How To Be Good At Gigs - A Guitar Player's Guide

By: Gyorgy Huba A guitar player needs tips that center around your first gig or two because you need to open up avenues of communication that you are not used to using. You communicate with your audience through your guitar playing but you also need to communicate with the management of the bar or venue you are playing at by being on time and ready and willing to play. If you have a band, here is the first tip: there is never any excuse for being late for a gig. The world is full of clever means of communication so there is no one who is totally out of reach. If you are experiencing a delay, let the other members of your band and the management waiting for you at the gig know what is happening. Even if you all have your own means of transport the band should travel to the gig together. You don't need to own a bus but you could each take your own cars and travel together and park near each other. It may seem silly but it's part of being professional. If you are all at the gig together, you can be ready to start sound checks and equipment checks. You need to have your list of songs written out so that the band doesn't have to engage in meaningful conversation to work out what number you're playing next. You don't have to memorize the list of songs but the list needs to be somewhere that everybody can see it. As a guitarist, you probably are aware of the need to have an instrument available to play on occasions when you are being paid to play it. Imagine the consternation you will feel if your guitar turns out to be suffering from a malady during your finest solo. If it can go wrong, it will, so if at all possible, keep a spare guitar handy. The backup guitar needs to be ready to play so you don't add insult to injury by having to spend endless moments getting it out of the case and tuning it up. If you have to make the changeover while a song is going on it will look very cool if it is seamless. If the bass guitarist needs to change a string do you have a song to do that doesn't need a bass? Think about it. The same with the lead guitar and the rhythm guitar and, of course, the tambourine might have a bell malfunction. If string changing songs are included in the rehearsals, then when a string does break, your readiness will impress the audience and venue management. Batteries - can't live without 'em, shouldn't run the effects off 'em. The battery is meant to back up the mains power so do not rely on it to run your effects pedal. Last but not least, it's not cool to be stoned at a gig. Well, maybe it is but it's more professional not to be.

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Learn How To Read Music - For Your Own Sake

By: Gyorgy Huba You possibly had to take an aptitude test while you were at school. It told you if you were going to be a janitor or a brain surgeon. You can use similar principles to tell if you are able to learn how to read music. Some people have musical aptitude and others have none. That doesn't mean that you can't learn how to read music, just that you might have to work harder to do it. Maybe you do not have the ability to read sheet music at present but somehow your friends and family are always talking about how you have an affinity for music. Perhaps the guitar, the piano, the violin and the triangle are closed books to you. You are able to talk about music with passion but somehow the time or the opportunity to learn music have not been available for you to spread your musical wings. Can you remember melodies that you hear once? Are you able to make up tunes of your own in a special place in your head? Maybe you CAN play a musical instrument but have never had the need or the time to learn musical theory. If you can answer yes to these questions without crossing your fingers behind your back, the chances are you have a natural affinity with music. So is there something else you need to storm the chambers of music and lift the sheets to see what's under them? As I said, even if you think of yourself as a musical no-talent you can still learn to read music. The harmonies and melodies produced by learned musical ability are just as sweet as those produced by natural musical talent. You enjoyment of music and your need to make your own determine if you have in-born musical ability. Think about learning to read music as another skill. If you learned to operate a computer or a motor vehicle, you will probably be able to learn to read music and play a guitar or another musical instrument. The same principles apply to learning music as apply to your hobby or career. If for some reason you were not able to learn music during your childhood or didn't keep up with the lessons you did take, it is not too late to keep developing your music skills. It is apparently easier to learn things like music when you are a kid, but if you really want to learn, you can learn. As you grew up you acquired the knowledge of what a musical background can do for a person. This is the kind of motivation that kids do not have access to but you can use it as your driving force.

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Learn Guitar - Tab Or Sheet Music?

