Many people want to learn to play an instrument but do not
know where to start. If you want to learn how to play the
guitar the first thing is that you need to have one and if
you don't then you will need to buy one. In this article
we will look at what you will need in order to learn how
to play an electric guitar.
Certainly as you will soon find that an electric guitar is
much easier to play than an acoustic one. But along with the
guitar you will also need to have an amp, a guitar cable and
a guitar pick. Plus you will also need to learn about the
various buttons and switches that are on your instrument. But
let us first take a look at the essentials.
1. The Guitar It is important that you know the different
features that are to be found as well as the qualities of
each one. So spend time getting to know the different knobs
and controls on your instrument by playing with them, as
this will provide you with an idea on how to mix everything
properly in order to get the best sound out of the instrument
as possible. What one must remember is that you cannot just
plug in and play as it takes a lot of time in terms of mixing
the sounds and tones together.
2. The Amp Purchase a good quality amp, as even the most
expensive of instruments will sound awful if they are fed
from a low quality amp. If you are able to when purchasing
an amp for your guitar then try it out in the store first.
If you can and the store allows you to then turn all the
switches on it to their highest point and listen to the
sound that the amp produces. If you can afford to, purchase
an amp with a built in distortion box, as this is especially
useful for people who cannot afford to buy an effects box
and the distortion feature is one of the most important
features.
3. Listen To Tracks That Move You One of the best ways of
grasping the basics of playing the blues or rock is to
listen to some of the greatest exciting sounds of all time.
In fact many people find that they learn more from listening
to different riffs and tunes, and then trying to reproduce
the sound themselves on their own.
These are just a few pointers that help a person learn how
to play the electric guitar but there are plenty of sites
on the Internet that can provide further information, tips
and techniques.
Article written by Douglas Taylor.
phil fischer - phil fischer - phil fischer
This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley
Friday 13 April 2007
Ray Charsley & Sandie Croft
This is a story of Sandie and Ray.
They got together in December 1979 after meeting at Kings Country Club in Eastbourne Sussex. In those days Sandie was singing in the resident band "Meridian". Ray was in a local band that played occasionally at the club during the summer months by the name of "Sweet Illusion ". They both liked cream cakes & Indian food and had similar tastes in music, they decided to get together and began trying out some comedy routines under the name of "Slap n' Tickle" but soon found out they weren't funny, after being paid of at a club in the North East of England "Walker Jubilee". We realised that music was more them and put together a multi instrumental show featuring Banjo, Trumpet, Post Horn, guitars and vocal harmony and changed their name to the "Turnpennies" thy used this name for most of their time in Yorkshire, they managed to get enough work with clubs and theatres and stayed in Yorkshire for about 7 years during which time Ray decided to take my music grades on trumpet and began studying with Alan Morrison (who was then principal cornet with Grimethorpe Colliery Band ) for practical study and at High Melton College for my music theory with Andrew Clark, who introduced him to classical music and gave him an appreciation of it. Ray also played in a couple of Brass Bands whilst there, the most famous of which was Jaguar Cars City of Coventry brass band. During this time Sandie was taking singing lessons as a soprano and also studying at High Melton. We moved to Coventry whilst Ray played for Jaguar cars and our work as the "Turnpennies" took us over to Spain where they fell in love with the sunshine and way of life. On their return to Coventry they began making plans to move out to the sunshine and soon found themselves on the road after selling everything and buying a caravan and an old Range Rover, they made for the Portsmouth ferry to France and eventually arrived here in the Algarve.
For more information and pictures visis Sandie and Rays personal website:
http://raysand.com.
They got together in December 1979 after meeting at Kings Country Club in Eastbourne Sussex. In those days Sandie was singing in the resident band "Meridian". Ray was in a local band that played occasionally at the club during the summer months by the name of "Sweet Illusion ". They both liked cream cakes & Indian food and had similar tastes in music, they decided to get together and began trying out some comedy routines under the name of "Slap n' Tickle" but soon found out they weren't funny, after being paid of at a club in the North East of England "Walker Jubilee". We realised that music was more them and put together a multi instrumental show featuring Banjo, Trumpet, Post Horn, guitars and vocal harmony and changed their name to the "Turnpennies" thy used this name for most of their time in Yorkshire, they managed to get enough work with clubs and theatres and stayed in Yorkshire for about 7 years during which time Ray decided to take my music grades on trumpet and began studying with Alan Morrison (who was then principal cornet with Grimethorpe Colliery Band ) for practical study and at High Melton College for my music theory with Andrew Clark, who introduced him to classical music and gave him an appreciation of it. Ray also played in a couple of Brass Bands whilst there, the most famous of which was Jaguar Cars City of Coventry brass band. During this time Sandie was taking singing lessons as a soprano and also studying at High Melton. We moved to Coventry whilst Ray played for Jaguar cars and our work as the "Turnpennies" took us over to Spain where they fell in love with the sunshine and way of life. On their return to Coventry they began making plans to move out to the sunshine and soon found themselves on the road after selling everything and buying a caravan and an old Range Rover, they made for the Portsmouth ferry to France and eventually arrived here in the Algarve.
