How to Read Piano Notes
By: Duane Shinn

Reading piano notes may seem daunting at first, but it really isn't if you ground yourself in the basics. The first step is learning the names of the notes. The great thing is that you only have seven to memorize. All music is the result of combinations of these seven. These notes, named after letters in the alphabet, are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Specific keys on the piano, associated with these notes, comprise your piano playing toolkit. These seven notes sit on lines and spaces, called a music staff. Piano music consists of two staffs or staves: the Treble Clef and the Bass Clef. The notes from the upper portion of the piano keyboard sit on the Treble Clef. The notes from the lower portion of the keyboard sit on the Bass Clef. Usually, the right hand plays the notes in the Treble Clef, while the left hand plays notes in the Bass Clef. The key to reading piano notes is in knowing what key relates to what note on the sheet music. The note A on a piano is a white key. The A on the music staff corresponds to where the A note is on the keyboard. The notes on a keyboard repeat themselves: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A Each of these notes is a key on the piano. It's that simple, all along the keyboard. The first A sits on one point of the music staff. As you play along the keyboard, the second A you play sits further up the music staff. As your fingers run up to the upper portions of the keyboard, the higher the notes sit on the Treble Clef. The further down you play on the piano keyboard, the further down the notes sit on the music staff, running into the Bass Clef. You can group notes together on a music staff vertically. These vertical grouping are chords. A chord is a group of three or more notes played simultaneously. If you play the C, E and G keys at the same time on the keyboard, you play a chord known as a triad. On a piece of sheet music, you will see these three notes as such: G E C ...piled on top of one another so-to-speak. If the composer wants these notes played separately, he would write them out horizontally on the music staff as such: C E G ...moves along the music staff. Of course, these letters do not appear on the music staff; instead oval notes replace the letters. When you first begin to read piano sheet music, locate the reference point note of each staff. This allows you to determine the rest of the notes on the staff. The Treble Clef has the G note as its reference point. This note is on the second line from the bottom of the five line Treble Clef staff. The Bass Clef has the F notes as its reference point. This note is on the second line from the top of the five line Bass Clef staff. Every other note on either staff is easily located from these points. Reading piano notes will be easier when you study the fundamentals. Learn the Treble and Bass Clefs and where the seven notes sit on them, and your reading skills will improve.

How Can I Learn To Understand Music & Piano Playing?
By: Duane Shinn

The graceful flourishes of a well-played piano masterpiece are sounds that many people would love to create. From trained professionals to child prodigies, a brilliantly played piano can steal the show. But great lessons are costly and involve scheduling time away from your busy life. So how do you learn how to play the piano or deepen your knowledge of the instrument? Piano workbooks can provide a solid foundation in theory, an effective practice routine, and piano classics in one package. If you don't have the time or money for lessons, consider buying a few piano workbooks. The obvious advantages of piano workbooks are the ability to set your own pace and practice at your convenience. Just sit down at the bench after dinner, crack open the book, and hear your playing improve. The only downside is that you must develop self-motivation to flourish when studying from piano workbooks. Like any great discipline, you must develop some kind of regimen to progress. With a teacher, you'll always have someone keeping track of how well you're doing. By studying from a workbook, you'll have to keep an eye on your own progress. Piano workbooks range from those that focus on the basics to those that provide a comprehensive explanation of musical theory. The best offer a good amount of theory, exercise and musical notation. Whatever type of study you are seeking, there are certainly several piano workbooks available that suit your needs. Some piano workbooks may be a look and listen experience. They may come with CDs that let you hear the examples listed in the book. This is great for the unsure learner who may need more than just text to explain a concept. It's also wonderful for hearing how an exercise is supposed to be played or how a particular piece is intended to sound. Many books give examples of practice methods. Be sure to follow their instructions so that you don't overexert your hand muscles, especially if you are a beginner or trying advanced techniques. Warm-up your hands with simple and light playing for a little while before going into an extended run across the keyboard. Workbooks also contain essential piano pieces that combine theory and technique into music. The pieces provided range from simple pop songs to classical standards that will put your skills to the test. Piano workbooks often include biographical information on the composers of each piece so that you can learn the history of the instrument. Besides simply playing, a deep understanding of the piano and pieces composed for it provides an appreciation for musical history. Piano workbooks can offer an extensive training course to anyone willing to invest the time. Since they're often compiled by a company, they contain more information than any one person can offer. Though a book can't make you practice, they can be a benefit to dedicated students. So when you decide to fancy yourself a pianist and set out to master the works of Franz Liszt, consider the tutelage that piano workbooks can offer.