By: Ricky Sharples Many guitarists are adamant that the only way to learn guitar is by learning to read sheet music. Some even go so far as to say that if all guitar tab was removed from the world the level of guitar playing would be much higher. The main objection to that idea is that many famous guitar players never learnt to read sheet music. Some even have trouble with tab. Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Tommy Emmanuel and Jeff Beck are shining examples. Of course, all these guitarists were following their own idiosyncratic ways of expressing themselves through the guitar rather than learning a broad range of music but there are still those who are thinking of a whole world of music that is closed to people who have not learnt to read notation. What would possibly be raised if tab were eliminated would be the level of communication between guitarists because we would all be speaking the same language. But it is highly unlikely that guitar players who have more of an instinctive approach to the guitar will ever take the trouble to learn theory and standard music notation. At the same time the people who have made the effort to learn to read music will continue to feel that they have a greater understanding of the guitar and the ability to learn new music faster than guitarists who do not have a background of theory at their fingertips. You could say that the bottom line is what works for the individual. If you can play guitar but can't read music, does that make you an inferior guitarist? A weakness with learning from tabs is that timing and rhythm can't be learnt from tabs but some people write tabs incorporating the elements of sheet music notation that show note values and timing, and this kind of notation is very easy to learn. There are those guitar players who see sheet music notation as a language that was invented by keyboard players and is not very well suited to the guitar. It should be noted that without learning musical theory as well, learning to read music is just a part of the language of music and is not a great deal more useful than tabs. Also the amount of music theory a guitarist learns is in proportion to his interest in music in general but will not necessarily make him a better guitar player than a guy who doesn't read music. It has often been pointed out by guitar players who play in an open or alternate tuning that if you are used to reading and playing music in standard tuning you might find it very difficult to sight read a piece written in an alternate tuning using standard musical notation. If this is true it would suggest that reading standard music is not the key to universal understanding of the guitar.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Songwriting Techniques To Help You Write A Killer Title

By: Richie Gilbert

Here are some fun songwriting techniques and exercises to help generate ideas for a great title. As a songwriter you know how important the title is. A clever, catchy title intrigues us and arouses our curiosity. Choose a weak or mediocre title and your song may not even get listened to. Besides, a killer title is much easier to write a great song from. Try these out... The Dictionary Game I learned this idea from reading hit songwriter Molly-Anne Leiken's book "How To Write a Hit Song".  Open up your dictionary and put your finger on the page. Choose the closest picture noun to your fingertip and write it down on a piece of paper under "nouns". Do this ten times using a different first letter for each. Then do this ten more times choosing adjectives that you might use in conversation. When you have your list mix and match the adjectives with the nouns. Try each adjective with each noun. Many of the pairings will be silly or nonsense, but you will also find some very interesting ones that spark your imagination. One of my recent dictionary games produced the title "Scarlet Tears", which turned into a song about an adulterous wife ashamed of her extra-marital activities. Collect Newspaper Headlines Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" supposedly came from a newspaper headline read by Floyd's Roger Waters. Look closely at the paper every day for short and punchy headlines. Newspaper reporters and editors choose their headlines for impact. A story headline serves the same purpose as a song title. To draw us in and make us want to read/listen. When you read them, think of them as song titles. Write down the ones that appeal to you, and collect them in a notebook. Listen To What People Say Listen to the conversations around you. You can find some great lyric ideas from listening to how people talk. The best lyrics are usually the ones that sound the most natural, like the spoken word. And there are many song titles to be found in the expressions and sayings people use. Take Every Day Phrases And Twist Them When people hear something other than what they expect, they sit up and take notice. A title that shocks a little is a great title. A common phrase such as "first-time home buyer" could become "First-Time Home Wrecker". Make a great country song! Play around with one of these songwriting techniques today and try writing a song. Remember to have fun with it. Songwriting should be fun.