For more information and pictures visis Sandie and Rays personal website:
http://raysand.com.
Make Music - The Digital Way
Even a few years ago when the recording technology underwent
a metamorphosis people all over the world sang out praises
for the growing convenience with which music was being
produced. Following the digital boom however the scene has
undergone a further development. No longer do you need to
queue up in front of a studio to get your little track
recorded. No longer do you need to coax your parents to lend
you the money for the hi-tech studio equipment you would need
to turn your practice pad into a swanky recording patch. And
it's all because of the wonder box we have all come to know
and love as the Personal Computer.
Thanks to the PC you can now not just record but also edit
your own musical creations right in the comfort of your own
home. All you need for the process is a proper 'music
production software' (not exactly a rare breed and available
easily on a number of free download sites on the net) and
some great hardware.
If your budget is permissive get yourself a proper software
package for as little as a few hundred dollars. Also, acquire
a good, professional-quality audio interface (which will set
you back by about $100 but no more) and get your own virtual
recording studio right in your garage! If the large variety
of recording software's available in the market appears a
tad bit bewildering relax, play safe and go for the best.
Cubase, ProTools, Sonar, Sound Forge etc. are some of the
names to reckon with in this field.
Once your track is recorded, mixed and edited, get ready for
the final step of your quest - distribution. Simply upload
your track on to the net. A number of sites and P2P
operationsallow you to upload files so take full advantage
of this opportunity and show the world what you are really
made of.
Once the uploading has been done use community sites such as
Orkut or Facebook to advertise your creation amongst friends
and others. While you are at it, encourage them to simply
download music (the music being yours in this case, and the
downloading being completely legal for a change).
Who knows quite how the recording industry will be affected by
this recent trend. But whether it crumbles or manages to survive
and flourish, you will definitely earn your own name amidst all
the action. And for all you know maybe the guy next door will be
humming your song while in the shower very soon!
Article written by Sarika Kabra.
phil fischer - phil fischer - phil fischer
This article is free for republishing
Source: www.articlealley.com
a metamorphosis people all over the world sang out praises
for the growing convenience with which music was being
produced. Following the digital boom however the scene has
undergone a further development. No longer do you need to
queue up in front of a studio to get your little track
recorded. No longer do you need to coax your parents to lend
you the money for the hi-tech studio equipment you would need
to turn your practice pad into a swanky recording patch. And
it's all because of the wonder box we have all come to know
and love as the Personal Computer.
Thanks to the PC you can now not just record but also edit
your own musical creations right in the comfort of your own
home. All you need for the process is a proper 'music
production software' (not exactly a rare breed and available
easily on a number of free download sites on the net) and
some great hardware.
If your budget is permissive get yourself a proper software
package for as little as a few hundred dollars. Also, acquire
a good, professional-quality audio interface (which will set
you back by about $100 but no more) and get your own virtual
recording studio right in your garage! If the large variety
of recording software's available in the market appears a
tad bit bewildering relax, play safe and go for the best.
Cubase, ProTools, Sonar, Sound Forge etc. are some of the
names to reckon with in this field.
Once your track is recorded, mixed and edited, get ready for
the final step of your quest - distribution. Simply upload
your track on to the net. A number of sites and P2P
operationsallow you to upload files so take full advantage
of this opportunity and show the world what you are really
made of.
Once the uploading has been done use community sites such as
Orkut or Facebook to advertise your creation amongst friends
and others. While you are at it, encourage them to simply
download music (the music being yours in this case, and the
downloading being completely legal for a change).
Who knows quite how the recording industry will be affected by
this recent trend. But whether it crumbles or manages to survive
and flourish, you will definitely earn your own name amidst all
the action. And for all you know maybe the guy next door will be
humming your song while in the shower very soon!
Article written by Sarika Kabra.
phil fischer - phil fischer - phil fischer
This article is free for republishing
Source: www.articlealley.com
Singing and recording : What has changed?
The techniques used to record vocals these days are essentially the same as those used fifty years ago. Microphone technology has not really progressed; pre-amplifiers and compressors have not really changed either, though they might sport more features and controls. Even though the way we capture the sound has changed some people still prefer to record onto ferrous tape. Digital recording is no longer new either and dates back to the early nineteen eighties.
