Remember that a lot of concert pianists have spent their entire lives perfecting their art form. However with the online piano lessons one will be able to play the basics, enjoy reading sheet music and playing the piano from this same sheet music. With dedication and years of practice they might even become a concert pianist but as with all things this will take the extra effort and time.

My name is Andrea D. Vacchiano. I've been a professional pianist for 15 years, and a piano teacher for 10. I also write for several piano related websites including my own.

If you are serious about learning to play the piano, then make sure you check out this page on my website

Online Piano Lessons

Here you'll find a wealth of information that will help you become the piano player you've always wanted to be.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_D._Vacchiano

A Guide To Brass Finishes (Tuba/Low Brass)

Arguments about finishes for brass instruments never end. My friends and I have been debating the merits of their effects on tonal properties ever since we were in Jr. High.

This guide will introduce the three most common types of finishes, help separate the facts from fiction and list the pros and cons.

Three primary types of finish are used. These are Clear Lacquer, Silver Plate and Raw Brass.

Silver Plate

Pros:

* Longest lasting of all the finishes
* Makes for easy repairs
* Rumored to be louder
* Warm Sound

Cons:

* More expensive than Lacquer
* Corrosion can be pretty nasty
* Requires polishing often

Silver plated tubas are very common, though not as popular as clear lacquer due to price. A common, yet unanswered question concerning this finish regards volume. It is rumored that silver sousaphones are louder. Just know that silver plated tubas are generally known for a warmer sound than other types of finish. The upkeep is more difficult than clear lacquer as it requires regular polishing to prevent nasty black corrosion.

Silver Plate has durability issues too. Too much polishing or handling can wear through the silver in places, making the instrument look a lot worse than it really is. Repairs will be easier and look better though, as heat can damage a lacquer finish. The finish is bonded to the metal through electroplating, rather than sprayed on.

Clear Lacquer

Pros:

* Brilliant Gold Shine
* Easy To Clean
* Cheap to Re-coat
* Dark, low sound

Cons:

* Slight muffling of the sound
* Will wear through in places

The most popular finish of choice for many school bands is clear lacquer, but it was not all ways this way. Earlier lacquer finishes were solvent based and sprayed on. To get good coverage, it was very thick. This was similar to "throwing a blanket over the whole thing", muffling the sound. Improvement in lacquer finishes have reduced this dramatically, but even now lacquered tubas have a slightly quieter sound than a similar silver plated one.

The lacquer is just a coating like the clear coat on your car, over the brass on the tuba. This finish can have a brilliant gold shine and is the most durable of the common finishes. This finish characterized by its deep, dark sound in the lower sounds. The lacquer also has the easiest upkeep of the standard finishes and is most durable.

Raw Brass

Pros:

* Unmatched sound - for some
* Better response

Cons:

* Prone to corrosion
* WILL turn your hands green
* Looks uneven in finish
* Cheaper - No finish

From what I have read, raw brass not a good option for most players. This lack of finish removes all protective qualities that the other finishes have. Raw brass instruments will tarnish, but this is actually a good thing; the tarnish will provide a little protection for the metal underneath. Sweaty hands are another thing to watch out for with this finish. Contact should be kept to the minimum, unless you want to leave permanent hand prints. The acidity from your hands can eat accelerate oxidation, continuing to the metal below.

Also, holding on of these will turn your hands green.

Raw Brass does however have an advantage. They are said to have a better response and brighter sound than other finishes.

Of course these are not the only types of finishes available. There are many more, all with different tonal properties. However; these are likely all that you will run across.

Useful Hints To Help You Learn Electric Guitar

There are many people that want to learn electric guitar. It is an instrument that could take years to perfect as it is seen as one of the most difficult instruments to play. This could be worth it in the end as the variety of different sounds you can accomplish with this instrument is almost endless.

The first thing you should consider is the type of instrument that you would want to purchase. You can ask in store for the advise on the various models available. If you see this venture as a long term commitment then you should invest in a decent instrument, as this will increase the quality of the sound.

You should set a schedule of practicing times each day and stick to it. There should also be objectives that you set for yourself in order for you to see your progress each week. This will help to motivate you when learning to play the guitar.

By sticking to a regular schedule, and being disciplined in your practice sessions, you will see more improvement in less time than you would if you just played whatever and enhancer you want. That being sadi, it is important to find some time to just enjoy yourself and have a jam. It is this balance between work and play that you must find in order to become a better player.

When learning to play you should think of purchasing lesson books and also get lessons from an instructor. This will help you to learn quicker and allow you to get assistance on problems that you might be experiencing. The lessons could be costly so make sure that you have allocated a budget for it.