Richie Gilbert has been passionate about writing songs for many years. He spends too much time in his home recording studio, and is active in pitching his songs to music publishers. To learn more about the craft and business of songwriting, please visit his website athttp://www.inspired-songwriting-tips.com Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Easy Tips on How to Learn to Play the Guitar

By: Michiel Van Kets

Many people dream of being able to master a musical instrument and a popular choice is often an acoustic or an electric guitar. Learning to play should be fun and enjoyable, there are plenty of helpful tips with free chords and music to be found online that can get you started in your new interest. For a beginner, there is no need to go out and buy an expensive model the first thing you do, wait until you have learnt enough to be able to play it with some degree of proficiency and developed your style before investing big. For learning any new skill motivation and dedication will be important, holding the guitar correctly, and learning the chords will all come with practice. Once you have learned some basic chords you can start to play some popular songs. This will make the whole experience much more gratifying. There are various options in how a person learns to play and which you opt for will probably depend on how much time you have. You will find Guitar teachers in the local paper or ads in local music shops. There are plenty of books out there for beginners demonstrating fretting chords and some easy to play songs to begin with. First things first, you have to learn how to play the basic chords. It is easy to practice them once you know them and you will be surprised how many popular songs that only use these basic chords. When forming the chords with your left hand (or visa versa if you are left handed) it is important to press down hard otherwise the note won’t sound as it should. These are called your fret fingers and they will get sore at first until they get calluses on them. Practice different chords until it becomes quite easy to switch between them. Set some time aside each day for practice, this is usually a good way to learn; just 15-20 minutes should suffice as long as it is regular. Even if you think you are too busy or too tired try to maintain your practice as you otherwise you will slip into bad habits and the guitar will end up in a corner gathering dust. After you have mastered a few chords move onto learning some easy songs as this will make it as lot more interesting and fun than simply playing the same chords over and over again. You will in your local music shop be able to find some easy, well known songs, or just go online and find the sheet music you desire. Don’t pick to difficult songs in the beginning otherwise you will get disheartened.  Before going out and spending a lot of money for music sheets and books check online as there are lots that can be downloaded these days. Free guitar chords and free guitar tabs are not hard to find. Advice on how to string your guitar and tune it, strumming patters and instructions for a guitar pedalbord is other valuable information to be found online. It takes a lot of motivation and patience to become adept at playing the guitar, if you enjoy it and find yourself improving then don’t give up as it will get easier the more you practice. You could also employ the services of a music teacher to start you off; this might save you time and beginner’s frustration. They will often design a course of study specifically for you, or you could even join a local class and meet some new friends who are interested in the same kind of music.

How To Take Care Of Your Acoustic Guitar

By: Gyorgy Huba

When you buy an acoustic guitar you tend to be distracted with learning how to play it and you can forget to think about how to take care of it. Here is a quick rundown on how to take care of your acoustic guitar. YOur acoustic guitar is a delicate instrument held together by a balance of tensions coming from different directions and some glue. When you are sitting playing your guitar you will possibly find in hot weather that you forearm sticks to the front of the guitar. Not only is this awkward when you are trying to play but it could leave a mark in the wood of your guitar. If you do not want to wear a shirt with long sleeves while you play your acoustic guitar, try and put a clean cloth between the body of the guitar and the body of the guitarist. Although you may be sorely tempted, do not polish your acoustic guitar. A lot of guitars have a very thin finish and will not take any kind of polish that contains abrasive materials. Also if your polish is the white kind it could get into the cracks in the wood and draw attention to them. If you use a wax polish ti could form a thick layer over the wood in a short time. It is very tedious and in the long run, futile to be polishing a layer of wax instead of the actual wood. Try to avoid this. If you use an oil base polish it will tend to darken the wood of your guitar. The use of an oily polish could ultimately lead to the guitar developing cracks. The grease from your fingers gets transferred to the guitar strings so part of taking care of your acoustic guitar involves wiping the strings and the body of the guitar with a lint-free cloth. Make sure it's clean. Many guitarists will recommend applying lemon oil to the ebony fingerboard of your guitar. The truth is that once it has left the factory the fingerboard is in as good a shape as it is going to get and no amount of lemon oil is going to improve it, even though it does give it a nice sheen for about thirty seconds after you put it on. So you see that you don't really need to know much to know how to take care of your acoustic guitar but you do need to care a lot.

Newbie guitar players are flocking to Guitar How-To for the free articles, tutorials and videos on every aspect of guitar playing you can think of. Fast track your guitar expertise now at http://guitar-how-to.com/ Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Will Computers Replace Musicians?

