Wednesday 31 August 2011

Pitch Recognition - What Is It and Why Wouldn't You Care?

By Jonathan Keith Robertson


Pitch recognition is basically simply the ability to recognize the actual pitch of the musical note when you hear it. While some individuals think pitch recognition is something you're created with, millions of people around the world of all ages have learned to determine musical information through practice.

While some teaching methods tend to be more successful than others, one thing has been shown: Pitch recognition isn't a present. It's a skill you can learn.

Ear training is important to music artists because it's a fundamental part of the basic skill set of making music. Musical notes are the language of songs, and it's not possible to develop strong singing or playing skills with no full idea of the language.

Learning music without ear instruction is like attempting to speak Chinese without knowing exactly what all the characters look and sound like.

Successfully learning pitch recognition may be easier than you think. In fact, educators market several ways of ear training, the most popular of which are memorization and audiation. Each of these methods has its own critics, but both might help people like you learn how to recognize music notes.

The memorization technique couldn't end up being simpler. You just listen to a single note at a time repeatedly until you associate the specific note with the sound. Much like memorizing a Bible passage in a Weekend school class, you can use this method to identify the name of a note through sound.

This technique has its critics, however.

The actual memorization method, these experts suggest, may teach individuals to recognize some notes, but without deeper knowledge and understanding their new skill, doesn't develop beyond the "party trick" status. That is, they can identify unique notes performed to them, but they can't connect this ability with any practical musical application.

A more robust instructing method that some ear training courses train is called audiation.

To put it simply, audiation involves your inner ear. It is the idea that you can mentally hear and realize music even if you aren't actually hearing a sound. Utilizing audiation, your brain assigns a meaning to musical sounds, just like your brain has already assigned meaning to the phrases in the dialects you know.

A lot of audiation when used as a pitch recognition technique is forming auditory imagery -- that's, associating pictures in your mind with the sound you hear. But in addition to that. If you utilize audiation on top of some existing musical knowledge, you can learn to predict and understand the patterns of musical pieces even though you aren't acquainted with them.

Based on some music teachers, audiation is the key to developing actual, usable pitch recognition abilities. Associating the complex ideas of any art or science to concepts with which you're already familiar is amongst the successful teaching methods available.

It's true that many people may have a natural gift for music, but all of us have the intelligence to learn the easy skill associated with pitch recognition. All you need is the right system to teach it for you.




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Tuesday 30 August 2011

Creating Music Is Easy

By Adam Finer




Those of you wishing to create and record your own beats can now do it sitting at home. Beats creation software packages permit you to create, record and edit beats handily. Not just this, there are software packages that serve different ages, from musically inclined kids to the more advanced beats creating software for adults.

Morton Subotnick's 'Creating Beats ' for beginners

This is an educational and fun software for kids. Created by Morton Subotnick, a prize-winning composer, Making Music permits kids to have an easy and enjoyable beats composing experience. Built to be kid-friendly, the software has 'animal constituents ' that permit youngsters to form their own unique tunes. Rhythm and pitch can be modified by lining birds up on a wire, looking rather like beats notes. The software also permits kids to select any of the sixteen instruments on the computer screen and listen to the sounds produced by each individually or together. Other thrilling and fun games include testing children ' musical sense by asking them to hear 2 tunes and judging whether they are different or similar.

For aspiring musicians

With its recognition in Europe exploding, Beats Maker from Magix permits aspiring musicians to create beats even if they don't have previous knowledge of beats composing. This beats making software allows users to choose between several thousand pre-created samples and loops from different musical instruments, digital beats files and CDs. The samples, loops can be previewed, dragged and dropped on screen. The software allows users to form more than ninety different beats tracks. Other significant features of Beats Maker include reinforced editing tools, a top quality drum machine and a tuner that creates a total choir from one recorded voice and also corrects recorded vocal samples mechanically. The musical pieces can be exported to files and played on Windows Media Player.

Using Microsoft Songsmith, you can create songs by choosing acceptable music to go with your vocals. You start by selecting a particular song style and setting a tempo. You'll then have to sing the song into the mike in perfect harmony with the percussive beat. When you are done recording, Songsmith will set the key, choose the chords and play the song again with musical accompaniments. You can edit the score, export it to a disk and share it.