There are two types of guitarists; namely rhythm and lead. Rhythm keeps the beat of the song while lead adds variation at different intervals of a song. You should decide which one you would be most interested in. You could also try to learn both in the beginning and then only concentrate on the one you like best in the future.

One of the first things that you will learn is how to position the instrument in your lap and the basic cords for your fingers. This could take some time learning, as your fingers need to be accustomed to the various different positions on the guitar. Each cord will sound different from the other and should be played a certain way to get the required sound from it.

When playing an electric you will need to purchase an amplifier to get the full sound from your instrument. The electric is different to the traditional box guitar, as it does not have a hole in the middle of it, which enhances vibrations and then produces sounds. It needs to be plugged into an amplifier that then produces the sounds electronically.

My name is Chris Lake. I've been a professional guitarist for 15 years, and a guitar teacher for 10. I also write for several guitar related websites including my own.

If you are serious about learning to play guitar like a pro, then make sure you check out this page on my website:

Learn Electric Guitar

Here you'll find a wealth of information that will help you become the guitarist you've always wanted to be.

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How To Get Better At Guitar - 7 Essential Tips

The following tips are the result of 'lightbulb' moments. Those times when you realise what you've been doing something completely wrong for the last 20 years!

If you can learn from these tips, you should improve as a guitarist much more quickly than you would if you had to learn the slow way. I know for myself, I'm on a journey the same as everyone else and I need to go through this checklist regularly and see how I'm going.

Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you'll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you're gonna be rewarded - Jimi Hendrix

These are essential tips that can help you to get better at guitar and go to the next level as a player.

1. Play With Lots Of Different Musicians

Play with as many different people as possible. If possible, play with people better than you. That's how you keep learning. You can practice all of your techniques, theory, rhythms, etc on your own and then forget all that when you get in a room with other musicians. You are PLAYING music, not thinking music. Play from your heart and your hands, not your head. Don't forget to watch and listen to how others are playing and responding to each other.

2. Never Stop Learning New Songs

Learning new songs will guarantee to keep you out of any rut you may be in. A song can take you away from your normal style and expose you to something new. Don't forget the music on TV and movies. People that write music for movies and commercials are professionals - they know their stuff. Lots of stuff to learn. Movies especially... Trying to create a mood? Soundtracks are designed for just that. Lots to learn compositionally.

3. Find Your Part In The Song

Find where you sit in the song and then play your part. What is your role in the song? The bass can play in the octaves you can't (or at least, shouldn't). Don't try to take over. You shouldn't ever fight your drummer. Let them lay the foundation, and you just decorate. Don't try to be the "star". Find the pocket and do things to make the band sound better.

4. Practice Not Playing

Have you ever tried to not play anything for an entire verse or pre-chorus? It can be harder than you think. Remember, silence is your friend. It makes music sound organic instead of like a sprint or unstoppable robot! Don't always be in a rush, and don't be afraid to let a rhythm or a solo "breathe" between notes and strums. Keyword: Breathe.

5. Effects Don't Cover Mistakes

Don't rely on effects. A classic mistake is using too much delay. If you listen to a professional recording carefully, you'll notice that a lot of the guitar parts don't actually have much delay at all. Yet, when we play live, it can be an easy but bad habit to use too much delay.

Also, don't use too much distortion; too many pedals; too much "cover up". I found that learning to play clean with no pedals really helped me both with my technique and my overall tone. A lot of guys hide behind pedals and when you take them away they are very sloppy or cant find their touch. Try to play without them more often and master your playing so that when you add a pedal into the mix it only adds to your overall tone.

6. Practice Every Day!

How many guitar teachers have said that practice is the number 1 tip for improving. But remember, don't just practice, you need to practice the right things. Other wise you'll just be wasting time. 'Noodling' is not as productive as 'drilling'. Also, practicing unplugged is usually more productive.

Don't forget to practice to a click. Try to play in time, both rhythmically and with single note lines.

Be productive. If time is a problem for you and you only have 30 minutes a day, just plan it: 10 minutes on arpeggios, 10 minutes on chord voicing, 10 minutes on melody work, or something like that.

7. Find melodies in the scales.

To get away from going mindlessly up and down a scale pattern, try to start concentrating more on playing inspired melodies. This is where the magic of music exists. Find your own melodies within the scales and let that shine in the song. This is another reason why some people don't like super-fast shredders that simply go up and down the scales really fast. It can start to sound boring and 'same-old-same-old'.