6 Tips For Better Guitar Playing
By: John Philip

In this article I hope to demonstrate a few tips that will, with any luck, put you on the correct approach to developing into a proficient guitar player. If you can take into account that to play well involves a lot of practice and dedication then these tips will give you a head start. It takes arduous work and perseverance to the learn guitar and there is no fast and easy way, but some procedures are much more adept than others, resulting in quicker advancement. The main chief tip, though, is no matter what you do don't admit defeatSet Aside Your Own SpaceDistractions can play havoc with your concentration and focus, making any practise session worthless. Learning to play the guitar is hard enough so make it easier by finding a space where you can be alone without any outside noise or interruptions.EquipmentEnsuring that your guitar is tuned correctly is paramount at the beginning of any practise session. Preparation is essential to good guitar playing and it is imperative to make certain that your instrument is in good condition Understand Your InstrumentSurprising, as it might seem, not all guitars are the same, every one has a different tone and sound. Learn to know and understand your guitar, what every part is called and its different function. Appreciate your instrument and, although it’s an inanimate object, learn to respect and care for it. Even though you might not appreciate it now it will make you a better and more experienced guitar player.Recognise Your Level Of Expertise Frustration can soon set in when, after a few weeks of practising and learning, you cant play the same tunes as Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page or any of your other guitar heroes. Realism has to kick in somewhere and the sooner the better. Learning to play the guitar is not an overnight thing. It takes time. Start with sensible goals, leave the advanced playing until later and progression will come with a growth in confidence. Show persistence at this point and you will reap the benefits later and it will be even more rewarding.Pick Your StyleBeing able to play a piece of music made famous by one of your favorite guitarists is an unbeatable sensation. When, and only when, you have completed the fundamentals and you are set to move on to something harder it’s time pick a style of music you like and can identify with. Most songs are generally accessible as sheet music from a variety of sources and it’s another level in your education. This is an exhilarating stage in your progress. Set GoalsOne of the best ways to focus you concentration on you progress is to set mini targets. Pick a time period for when you are going to play your first song in front of family and friends and let them know about it. This helps give a reason for your practise sessions and certainly grabs your attention the closer to the date of your debut performance. Once you have performed and enjoyed being in the spotlight it will give you a boost in confidence. It’s no surprise, but your playing will improve after. Keep in mind, learning to play the guitar is a continual progression, but should always be fun, and if you continue to advance consistently there is no knowing how talented you can grow to be. With any luck, these tips will prove useful and you will have many years of playing satisfaction.

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Playing Bass Guitar Solos

By: Ricky Sharples

In 1965 British rock group, The Who released a song called My Generation. Apart from its claim to fame as a rock anthem it also contains the most instantly recognizable bass guitar solo in rock and roll. This iconic solo by John Entwistle is typical of the bass solo modeled on similar solo breaks played on double bass and bass guitar in jazz music. This type of bass guitar solo is in the form of a question and answer sequence often found in blues music. The Who's solo also imitates jazz bass solos in that it is played without other instruments behind it. In jazz such solos are played unaccompanied because other instruments tend to drown out the bass.There have been many bass solos included in rock, funk and jazz but only in pop music has the bass guitar solo stood alone as a piece of music. The first pop musician in England to own and play an electric bass guitar was Jet Harris. He found fame and fortune with The Shadows, Cliff Richard's backing group who were trying to make their own way in pop music as a vocal and instrumental group. Harris played on the band's early instrumental hits featuring the lead guitar of Hank Marvin but decided to try to make it as a soloist like America's Duane Eddy. Jet Harris' first big hit as a solo guitarist was in 1962 with his rendition of the 1940 song Besame Mucho. The throbbing notes of the six string bass turned a poignant love song into an instrumental work full of menace. Probably inspired by their former band member's success, The Shadows released another six string bass solo called Stingray as a single in 1965.Meanwhile in America in 1963 a young composer and arranger named Jack Nitzsche made a lush orchestral single called The Lonely Surfer. The orchestra was merely the backdrop for a simple melody played on the bass guitar. The Lonely Surfer never climbed higher than number thirty-nine on the charts, but that is pretty good for a bass guitar solo! These days the bass guitar is an important part of any band. It was actually born in the nineteen thirties but met with very little success until it was adopted by the early rock and roll groups of the nineteen fifties. The bass guitar is of course descended from the double bass which has always been a solo instrument in orchestral music and was often used for solo work in jazz.If you want to play bass guitar, you might want to consider learning to play a regular guitar first. It is not absolutely necessary to become a lead or rhythm guitarist before playing bass but it seems to be the way that bass guitar players come into the world. To begin your career as a bass guitarist you can try playing through the bass tabs available on the internet. There are also some lessons available for free plus you can view heaps of bass solos and bass guitar lessons on the various video sites.Once you have some practice on the bass guitar under your belt there is blinding variety of bass guitar techniques to try before you begin seriously to play solos. You can employ a wide range of plectrums or choose from the many techniques which involve plucking, popping and slapping the bass with the fingers. To some people this might sound like hard work but hopefully you will regard it as a labor of love.