By: Francis Beaudry

Computer audio technology has made huge advances over the past several years. It is now quite possible for entire orchestras or small ensembles to be duplicated in a studio using just one simple keyboard or computer. Processing power has made it possible to store actual audio frequencies of various instruments and then to adjust them for pitch, resulting in a melodious playback that would be identical in frequency to the original sound.

So, what does this mean for the future of instrumentalists? Like assembly line workers in an auto plant, will musicians be replaced by computers? Does the future look bleak for those who are studying to be professional musicians?

The answer is a resounding, "NO!"

There are several reasons why the future is looking even brighter for those who would endeavor to study musical performance. Now is not the time to give up on your dreams and, in fact, it seems that the study of being a musical performer could never be more important. Here are 5 of those reasons:

1) Humans are not perfect. At first glance, this may not seem like a valid reason – or perhaps a reason supporting the opposite view. However, it is the imperfect, subjective, and unique quality of a human being that makes a human performance more fascinating and satisfying than that of a computer. The risk of making a mistake lends a hand to the level of appreciation that an audience has for a human performer. Sometimes, in fact, it is the poor tone or the wrong notes that truly give a performance emotion. One needs only to consider the sour notes that come from your child's first recital or the Jr. High band's first concert. We wouldn't have it any other way! Yes – it is true that computer experts are working on "humanizing" electronic performances. But success in this field seems a long way off.

2) What you see is what you get. Imagine if you will the excitement of walking through the doors of Carnegie Hall, taking your seat, watching the lights dim, and hearing the applause as a concert is about to begin. The curtain opens and there before your eyes is a small table with a computer and a set of speakers. What you are hearing could be a marvelous rendition of a symphony or an opera. But honestly – are you there only for the sound? What is the performance without the visual? Nothing beats the beauty and grandeur of an entire symphony playing together. The bows of the violins are completely in sync with one another. The cymbal player is reaching high in the air to emphasize the crash. The soloist is swaying to the rhythm of the melody. The visual is key to excitement and without it you have nothing!

3) Comraderie and identification. Ask any musician today about what they feel is their most favorite aspect of being a musician, and they will tell you that it is the friendships and bonds that form as a result of performing together and learning together. There is nothing like a stellar performance that causes a performing group to become joined together as a team. Even the audience, many of whom are most likely musicians, becomes entranced with the performance as if they are playing along in their minds. Children look at and hear the performers and dream of one day becoming a musical star. Adults look at and hear the performers and dream also – perhaps of one day reaching that level of ability, or perhaps of the time when they themselves could play that piece.

4) The amazing human ear. Yes – technology has advanced and unbelievable things have been accomplished with musical software. However, at this point anyway, it is still possible for the human ear to detect the differences between human and electronic. There are subtle nuances in tone and style that give away an electronic performance – or even a recording of that performance. People are no doubt fooled every day when they hear the accompaniment to a television commercial or the background score to a movie but, for the most part, it is still possible to tell the difference. Of course, this is the one things that is most likely to change as technology progresses. Perhaps we may be saying something completely different in the near future. 5) Music is fun! OK – so even if all the above reasons are not valid, the sheer enjoyment of playing an instrument will never be replaced by "playing" a computer. During times of stress and times of grief, the musician will quickly resort to the therapy offered by playing songs to an audience of one. During times of celebration and joy, there is no better method for shouting a cheer than to express it in music. Of course, perhaps most importantly, during times of worship, there is no more appropriate expression of love and service than to offer a song of praise. Yes – technology is moving ahead. No – technology will not replace the musician. Perhaps some jobs will be lost in the commercial world or in the studio when budgets are tight. But the world of the human musician is ever expanding and the need to continue training and raising new musicians will never end. Page 2 of 2 :: First | Last ::  Prev | 1 2 | Next

Francis Beaudry is currently the conductor of two orchestras. He is a writer and arranger and has published musical works for choir and orchestra. In addition he is the president of TheMaxZone.com, an online musical accessories superstore offering instrument accessories, musical accessories. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com