Million-mile-an-hour chops leave me cold. Vocalists don't go didididididi. Why should guitars? - Jeff Beck

Have Fun!

In summary, remember to have fun! Or at least look like you're having fun; smile, move around, interact, have energy. The more fun you can have, the more others will have fun around you.

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing -Dale Carnegie

Hi, I'm Danny Dyson and I'm the writer and creator behind RockYourGuitar.com.

I have been playing guitar for over 20 years now and love it more every day.

Rock Your Gutiar is a blog aimed at those interested in learning how to master guitar, growing as a musician, and keeping up to date with the latest news in the guitar world.

Hope to see you soon! http://www.rockyourguitar.com/

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Learn Guitar Online With Jamorama

About 10 years ago in order to learn guitar you would likely have to take lessons at a music store or even go to college for some guitar lessons. Or you could go to the music store and pick up a DVD or tape to learn from.

But now with modern technology and the internet being so big and popular you can take online guitar lessons with a course like Jamorama.

If you want to learn how to play well then you need to start off with the basics of course. This includes learning how to read tabs. Tabs are a very easy way of reading chord structures and notes.

It takes not even a minute to learn how to read tabs. Then you should move onto to learn common chord structures. Start with learning all of the major and minor chords.

These are the basis for all music. By learning the chords A to G you will be able to play just about every song out there.

Once you learned how to read tabs and the basic chords it is time to actually start playing. You need to start getting a rhythm for guitar. All great guitar players have a deep feel for playing along with a beat or track.

Jamorama has a ton of jam tracks to listen and play along with to sharpen your timing. It really does take practice. Not only should you sharpen your rhythm but your fingers need to get used to playing.

Do not be alarmed if your fingers are not used to pressing down on the metal strings. It takes some getting used to. Just keep practicing until you fingertips are exhausted.

They will get tougher with time. Your fingers will also have to get used to faster chord changes and being able to do some moves like hammer ons and slides. These are some cool movements that add fluid to your playing. Do not worry about them for now.

Just learn and master the basics then you can learn some licks and solos. Also it is important to know what style you want to get into.

Most people would love to get into hard rock and play songs by the great bands such as The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin. Others are more into classical fingerstyle guitar.

There are plenty more skills to get down like improvising and playing by ear. Imagine being able to listen to a song and then play it without having to look up the tabs.

That is another great advantage Jamorama has. It includes a software game where it plays a chord and then you learn by choosing which chord is being played.

I know it sounds kind of weird but after a while you will be able to easily tell the difference between chords and this is a powerful way to train your ears.

How To Write Lyrics - An Introduction

Whether you are a beginning songwriter or a seasoned veteran writer, if you are searching for information and tools about how to write lyrics, this is a great place to start. Writing lyrics is more than just something to learn, or a skill you perform at a certain time - it's a way of life for those who are serious about it. There are many methods and formulas for how to write song lyrics, and they all can have some value. The important thing is to find the methods that best fit you and your genres. Some will write melody first, then add lyrics and others will write both together or lyrics only first. There really is no best way for how to write lyrics for songs, except the way that allows the writer to convey the emotions and meaning in a manner the listener can relate to. The logistics or rules for how to write good lyrics are well documented in many good resources. You will find many of them listed or reviewed all over the Internet. Anyone can learn the mechanics, but the biggest part of writing song lyrics is creating the idea for the song itself. You may not have much experience or even understand common song structure yet, but if you have great ideas you CAN be a great writer.

Writing song lyrics is not an exact science, though the many rules and traditional standards can make it seem like studying physics. The core and essence of any song is how it communicates. Why did our ancient ancestors begin to communicate thoughts, stories and feelings by mouthing words while changing vocal pitches? Why is that such a powerful way to communicate? Whatever all of the social and psychological reasons may be, history has proven that the art of the song is one of the most meaningful and memorable forms of human communication. Consider the difference in how you feel in reciting or hearing something like the pledge of allegiance, compared to hearing or singing a national anthem. So how is one to write a song lyrics message in such a way that is meaning and memorable? Write lyrics that trigger feelings. Listeners will relate those feelings to the lyrics and the words will mean more than just a clever twist of a phrase.