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Ricky Sharples has many more tips for guitar players of all levels at his blog Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free, a continuously updated directory of free guitar lessons, videos, chord charts and lots of useful guitar stuff.I highly recommend visiting here for more info about Music

Tips For The Beginner On Acoustic Guitar
By: Ricky Sharples

The acoustic guitar is the most well-liked instrument for beginner musicians. It is simple to cart around, you can practice on it any time, and it has a very agreeable sound. The acoustic guitar also is something of an unknown quantity for anyone just starting to learn to play, so in this article I would like to come to grips with issues such as the best acoustic guitar to buy for the beginner, what to expect when you take lessons and whether or not you will need to learn to read music. If you are just starting as a guitar player, and you need some guidance, keep reading.First you will require a guitar. An acoustic guitar for a beginner is often difficult to find. The best guitar is not too dear but painless to play. With the number of low cost, poor quality acoustic guitars being made recently you will perhaps need someone you have faith in to assist you to decide on your first guitar. If you do not know anybody to assist you choose a guitar, then it would be best to launch into your search based on brand names. There are some acoustic guitars in the average price range that are favorably recommended by veteran guitar players:The Ibanez AC30NT is a nicely-built guitar with an exceptionally agreeable tone.If you go to your local guitar dealer you might be able to hook up with a Fender beginner's package containing the low priced but serviceable Fender DG-8S.Another cheap beginner's guitar with an excellent brand name is the Epiphone DR-100.Takamine is another label to ponder with some fully reasonable guitars in their range. If you are constrained by your finances the Takamine G-340 is a good selection.For a grand looking, great sounding guitar, seek no further than the Seagull S6 but it is a little more pricey than the others.If you find yourself looking round for a secondhand guitar, look for the brand names I have mentioned.Your first acoustic guitar lessons will doubtless be taken up with the basics of stringing and tuning your guitar. You might want to learn some guitar music theory to assist you to understand what you are doing when you begin to play scales and chords.When you are all set up with your acoustic guitar and you have found a teacher or online lessons, you will be looking around for songs that you, as a beginner, might dream of playing. Just center your pursuit on the kind of songs you enjoy. You should find easy versions of your favorite songs that will make use of simple chords that you will still be using as you grow into a guitarist. The easiest songs will be using open chords which will only use two or three of your left hand fingers. You will be strumming or plucking all six strings, but some of the strings will be "open", that is, not fingered. If you are wondering whether to learn to read music or just tabs you will find that guitar tabs are the easiest way to go. A few minutes of reading will give you the basic idea behind tablature, and an online search will clear up any rough spots in your comprehension.You will find that starting out as a beginner acoustic guitar player will not be as difficult as you first imagined, but

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The 9 Basic Guitar Chords That Every Guitar Player Should Know

The 9 Basic Guitar Chords That Every Guitar Player Should Know
By: Jonathan Dykerman

There are 9 basic guitar chords which beginner guitarists first learn and that all guitar players should know. These guitar chords are also called open position chords because they are played in open position, or in other words, played down by the nut of the guitar utilizing open strings.These 9 basic guitar chords are so essential that every guitar player should know how to play them, and most do. With these 9 basic guitar chords alone, you will be able to play most if not all the songs you want to learn! When jamming, you will see other guitar players use these exact same chords all the time. Imagine, you as a beginner guitar player hanging with guitarists who have been playing for years. That’s how important these 9 guitar chords are!The 9 Basic Guitar ChordsThe C major chord - Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret on the 5th string, your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string and your 1st finger on the 1st fret on the 2nd string. The 3rd and 1st strings are to be played open and the 6th string is not to be played.The G major chord - Place your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret on the 6th string, your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string and your 4th finger on the 3rd fret of the 1st string. The 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings are to be played open.The D major chord - Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret on the 3rd string, your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string and your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret on the 1st string. The 4th string is to be played open while the 5th and 6th strings are not to be played.The E minor chord – Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string and your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret on the 4th string. The 6th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings should be played open.The E major chord – Played the same as the E minor chord except the 3rd string is not played open but instead played with your 1st finger on the 1st fret.The A minor chord – Played the same as the E major chord except the fingering is moved up one string set. Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string, your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string and your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string.The A major chord – Played the same as the A minor chord except the note on the 2nd strings is moved up one fret and the chord is re-fingered. Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret on the 4th string, your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret on the 3rd string and your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret on the 2nd string.The D minor chord – Place your 2nd finger on your 2nd fret on the 3rd string, your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret on the 2nd string and your 1st finger on the 1st fret on the 1st string.The F major chord – Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret on the 3rd string and your 1st finger on the 1st fret on both the 2nd and 1st strings.Take your time to learn these 9 basic guitar chords. You may find some chords are hard to finger, particularly F major and A major, but with practice they will come. You should find that in no more then a few weeks you will have these chords down solid and be able to move from one chord to the next rather comfortably.