So what has changed has changed?
Well, software and accessibility. We are now able to manipulate what we record beyond our wildest dreams. When I started recording in the late nineteen eighties I was using an eight track tape machine which meant when you recorded a vocal it had to be a near to perfect as you could get it because timing and pitch could not be altered at all. Today with a few clicks of the mouse you can move every word around to your heart’s content in an audio sequencer. Auto-tune plug-ins can correct pitch issues in very near real time. To top it all most people with a pc, microphone, pre-amplifier and a modicum of interest in music and recording can have access to all the marvels of the making music in the digital world right there in their front room or bedroom. It does not, however, guarantee they will become the next George Martin or say, Freddy Mercury but it does mean they can record and edit to a pretty decent standard with limited means. For musicians these advantages are obvious as they no longer need to pay for expensive studio time to record their music. Perhaps they will record just the drums at a studio then edit the results to tighten the performance before laying down the other instruments in the comfort of their own home at their own leisure and speed. There is also so much information on the internet that if you do have a technical issue then someone, almost undoubtedly, will have posted a solution on the internet that you can find within minutes. Go back fifty years and you would have struggled to find someone who knew what phase cancellation was in your own city never mind find someone who knew how to correct or avoid it. Skills are therefore becoming less specialized as more information is available to us all.
You would think that this technological revolution would mean there are more amazing singers being discovered. Sadly, the answer is probably no. Why? Well, software is making people lazy and blunting their performance skills. For instance, I record someone singing a vocal; the take is ok but slightly out of time and out of tune. I try to coax another take out of him but he is tired or needs to be somewhere else. “Come on John, a bit of auto tune and a nip and a tuck here and there and it will be fine” he might tell me. On one level he is right. If it is not too bad then it can be corrected using software and good judgment but that will not make him a better singer. These days everyone thinks they can sing. Probably half the singers in the top forty cannot sing properly and their careers rely on clever engineers and the latest software. Let us face it: you need to have talent or work very hard to become a good singer! If I can offer any advice laymen advice it would be as follows:
It is important with vocals as with all REAL instruments to learn how to ''get them down". By that I mean how to get a good take down. Identify your weaknesses and work to work to overcome them rather than relying on software that can sometimes often cheapen the results. Always try to get a good signal recorded. You should not exceed -2 decibels. Try not to record with any equalization and if the performance does not need compression to control it then you can leave that until later too. Always use a pop shield.
A good tip is too really practice singing your lines without the music and indentify where you are going wrong. Then break it down and focus on the bad bits. Let the microphone do the work, you do not need to shout or force it. Try to control your breathing from your diaphragm (this takes practice). Practice your vowels and mouth sounds too as this helps develop clearer execution. Good timing is essential but not difficult to master if you know you lines. Try to know your lines off by heart so that you are not distracted by reading at the same time as you are trying to sing.
Most people tend to sing out of tune when they cannot hear what they are singing properly i.e. the mix is too loud in their headphones or the bass is too loud in their headphones. In fact headphones are difficult to use for many singers; some top producers have the mix coming out of the control room monitors with the singer and microphone in there in front of the monitors (you can use a noise gate to take out the spill later). Try it and see if works for you. Remember not to have the volume too loud or the microphone pointing at the monitors. It is essential, however, to always use a pop shield.
The gap between mediocre and great music is narrower these days as more and more people are having a go at making music and in general we are getting used to hearing mediocre music while thinking it is something special. If you are serious about singing, recording, or making music then strive to improve continually in every area. Do not rely on software to make you sound good rather use it wisely to help nurture and express your music. I record royalty free music for whitebeetle.com and album for artists and I am constantly trying to improve what I do. To me it is an endless quest.
This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley, great for free web content.
Occupation: Musician/website Owner
Guitarist / music producer and keen writer. I grew up in Wales and have moved around Europe a fair bit. Started playing guitar when I was fourteen and I am still hooked. I have produced several albums and currently run a royalty free music website. When I get the time I tap away at my first novel which I hope to finish in this lifetime.....
www.whitebeetle.com
So what has changed has changed?