DUB Turbo is another quality beats creating software using which you can create hiphop, house, jungle and modern beats pieces. Sonic Producer is also an impressive beats composition and creation software that offers bang for your buck.

Advanced beats creating software

Cakewalk Creator Pro and Cubase are top-end, advanced music creation and revising software for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 users. They can be used with a P. C. keyboard or you can attach instruments to a Midi keyboard (sound card). The programs offer more standard pattern and loop based organizing as well as advanced audio mixing. Pitch shifting and real time stretching are some interesting features offered by Cubase.




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Monday 29 August 2011

Know The Different Facilities Of Sound Stages NYC

By George Harris


Sound stages NYC have the identical world-class facilities as those in Atlanta. Having exquisite Spanish Mission Style architecture, the convenience of this production spot is adorned a lot more by its location, merely five miles from downtown Atlanta and six miles from the country's busiest airport terminal. The actors like to be near the city. The executives like to be close to the airport. It boasts a large number of shooting destinations that range from mountain settings, to flatlands and sea scenery.

There are actually five stages on location, that together adds up to an overall total of greater than 130,000 sq. ft. of column-free stage space. Sound Stage 5, the third biggest stage eastern side of the state of California, offers a spectacular 37,500 sq. ft. of production room. EUE/Screen Gems Studios located in Atlanta, much like their sound stages Nyc, offers the best structure in the state of Georgia. Featuring its very own lighting as well as grip inventory, EUE/ Screen Gems offers consulting services as well as related equipment for film and TV productions on the lot and also on location, along the East Coast. The hands-on expertise of both staff and producer desired goals have garnered EUE/Screen Gems in Atlanta a standing as a remarkable and economical boutique lighting and grip company.

The 27,000 square feet of office production space really adds to the illustrious facilities of the campus. The five big production suites have office fixtures, heating system, air conditioning unit, cleaning service, routine maintenance, 24-hour access as well as enough vehicle parking. Customized digital phone systems as well as wi-fi Internet are also provided. Amenities on offer are convention suites, hair and make-up, wardrobe rooms, stockroom space, and truck and movie trailer parking which has easy in and out access. EUE/Screen Gems in Atlanta consists of over 2,500 first class local crew as well as an Atlanta production tradition which is conscious of, recognizes and is committed to serving the makers of feature movie, TV, and commercials.

Having just recently been established, the studios in Atlanta are only a fragment of what precisely are EUE/ Screen Gems. For nearly a decade, EUE/ Screen Gems has already established a long yet profitable history of making movie, television, and commercial ventures of the finest standard and would like to maintain its long line of being successful in Atlanta. EUE/ Screen Gems desires to broaden its productions and then make the most out of its superb studio in Atlanta. EUE/Screen Gems in Atlanta has a bright future with its convenient location and excellent features. Fully furnished with new studio space and a sprawling campus, EUE/Screen Gems in Atlanta, Georgia is any film maker's best sound stage solution.

Additionally, sound stages NYC have a Broadway Stages in Brooklyn, New York, as it makes a good name for itself as the first solar-powered sound stage facility in the world. The solar panel installation will be a contribution to further improve the local community and help counterbalance the carbon footprint. The facilities rooftop solar panels reduce energy expenses by more than $70,000 annually, and produce more than enough power to stop the burning of 75,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Broadway Stages the very first solar powered sound stage in the world is a shining example of renewable energy investment as well as its various rewards which includes the creation of green-collar jobs as well as growth of the local green-economy.




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Sunday 28 August 2011

Sound Stages Atlanta As A Good Alternative To Hollywood

By George Harris


In recent months, there has been a constant buzz around Atlanta about local sound stages Atlanta being built to cater to the movie making sector. Atlantans are delighted. After all, who would not want more income coming into the state, in addition to the possibility of bumping into a lot more celebrities. For someone who visited Hollywood this development would certainly keep one enthusiastic. Since of course, the shininess of Hollywood is clearly on the surface. While anybody will love to have the motion picture sector much closer to home, it would likewise show up the seedier aspect of the industry too.

Most part of Hollywood has found to be too costly. Additionally, the most famous locations such as the city of Hollywood, is comparatively found quite unsafe. Although many areas are alright to go to in daytime, it is not suggested hanging around in the evening, not to mention getting a hotel accommodation there. For sure there are great, safe areas too, through the glitzy show business industry, anybody who will look close can see a negative side also.