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Learn How To Play Jazz Drums

Learn How To Play Jazz Drums
By: Chris Chew

So you have decided that you want to be a drummer but is at a loss as to which genre of playing style you want to master. Have you considered learning how to be a jazz drummer? As you probably know, jazz is one of the most artistic and intriguing genre of music and especially so for the jazz drummer. Playing jazz music gives the drummer the opportunity to exhibit his amazing technical drumming skills and capabilities. However, most drummers choose not to take the time to learn how to play jazz drums properly which is partly due to its wide range of technicalities unlike most other forms of music. Although jazz drumming seem to look very complicated, in reality, it is not that difficult to learn. The main difference is that most drummers are used to the 4/4 tempo of drumming where jazz is played with plenty of triplets and has a different feel from most other types of music. So the drummer may have to relearn some drumming techniques. Furthermore, most jazz pieces are relatively fast in tempo and thus most drummers also need to make improvements on their stick speed. The first thing a new drummer needs to learn when playing jazz pieces is the basic jazz swing tempo or sometimes called the "swing groove". A jazz drummer's main role is to keep time for the rest of the band just like in any genre of music. The drummer should never overpower the rest of the band unlike when playing rock songs. To do this, simply use your hi hat and ride cymbal. Ok. Let's start with your hi-hat stepping on the 2 and 4 count to a piece of swing music. It is critical to keep this count over top of everything else that you play. Next, add ride the cymbal with a triplet tempo and feel. Practice these moves to perfection before going further with your drum lessons. Now that you have mastered how to keep the swing tempo with the hi-hat and ride cymbal, let's move on to the bass drum or sometimes called the kick-drum. Jazz drumming techniques are sometimes very subtle and because of this, the bass drum should not be too dominant. So do make sure that you do not play the bass drum too loudly. This again is unlike most other form of drumming. A good technique for this is keep your heel down when playing the bass drum. In this way, you are more in position control the strength of the kick more easily. A technique jazz drummers often use is the feathering the bass drum. This is done by lightly tapping the bass drum on the quarter or eighth notes. You will probably know that is highly common for the bass drum to follow the bass guitar player. So you may need to know what kind of rhythm progression the bass player is playing and try to follow him. The bass drum should be played with more of a feel rather than powerful thumping like those in rock music. The snare drum can be used to help as an accent for the band or can be used to play straight quarter notes. Another common rhythm in jazz music is the shuffle and every jazz drummer must also master this form of drumming. Furthermore, since jazz music usually have musicians doing solo runs, the jazz drummer must also learn how to play drum solos. By developing these common jazz drumming styles, you will be playing jazz drums like a pro pretty soon!

How To Play Bass Guitar

How To Play Bass Guitar
By: Ricky Sharples

This little essay on how to play bass guitar is aimed at the guitar player who needs to enter some kind of witness protection program but still maintain a tenuous connection with the world of music. This has proven to be a great way to keep your anonymity while staying in the public eye. The bass guitar player in a rock band maintains the rhythm of the song while the lead guitarist is checking out the chicks in the audience, and the drummer is recalling what decade he is in. To change to this subservient but useful role in a musical group requires a little understanding of the difference between a bass guitar and a real guitar together with some idea of bass guitar playing technique.Theoretically any guitar player can switch from lead to bass although only one guitarist of note - Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake And Palmer - made a career out of it. It was rumored that he thought it would be a good way to stop attracting women. Actually he constantly switched between lead and bass while maintaining his position as lead singer. Clearly a guy with issues.Anyway let us get onto the main features of a bass guitar. The standard tuning of a four string bass guitar is E A D G. The tunings are similar on the five string bass except for a low B string, and on a six string except for a high C string. So on a 6 string bass the tuning is B E A D G C. There are also seven string basses with a high F string.There are several ways you can tune a bass guitar but as they are the same as those used to tune a regular guitar, I will not mention them. As with other guitars you tune the bass guitar by loosening the string and tuning up to the note you are aiming for. Tune each string separately being careful to match the sound of the string to your bass guitar tuner. While we are on the subject of tuning, be sure to do a search for a free online bass guitar tuner.On the electric bass guitar, the music is made by plucking with the index and middle fingers or with a pick. Early Fender basses had a "thumbrest" attached to the pickguard, below the strings. This was to rest the fingers while the thumb plucked the strings. The common perception is that the pick is used by rock bass players but players of all styles have their own individual techniques, sometimes using thumb, fingers or pick according to the sound they want. The guitar can sound different if all upstrokes, all downstrokes or alternating strokes of the pick are employed.Some bass players such as Les Claypool and John Entwistle played using their fingernails similar to a classical acoustic guitarist. There is controversy among musical historians over whether bass guitarists who pluck with their fingers are innovators who have explored new horizons or they simply were not told about plectrums.Playing the bass guitar needs a certain amount of speed and dexterity, and bass guitar music will demand that you develop your own style. For inspiration listen to the most popular and influential bass players of past generations such as Paul McCartney, Pino Palladino - the replacement bass player for John Entwistle in The Who, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jaco Pastorius - called by many musicians the most innovative bass player ever, Mark King - a very fast English bass player, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.