Well, software and accessibility. We are now able to manipulate what we record beyond our wildest dreams. When I started recording in the late nineteen eighties I was using an eight track tape machine which meant when you recorded a vocal it had to be a near to perfect as you could get it because timing and pitch could not be altered at all. Today with a few clicks of the mouse you can move every word around to your heart’s content in an audio sequencer. Auto-tune plug-ins can correct pitch issues in very near real time. To top it all most people with a pc, microphone, pre-amplifier and a modicum of interest in music and recording can have access to all the marvels of the making music in the digital world right there in their front room or bedroom. It does not, however, guarantee they will become the next George Martin or say, Freddy Mercury but it does mean they can record and edit to a pretty decent standard with limited means. For musicians these advantages are obvious as they no longer need to pay for expensive studio time to record their music. Perhaps they will record just the drums at a studio then edit the results to tighten the performance before laying down the other instruments in the comfort of their own home at their own leisure and speed. There is also so much information on the internet that if you do have a technical issue then someone, almost undoubtedly, will have posted a solution on the internet that you can find within minutes. Go back fifty years and you would have struggled to find someone who knew what phase cancellation was in your own city never mind find someone who knew how to correct or avoid it. Skills are therefore becoming less specialized as more information is available to us all.
You would think that this technological revolution would mean there are more amazing singers being discovered. Sadly, the answer is probably no. Why? Well, software is making people lazy and blunting their performance skills. For instance, I record someone singing a vocal; the take is ok but slightly out of time and out of tune. I try to coax another take out of him but he is tired or needs to be somewhere else. “Come on John, a bit of auto tune and a nip and a tuck here and there and it will be fine” he might tell me. On one level he is right. If it is not too bad then it can be corrected using software and good judgment but that will not make him a better singer. These days everyone thinks they can sing. Probably half the singers in the top forty cannot sing properly and their careers rely on clever engineers and the latest software. Let us face it: you need to have talent or work very hard to become a good singer! If I can offer any advice laymen advice it would be as follows:
It is important with vocals as with all REAL instruments to learn how to ''get them down". By that I mean how to get a good take down. Identify your weaknesses and work to work to overcome them rather than relying on software that can sometimes often cheapen the results. Always try to get a good signal recorded. You should not exceed -2 decibels. Try not to record with any equalization and if the performance does not need compression to control it then you can leave that until later too. Always use a pop shield.
A good tip is too really practice singing your lines without the music and indentify where you are going wrong. Then break it down and focus on the bad bits. Let the microphone do the work, you do not need to shout or force it. Try to control your breathing from your diaphragm (this takes practice). Practice your vowels and mouth sounds too as this helps develop clearer execution. Good timing is essential but not difficult to master if you know you lines. Try to know your lines off by heart so that you are not distracted by reading at the same time as you are trying to sing.
Most people tend to sing out of tune when they cannot hear what they are singing properly i.e. the mix is too loud in their headphones or the bass is too loud in their headphones. In fact headphones are difficult to use for many singers; some top producers have the mix coming out of the control room monitors with the singer and microphone in there in front of the monitors (you can use a noise gate to take out the spill later). Try it and see if works for you. Remember not to have the volume too loud or the microphone pointing at the monitors. It is essential, however, to always use a pop shield.
The gap between mediocre and great music is narrower these days as more and more people are having a go at making music and in general we are getting used to hearing mediocre music while thinking it is something special. If you are serious about singing, recording, or making music then strive to improve continually in every area. Do not rely on software to make you sound good rather use it wisely to help nurture and express your music. I record royalty free music for whitebeetle.com and album for artists and I am constantly trying to improve what I do. To me it is an endless quest.
This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley, great for free web content.
Occupation: Musician/website Owner
Guitarist / music producer and keen writer. I grew up in Wales and have moved around Europe a fair bit. Started playing guitar when I was fourteen and I am still hooked. I have produced several albums and currently run a royalty free music website. When I get the time I tap away at my first novel which I hope to finish in this lifetime.....
www.whitebeetle.com
Download music online – has the Internet turned the music world around?
A famous saying used to say that music is food for the soul. This proverb is today more truthful than ever, with various genres, suiting every preference and taste. Music heals the soul and provides it with incredible emotions that cannot be offered by anything else in the world. As we grow, we learn to appreciate and understand music, with all its subtle meanings and amazing lyrics.
Expressing feelings through music has always been an important part of human nature. The first tune appeared a long time ago and nowadays, people have many choices to choose from. There are many popular musical genres including: pop, rock, folk and R&B. The common elements of all these different rhythms are music lyrics and basic terms (harmony, tempo and timbre).
The advent of the Internet has led to the incredible widespread of diverse types of music. We now have the possibility to download music from online virtual stores and listen to it whenever we feel like it. The great variety available online has suited the demands of many Internet users, who are also interested in music lyrics, or words of the songs.
For many music fans, learning all about their favorite band or singer is vital. They go online and search for band information, music lyrics and download music from various websites. Music is something that can surely enrich a person and offer something to dream about.