When you write song lyrics, make it personal. Even if the subject matter is not something you have direct experience in, use your own feelings and emotions in some related area to build an underlying story line. Even if a listener has no idea what the subplot might be, if you use your own life experience and emotions as a foundation for your word choices, they will feel the emotion and relate it to their own life. Conveying emotion should be the prime goal, no matter if you are learning how to write rap lyrics, or how to write lyrics for a country tear jerker. Emotion is king and the lyric writer should treat it like royalty! (pun intended)

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Article Submitted On: March 14, 2011

Learn Guitar Songs - It Can Be Really Easy

Music is assuredly one of the finest arts that we'll ever make. It can be both powerful and soothing, and one of the very few things that can alter a person's mood greatly. It's for this reason that so many people find themselves drawn to it, as it can say a lot more than what words can, even in a shorter amount of time. For most, the instrument of choice is guitar, easily one of the most recognizable sounds, regardless of what tuning it happens to be in. Unfortunately, it's also a difficult instrument to play, making the need for easy guitar lessons very high.

Music is Love

Learning the guitar can be akin to learning a completely different language and it should be treated as such. This is noteworthy to state because people need to know that while it may be a little easier with the right lessons, it doesn't mean that it'll be quick. Some people pick it up a lot quicker than others, but most people can expect for it to take a little bit of time. Of course, that depends on the style of guitar, or genre. For instance, folk music is a lot harder than those who have a desire to learn blues guitar, although both can eventually be achieved.

In any style that a person wants to play, they'll come to the conclusion that the best idea here is to be patient and find the right lessons. While there are many different sources that will be of some really good assistance, it's really all about finding out what may be the most comfortable in your own opinion. This is extremely important, as a lot of people stopped playing guitar because they didn't think that they were getting anywhere, and it's easy to feel that way when a person is learning anything. When it comes to guitar, this is probably one of the worst things possible, as it's really a fulfilling instrument to learn.

Invigorate Your Soul with Guitar

And not only is the instrument a lot of fun to learn, it's also something that can help people's emotions. It's known to be one of the better ways for the person to relax and get themselves centered, and considering how busy some people are, the guitar happens to be one of the better things in a person's life. No matter if you're looking to learn bass guitar or a standard guitar, the joy of making music is without parallel, and should be taken up by more people.

Even if you don't have aspirations of becoming the next big thing in music, you'll still find that learning the guitar is a great thing to do. While it may not be the quickest thing to master - it's all about having fun and enjoying yourself. The guitar can really bring about some pretty good change in a person's life, allowing them to bring about some clarity and balance, as well as granting them the ability to step back and focus in life.

The Best Tips For You On How to Sing Better

Just like the other performing arts, singing is a field that requires you to constantly challenge yourself and push yourself to the limits. There is no point in doing the same comfortable exercises over and over again because these will only cause your voice to stagnate with time, so that you will see little to no improvement.

The secret to keeping yourself out of a singing rut is by advancing to more complicated and challenging exercises and techniques, as well as experimenting with other music genres. If you expand your field of music study, you will be able to achieve a more comprehensive identity as a singer.

Refrain from being snobbish by sticking to your musical preferences and tastes. You will need to widen your music horizons. One way to do this is by singing accompanied by musicians who share the same interests as you. Not only is this experience important in terms of performance, it will also give you an idea on how to fit in rhythmically with a group.

The three main factors that will determine the type of singer that you will become in the future are natural ability, practice and resourcefulness.

At the start of your singing lessons, you should be made to undergo basic voice exercises, including warm-ups, scale exercises (singing the simple keys C, G and D), tremolo and arpeggios.

As you progress, you will want to sing certain songs. Whether you have an instructor or you are self-taught, you will have to break up the song in order to learn it by section.

When you reach the intermediate level, you should already consider challenging yourself more. Do not limit yourself to the C, D and G scales and mid-song key changes. Go on to exercising difficult scales with more accidentals. Whereas during the beginner stage you break the song up into sections, this time, try organizing the song yourself. You should also start practicing your improvisation by now, so that you can apply all the techniques and skills that you have acquired. One way is by experimenting on how different scales can work together, such as the G scale with the E minor scale.

As a growing singer, it is very important to not just limit yourself to your musical tastes. Listen to a wider variety of music, and take special note of the differences in styles and techniques. You can learn something new just by listening to other genres like classical, pop, rock, country, Latino and opera. Music is a worldwide phenomenon. In the 21st century alone, you will see singers experimenting with various musical styles, creating a fresh fusion sound.

Right from the start, you should have a good understanding of rhythm. What's the point of being a fantastic singer if you have no sense of rhythm? If you have problems keeping in time with the music, buy a metronome. This will help you to become more conscious of the time signature of any song that you would like to perform.