Ricky Sharples has many more tips for guitar players of all levels at his blog Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free, a continuously updated directory of free guitar lessons, videos, chord charts and lots of useful guitar stuff.Read more on Music here.

Acoustic guitar chords: easy step by step lesson

Acoustic guitar chords: easy step by step lesson
By: Dom Artosa

An acoustic guitar chord consists of several notes played simultaneously. There are several different acoustic guitar chords but one needs only to learn a few basic chords in order to play hundreds, if not thousands, of different songs. A basic fact to commit to memory before you begin is that major chords should sound bright while minor chords sound dark.Acoustic guitar chords are expressed in print as chord diagrams. Chord diagrams for acoustic guitars look like guitar tabs for electric guitars but while guitar tabs are printed side-to-side (horizontally), acoustic guitar chord diagrams are vertical (top to bottom). The chord diagram appears as a series of crossed lines with vertical lines to mark each string, horizontal lines to mark each fret and dots to mark the spot where the string should be held down.The acoustic guitar chord diagram will display six lines with numbers on those lines. The lines represent the stings from top to bottom of the guitar neck, and the numbers represent which finger is to be used on the string to produce a chord. 1 indicates that the index finger should be used, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger, 4 for the pinky finger, and T for rare instances that the thumb is used. O represents an open string that is played, and strings marked with an X are not played.The first acoustic guitar chord were going to tackle is the G-major chord. Your middle finger goes on the sixth string at the third fret, your index finger goes on the fifth string at the second fret and your ring finger goes on the first string on the third fret. Play each individual note, including the open strings one by one. Be careful you can plainly hear each note and make sure you dont hear any strange buzzing or rattling noises from the strings. If the sound isn't right, you can try pushing harder on the string so that it presses closer to the fingerboard. You can also bring your finger closer to the fret. Your fingers should not be touching one another, or any of the other strings. You can strum all of the notes in unison once the sound is good. You will then be playing a G-major acoustic guitar chord.The E-minor acoustic guitar chord is easier on the left hand. The E-minor chord uses only two left-hand fingers: the index and middle fingers, both on the second fret, of the fifth and fourth strings respectively. Make sure that both strings are held firmly without the two fingers touching each other. You may want to play those two strings several times by themselves before attempting the chord, so you can adjust the fingering if needed. Then strum all strings to play an E minor chord. Since this is a minor chord, the sound will be darker.Acoustic guitar chords that comprise the basic ones to practice include C-major, D-major, A-minor, and A-major. Practice moving your fingers from one chord to another until it feels comfortable and familiar.When first learnIng the acoustic guitar chords you will need to start off slow, and eventually, your fingers will get in place by themselves. With some practice, your fingers will be moving quickly across these acoustic guitar chords.The author Dom Artosa wrote this article showing you how to learn how to play acoustic guitars chords. Find out more on acoustic guitars latest news and products can also be found on his web site: acoustic guitars shops, a one stop for every acoustic guitar enthusiast.

How to Choose Your First Guitar

How to Choose Your First Guitar
By : ++

When you are choosing your first guitar, it can be an exciting, heady time. But you want to "keep your head", for choosing your first guitar seems very easy, since it's probably the most popular instrument in the Western world and there are very affordable models to be found all over the place; but this is something to be done with great care. One mistake you absolutely do not want to make as a beginner guitar player is to get a "beginner guitar". These acoustic guitars exist and they are designed to be a little smaller than a standard acoustic guitar on the theory that this makes them easier to handle (especially for the very young). But they aren't worth the price you pay--they're cheap in price because cheap is precisely what they are in quality. Their action is quite high (making them harder to fret--a very bad thing for a beginner), their sound is dull, and worst of all they very, very easily go out of tune. Spend the money on a quality inexpensive acoustic guitar (do not spend less than $250 new, and do not get your first guitar from a pawn shop or an auction unless you are with an experienced player). And, yes, another common beginner mistake when buying one's first guitar is the beginner is convinced that he wants to play electric guitar and thus should go out looking for one of those and an amp, cords, foot pedals...But this doesn't matter and it's not what you want for a first guitar, regardless of what you think you want to play (and you're likely to change your mind at least somewhat as you gain experience). ALWAYS begin on an acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitar practicing is significantly more difficult than electric guitar practice because the acoustic is much more demanding on the player's hand strength and technique, and any needs for improvement here cannot be disguised by a loud amp, distortion, or the extremely easy action of the electric. Even if you do want to play the electric guitar, anyone who can play good acoustic guitar can quickly and easily come to sound like a wizard on electric. If your heart is really set on an electric guitar as a beginner, you can buy an acoustic-electric guitar, simply an acoustic that comes with amplification technology within its body. Keep in mind that you'll need an amplifier (just a 25 to 50 watt amp) and a cord to use its "electric" mode. If you have relatively small hands or you would feel more comfortable with a smaller instrument at least at first, you can buy a travel guitar for your first guitar. Travel guitars are designed, as their name implies, for people who are on the road a lot but don't have a tour bus in which to store their instruments. They're a little smaller and lighter and some of them can be taken apart and easily re-assembled. Ideally, you should start off learning fingerstyle guitar or (even better) classical guitar. If the latter, you'll need to buy a nylon-string acoustic guitar. This has a smaller body but a wider neck than the standard acoustic (usually called a "steel string"). Top names to look for in first guitars are: Martin; Fender; Carvin; Guild; Washburn; and Takamine.