We listen to music when we feel sad, happy or mad. There are many songs out there to help us with every state of mind and music lyrics can be a wonderful way to forget all about our troubles. Many people observe that just by humming the tunes and whispering the chorus of their favorite song, they feel better.
It is an amazing feeling to share the music lyrics of a special song with a loved one. You feel a strong connection, above all the realities of life and somehow life seems a lot easier. Even when you listen to a song on the radio, you do not think very much about the instrumental part of the song. Still, when it comes to music lyrics, you know them by heart and you enjoy singing along.
As we live in a world full of information, available on the Internet, many people and especially youngsters use this amazing tool to download music and search for their favorite band’s lyrics. Music is important for any person and it can be considered as a true form of art. Artists spend a long time rehearsing the tunes and fitting the lyrics; they get credit for the song and they are revered by many generations.
The fact that we can download music from the Internet and look for songs of older generations is wonderful. The truth is that some songs never die and there are artists that will live forever in the music world. Their lyrics are fully of meaning, being part of various generations, helping to the fulfillment of many hopes and dreams.
Popular artists also post their music online, hoping to gain more popularity by doing that. Some of them have very good songs and they manage to stay on billboards for many months in a row. Still, there are certain types of music that cannot last in time, however many fans it gathers. True music fans have learned to appreciate the kind of music that lasts and they enjoy extremely much the possibility to download music online.
Music, as well as other forms of entertainment and self expression, has always been subject to controversy. In this whirlpool of arguments, genuine artists have survived and their music is offered online for download. They apprise the technology of Internet and they value the importance of specialized websites for such purposes. Also, they are glad to see how treasured their music lyrics are by heaps of youngsters and adults likewise.
We have music for the soul and we invite you to check us out. Download music , search for music lyrics and browse our website. Have fun and don’t forget to tell your friends all about us! We are here, waiting for them.
This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley
Expressing feelings through music has always been an important part of human nature. The first tune appeared a long time ago and nowadays, people have many choices to choose from. There are many popular musical genres including: pop, rock, folk and R&B. The common elements of all these different rhythms are music lyrics and basic terms (harmony, tempo and timbre).
The advent of the Internet has led to the incredible widespread of diverse types of music. We now have the possibility to download music from online virtual stores and listen to it whenever we feel like it. The great variety available online has suited the demands of many Internet users, who are also interested in music lyrics, or words of the songs.
For many music fans, learning all about their favorite band or singer is vital. They go online and search for band information, music lyrics and download music from various websites. Music is something that can surely enrich a person and offer something to dream about.
We listen to music when we feel sad, happy or mad. There are many songs out there to help us with every state of mind and music lyrics can be a wonderful way to forget all about our troubles. Many people observe that just by humming the tunes and whispering the chorus of their favorite song, they feel better.
It is an amazing feeling to share the music lyrics of a special song with a loved one. You feel a strong connection, above all the realities of life and somehow life seems a lot easier. Even when you listen to a song on the radio, you do not think very much about the instrumental part of the song. Still, when it comes to music lyrics, you know them by heart and you enjoy singing along.
As we live in a world full of information, available on the Internet, many people and especially youngsters use this amazing tool to download music and search for their favorite band’s lyrics. Music is important for any person and it can be considered as a true form of art. Artists spend a long time rehearsing the tunes and fitting the lyrics; they get credit for the song and they are revered by many generations.
The fact that we can download music from the Internet and look for songs of older generations is wonderful. The truth is that some songs never die and there are artists that will live forever in the music world. Their lyrics are fully of meaning, being part of various generations, helping to the fulfillment of many hopes and dreams.
Popular artists also post their music online, hoping to gain more popularity by doing that. Some of them have very good songs and they manage to stay on billboards for many months in a row. Still, there are certain types of music that cannot last in time, however many fans it gathers. True music fans have learned to appreciate the kind of music that lasts and they enjoy extremely much the possibility to download music online.
Music, as well as other forms of entertainment and self expression, has always been subject to controversy. In this whirlpool of arguments, genuine artists have survived and their music is offered online for download. They apprise the technology of Internet and they value the importance of specialized websites for such purposes. Also, they are glad to see how treasured their music lyrics are by heaps of youngsters and adults likewise.
We have music for the soul and we invite you to check us out. Download music , search for music lyrics and browse our website. Have fun and don’t forget to tell your friends all about us! We are here, waiting for them.
This article is free for republishing
Source: Article Alley
Bass Factory
Music has allways been big business. Knowing where your favourite dj's are playing is an important part of the music scence. This new aand upcoming site has all the information of where and when local dj's are playing. For more information check out: http://bassfactoryhdj.com.
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