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While it is not crucial to learning, it will help to have some kind of gauge on your progress as a singer. Set specific time frames for learning and mastering techniques before advancing to the next level. Also, set reviews for the basics that you have learned in previous lessons. This will enable you to keep a solid foundation as you progress through your singing career.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacaranda_Flagg

Warm-Up Techniques To Bring Your (Tuba) Playing To The Next Level

"Simply put, a tuba player is only as good as his warm up."

"Why warm-up?", you might ask.

For many high school students the typical warm up consists of buzzing the mouth piece for a minute or two, followed by a few scales. Although this is better than nothing, its benefits are minimal. Oh, we all know warming up is a necessity for any brass player, needed to level out intonation and allow the player to perform at their best. However; more can be gained by following these simple, but often overlooked techniques.

1. Stretching

Stretching is one technique that is too important to overlook. As tuba players, we know better than anyone that air=sound. What's the best way to get more (or better) sound? The answer is more air. And the only way to do this is through proper breathing.

Whole books could be written on breathing techniques, but I won't go into that here. I will say that stretching the upper body, paying special attention to the shoulders, is a good way to gain some extra lung capacity without too much work.

2. Long Tones

You've heard it before and you'll hear it again. Before you do any playing, do long tones first. They are the most important step in this process. They keep you from playing before the tones are ingrained in your head and help both tone and endurance. Most importantly, do not play anything in the extremes of your register. This will ruin the whole process.

Keep things in the middle of your range and you will sound better later.

3. Long Tone Lip Slurs

This is a common technique, preached to students throughout the world by their band directors. Unfortunately students will often ignore their advice. "Why practice whole notes anyway?? I can already do that just fine!"

They don't realize that they are preparing their lips gradually. The long tones condition the lips and the ears to perform at their best. The lip slurs are also important. They train the ear to hear the pitches before they are played. This will actually increase enable one's sight reading ability, as hitting pitches will become more natural!

Long Tone Lip Slurs

Play Through this once or twice at the beginning of practice.

4. More Lip Slurs!

After warming the lips up a little with the long tones, you are now ready for some flexibility exercises. Becoming proficient with these is essential to building a firm foundation. Once they are mastered, your embouchure will be ready for anything.

Start out low, as always.

These should be the finishing touch on your warm-up. After this, you're are ready as you are going to get.

When you can play this without difficulty, you are now warm and can move on to your "real" practice.

If you add these 3 simple techniques to your daily routine, I promise you will become a better player and there is no better feeling than knowing you've reached a little higher than before.

Until next time,

-- Mike Quain

Tips on How to Play the Guitar

Cheap and portable, the guitar is probably the most popular musical instrument around. It provides a perfect accompaniment for a singer and is used just as well to shred in a metal group. Unfortunately, there's more people who want to play than are capable. Many people indicate a willingness, "oh I'd love to play" but they don't. While there's no substitute for practice time, there are some tips to keep in mind to get you going.

Use the internet. There are enough resources there to get you started, even if it means you sifting through a couple bad, unhelpful sources. The first thing you ought to do is learn to read a tablature (the simplest way music is written for guitar). It's simple to understand, rooted in logic opposed to something musically esoteric. That will unlock for you how to play melodies, but chords might not be written out this way. Learn to read chord charts. The same logic underlying tab (short for tablature) is behind chord charts. There'll be dots on certain strings on certain frets indicating where to put your finger. Learn which lines are one of the six strings and learn which are frets and this should be simple.

Producing a musical sound may be another matter. It's harder to get that good, clear, sustain, and frequently a note is accompanied with a small buzz, or something unclear. This is natural and it happens to everyone at first. Be sure to press down on the string with the very tips of your finger, not the flat part you can see when you look at your open palm. This is important. Also, be sure to press down near the fret, but no part of your finger should touch any part of the fret. Also, it's common for the finger you're using to touch one string to be accidentally touching another string also. This is obviously bad. The most crucial thing is understanding that your fingers will change-with time on the instrument they become increasingly strong, flexible, and independent. Beginners frequently say things like, "it's impossible for me to move my fingers like that." In a way they're right, because their fingers aren't in shape for it yet, but with time it becomes very possible. Usually less time than they think.

Practice should be regular. It may take some resolve since the beginning stages of learning an instrument are normally marked by what can be called mild cacophony, but understand that the sound will improve. In any case, practice despite however bad it may sound and soon you'll be practicing because you enjoy the sound. Also, improvement is so gradual that sometimes you won't even notice it yourself. But trace how far you've come along and it'll encourage you. One day it'll hit you: "wow, I remember when I couldn't do this and now it's so easy," even though prior to that realization you may feel you haven't got much better.