Easy Piano: Ways You Can Start Playing Piano Right Away

Easy Piano: Ways You Can Start Playing Piano Right Away
By: Duane Shinn

The pleasure of being able to play a song on the piano is something that must be experienced. And playing piano does not have to be difficult -- there are methods for easy piano that get you started with just 3 or 4 simple chords.Repetitive songs are great for beginners to get used to the keys while still being able to create a pleasant melody. Beginning piano players often start out with easy piano classics, such as "Chopsticks," which is a great building block for more complex arrangements.The first and easiest piano song to learn, for kids and adults alike, is "Mary Had a Little Lamb." This song is a simple three-note tune that allows beginners to practice the key and get used to where their hands and fingers go. This song acts as a stepping stone for more complicated piano classics.Other songs that are great for kids and beginners are "Jingle Bells," "Ode to Joy," and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." These easy piano classics require little or no knowledge of piano keys and don't entail the player to be able to read sheet music.A great way for adults to get started quickly on the piano is to take an online course such as "How To Play Chord Piano" that teaches 3 or 4 chords and shows how to play a simple melody with the right hand while harmonizing it with those 3 or 4 chords.Learning to Play Easy Piano ClassicsThe idea of playing Bach can seem unrealistic for new students who are learning to play piano, but in truth, Bach offers simple compositions that prepare students for more complicated songs. The same is true of Chopin and Beethoven songs. Seek easy arrangements for classic piano favorites, and you may surprise yourself with the types of songs you can play. Timeless Piano ClassicsIf you are drawn in by the timeless piano tunes that have been around for centuries, some easy classics to start with include "Ave Maria," "The Wedding March," "The Emperor Waltz," "Swan Lake," and "Sweet Low, Sweet Chariot." A collection of piano songs that include one or more of these titles will feature timeless music that never goes out of style. The nice thing about learning these types of songs is that they are appropriate to play for almost any occasion.Easy Contemporary SongsIn addition to timeless classics, beginners enjoy learning to play contemporary songs on the piano. There are equally as many contemporary collections of piano music available as well.Some contemporary titles for piano to look for are "When I Fall in Love," "My Heart Will Go On," "Stayin' Alive," "Jailhouse Rock," "Terms of Endearment," "You Light Up My Life," "The Way We Were," "Somewhere Out There," "Yellow Submarine," "Unchained Melody," and "What a Wonderful World." Obviously this is just a small sampling of what is available. Collections are available based on movie titles, specific decades, children's movie hits, easy listening, jazz, rock, and more.Where to Find Easy Piano ClassicsMany collections of classic piano songs exist, and there are plenty of places to find them. The format of music you choose will depend on how you intend to learn the easy piano classics.1. Online: Popular classic piano music is widely available for free download on the Internet. Learning to play piano for free is possible with the help of piano websites.2. CDs: Easy classics for piano are also available on CD. CDs are nice because they offer a collection of similar melodies and are all at the same level of difficulty to play. A simple online search will provide hundreds of listings for music CDs available that feature piano classics.3. Sheet music: Easy classic music for piano, of course, can still be found in the basic form of sheet music. You can find sheet music through websites, music stores, and any place that sells pianos or offers piano lessons.

Tips on Buying DJ Equipment

Tips on Buying DJ Equipment
By: Victor Epand

DJ-ing means not only to play with the tracks and use the equipment skillfully, but also to know the tricks to buy good DJ equipment. These equipment that include mixers, turntables, headphones and speakers are all highly technical and expensive too. And that is why before getting them, the DJ should be well acquainted with the buying techniques. There are several procedures in buying DJ equipment, which are to be followed before buying them. First of all, it is necessary to decide what kind of equipment to prefer. It may be branded ones or may be used or second hand ones. You may already be aware that branded DJ equipment would cost much more compared to the used ones. But then the problem with the used products is that the quality is not assured. However, it all depends on the budget that you have in mind. In the case of the budget, if it exceeds the limit, it is better to buy equipment one at a time. In fact, if this technique is followed, the best thing would be to settle for the branded ones rather than the used products. since the DJ equipment are quite technical, the new ones will always give quality service. However, while buying the DJ equipment (old or new) a few technical things about some of the components should be checked. As turntables are important pieces of the whole DJ equipment they need good research. Just as in the drive mechanism, direct drive is better. Then, turntables with more torque are better for the mix. Finally, the tone arms should be straight. Mixers are the basic components of the DJ equipment. The top mixers are those which have four-channel mixer plus two mic levels and have the ability to mix the signal running into the headphones. It should be taken into account that cheap and average mixers are also available that vary in their features. Usually, there are two ways in which the buying can be done. One is to visit the stores and the other method is through online. But it should be kept in mind that there is a huge difference between both the processes. In the case of the stores, there is the facility of personal visit, which will give the opportunity to go through the equipment carefully. This process will be a bit tiresome, as it will include more of research about the equipment. Visiting different stores and companies is necessary to ensure that it is the best buy and that the price is reasonable. However, in the online process, there are several advantages. Unlike visiting the stores, the whole online buying process can be completed from home itself. In fact, the online process provides more choice as compared to the visit to the stores and moreover the equipment available there are generally inexpensive. Even the price can be compared easily as every kind of detail related to the equipment is given in the sites. But there are some disadvantages in buying DJ equipment online. First and foremost, the quality is not assured and everything depends on the information on the sites. Though the price is quite low, it may include shipping charges. Moreover, most of the time there is no facility of examining the equipment before buying them.Victor Epand is an expert consultant for music gear, speakers, and microphones. You can find the best marketplace for music gear, speakers, and microphones at these 3 sites: DJ equipment, music gear, speakers, subwoofers, and microphones.

Microphones Used in Recording Studios

Microphones Used in Recording Studios
By: Victor Epand

A microphone is an example of a transducer, a device that changes sound from one form to another. Sound exists as patterns of air pressure; the microphone changes this into patterns of electric current.Microphones vary greatly in quality. A top end recording studio microphone may cost thousands and in many cases they are needed for the very best recordings. A variety of mechanical techniques can be used in building microphones. The two most commonly found in recording studios are the magneto-dynamic and the variable condenser designs.All microphones convert sound energy into electrical energy, but there are many different ways of doing the job, using electrostatics, electromagnetism, piezo-electric effects, or even through a change in resistance of carbon granules. When it comes to microphones used in recording studios, the vast majority of microphones used are either capacitors, electrostatic, or dynamic. Both types employ a moving diaphragm to capture the sound, but make use of a different electrical principle for converting mechanical energy into an electrical signal. The efficiency of this conversion is very important, because the amounts of acoustic energy produced by voices and musical instruments are so small. Different types of microphones used in recording studiosIn live sound, nearly all the microphones used are dynamics. In the studio, instruments such as drums, electric guitars, and basses are recorded using dynamic microphones. Dynamic microphones have the advantages of being relatively inexpensive and durable, and they don't need a power supply or battery to make them operate. Dynamic microphones are most effective when working with relatively loud sound sources that do not contain a lot of very high-frequency detail. They are also tough instruments which make them good for recording studios. Another type of dynamic microphone is the ribbon microphone, but this is only used in fairly esoteric recording applications by engineers who appreciate the subtleties of the ribbon sound. These microphones are comprised of a thin metal ribbon suspended in a magnetic field, and when sound energy is encountered, the electrical signal generated is induced in the ribbon itself rather than in a voice coil. The main advantage of ribbon microphones is their smooth, detailed sound which makes them perfect for studio environment.Capacitor microphones are more expensive than their dynamic counterparts, and they are also much more sensitive, and can capture high-frequency detail much more accurately. Even though they are relatively efficient like dynamic microphones, capacitor microphones produce such a small electrical signal that they require a special type of built-in preamplifier to bring the signal up to usable levels. Thus they are not fit to be used in live concerts or open air concerts. Capacitors are used mostly in recording studios where there is less noise. ConclusionThe microphone is a ubiquitous piece of equipment. Found in everything from telephones and computers to recording studios, microphones are part of our daily life. A professional studio will accumulate a varied collection of microphones. The top studios use microphones such as Shure SM58s and 57s, AKG D112s, or Sennheiser 421s.Victor Epand is an expert consultant for music gear, speakers, and microphones. You can find the best marketplace for music gear, speakers, and microphones at these 3 sites: music gear, DJ equipment, recording equipment, speakers, subwoofers, and Dymanic microphones, Capacitor microphones, Ribbon microphones.

Piano Technique and Methods for Beginners

Piano Technique and Methods for Beginners
By: Andrew Stratton

Your child can announce that he wants to play the piano when he comes home. The question of he is too young, always arises. Generally anything under 4 or 5 is too young however children under 4 can still be introduced to music in many forms including piano that is appropriate for age and attention span. Many lessons can be learned by young children when put in the form of music. If your child is under 4, check with the local musical schools or pre-schools to see if they have any kind of musical programs for your child.There have been many studies done regarding children and exposure to music with many positive results. Children exposed or involved in music early, learn to read earlier and generally score better on tests (even standardized tests such as SAT etc.).Only you can tell if purchasing an acoustic piano is right for you and your budget; or perhaps you want to let your child first start with a digital one (less expensive) and judge to see if the expense is warranted based on your child's enthusiasm.Upright pianos and the grand piano style are examples of an acoustic piano. A digital one is just the key board and the electronics give all the sounds of a piano without taking up the room like an acoustic takes. Perhaps if space is tight in your house then a digital piano might be the way to go.Since we are talking about teaching young children, the prospective teacher should be approachable, with the ability to motivate your child through inventive lessons. A devoted teacher will treat each child as an individual and gear lessons towards both your child's strengths and weaknesses.Ask the teacher about their philosophy on piano technique. Some teach that the fingers and only the fingers should be involved in playing, while others believe the whole arm is involved. See what the teacher feels is appropriate for your child and ask how they go about teaching it.One method of teaching that does work with very young music students is called the Suzuki method. The drawback of this method is that it concentrates on developing istening skills but doesn't teach the reading of musical notes until the child gets older. Some teachers swear by this method while others disagree.The Music Tree (or Clark Method) does a very good job teaching the basics. The lessons teach the reading of music as well as counting, phrases and form from day one.A very popular series is written by Nancy and Randall Faber (Faber & Faber) and is used by many teachers. The position method is taught in these books and it reinforces proper hand position and appropriate suggestions for counting.There are many other methods used by teachers and the goal will be to find the right teacher and method for your child. Many teachers believe that playing scales over and over is the right thing to do, where as others feel it's making a child do something that is not necessary. Some children do well with one method and not with another.When speaking with the prospective teacher, ask about what books they use. Is it possible they loan the books to you until you know if the method they are going to use will be good for your child. That way should your child decide he doesn't want to play piano anymore; maybe it has to do with the method being taught. Find out how flexible is the teacher when it comes to method.By doing some foot work following your child's announcement of wanting to play piano, you will be giving your child the gift of music today and long into their future.

Microphone Techniques And Drums

Microphone Techniques And Drums
By: Victor Epand

Recording drums can be a challenge both to the mics and record. So, we need to have a good idea about the techniques that can help us to get a better result. While recording one thing should be kept in mind: if the drums are good, then everything else would be perfectly all right. That means everything else can be fixed later and the take will be perfect.Various microphone techniques actually affect how much bass, midrange, and treble that we hear in the monitored sound of a musical instrument. There are various points that one should keep in mind while deciding the microphone techniques. The mic choice and placement affect how distant the instruments sound in recording and how much background noise is picked up. But there are no hard and fast rules about where the mics should be placed. If the placement of the mic sounds good to the user then that should be the correct position to use them. There are various techniques of microphones that can be used in various environments to record drums. Let us learn those in details. Like in the home studio environment the most common and the most successful way to get a perfect sound is to use the triangle miking style. This style involves three mics, hence called triangle. The first mic is placed on the kick drum, and the other one on the either side of the kit. This method will allow catching us a bit of the drum kit.Before using the microphone technique we need to know what kind of sound output we prefer, such as whether it is big and boomy or round and subdued or tight or punchy? Then the technique will be different while capturing the sound.If we want big and boomy sound the mic should be placed around two inches in the front head of the drum or away from the head pointed at the center of the drum. For getting a round and muffled sound the drum should be stuffed with a large piece of foam. If the position of the mic is placed in such a way where the halfback is striking out the tight and punchy sound will be recorded. But this kind of method has one drawback. Some kind of weird lower mid unpleasantness will come, but that could be rectified during the post production stage. In any case the microphone should not be placed in any other direction inside the drum because sound bouncing all around the waves will end up canceling themselves out, thus resulting in loss of volume and tone.But the microphone techniques will change when the type of drum changes. The above technique could only be used for kick drum only. Setting the microphone for snare drum will definitely be different. In order to record this kind of drum we need two microphones. But just placing the microphone on the front of the drum is not enough. So, planning is needed to decide where the mike should be placed. It would be a good idea to place the bottom mic exactly to the opposite of the top mic. Before the recording starts just turn over the mike on and off and then a decision has to be made about which setting is delivering the perfect sound.Victor Epand is an expert consultant for music gear, speakers, and microphones. You can find the best marketplace for music gear, speakers, and microphones at these 3 sites: music gear, DJ equipment, recording equipment, speakers, subwoofers, and microphone techniques.

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