Thanks to nice tax breaks in Georgia, film makers cannot help but be wooed to their neck of the woods. Recent movies filmed there include "The Blind Side", "The Lottery Ticket", and "Zombieland". Tyler Perry Studios where Madea films and several television programs are made are likewise based in the Atlanta area. These movies were filmed without the use of recognized film studios. Having the studios accessible to movie makers will surely boost movie making expertise in the Atlanta area.

In Henry County GA, a studio is now being set up at Tara Field in airport hangars near Atlanta Motor Speedway by Big 5 Studios. EUE/Screen Gems has brand new sound stages at the former Lakewood Fairground, located near the Atlanta Airport. Nevertheless, all is not very well in "Southern Tinseltown". "The Walking Dead" is currently being shot in the Black Market Area of Atlanta. Business enterprise as well as store owners are not too excited about the thought of having entire roads blocked for filming. Compensation packages usually do not seem to be exciting enough in order to make it worthy. The main predicament in this incident will be the lack of communication with the businesses, so ideally over time such kinks will be ironed out. For all those Hollywood hopeful types who want to break into the movie business, you could keep your eyes peeled for extra parts. You may have by now missed the casting calls for "Mean Girls 2", which will commence filming in Atlanta very soon.

Sound stages Atlanta are a big financial shot in the arm and it happens instantly the moment that motion picture starts up. So the more motion pictures that get shot in this area due to this infrastructure which are situated there to service the film, the better it is for the greater local community. Income goes not merely into this enterprise, it goes into hotels, gasoline stations and restaurants. The economic impact is massive. So everybody would like to get a piece of that; the said economic impact in Atlanta.




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Saturday 27 August 2011

Exactly How North Carolina Stages The Best Destination For Movie Productions

By George Harris


North Carolina stages provide a solid power system which can have capacity for the use of large production equipment. Its massive space is ideal when setting up green screen backdrops and special-effects equipment, and painting as well as putting together props and sets. It is also a practical location in which the production can already construct various sets within different parts of the area. This lowers the need for other locations which require further travel time for the production to move from one location to another. Being designed for large-scale production work, a sound stage also offers convenience in terms of parking places for numerous huge vehicles as well as trailers.

Aside from completely ready access points for large-scale equipments as well as set constructions, North Carolina stages has rigging assemblies for the purpose of attaching lights and grips around the area. This makes it an extremely versatile location when lots of equipments as well as assemblies to shoot sets, backdrops as well as special effects are important. Generally, renting out a sound stage is also less expensive rather than renting out an actual location, especially in case the production requires days, weeks or perhaps months to work on the studio to put together sets, do test shoots and conduct special-effects experiments. This type of location is likewise loaded not only with the technical amenities, but in addition studio employees who could skillfully tackle the problems, questions or demands of the production.

The controlled environment offered by an interior location helps make North Carolina stages an excellent option for security and safety. There's no chance of encountering unknown people who may affect or even jeopardize the production. The crew won't have difficulties with unforeseen elements such as the climate and other unnecessary sceneries in exterior settings. Passersby will not be an issue, either, since a sound stage is far from a public place. Furthermore, it's easier to keep an eye on the activities of people around and there is less chance of compromising top secret info about the production in a sound stage.

When filming on location, unless a production company happens to have the ideal site in its backyard, a movie crew as well as cast have to pack up and move to the desired location for the duration of the shoot. This can be costly and time-consuming, on top of the money and time wasted due to weather-related delays or other problems. A few movies require several locations, that expands the expense of traveling as well as the possibility of location-sensitive delays. When shooting on a sound stage, the cast and crew can be recruited from the local area, avoiding all travel as well as accommodation expenses. Nor are there visas or permits to obtain from international countries when filming on a sound stage.

North Carolina stages allow the crew to have complete control of the film's lighting needs. In contrast to when filming on exterior locations or even interior locations which are near doors and windows, the production doesn't have to bother with the change of sunlight and daylight when shooting. There is also much better control on the project's live-sound needs as a sound stage is soundproof, which means there are no external sound elements that the sound recording equipment can record.




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Friday 26 August 2011

Watch TV Live On Your Computer Secrets

By Stephan Beckman


Some people now will prefer watching TV shows live on computer if they will know just how to. And you must be one of them. Most likely, you also want to watch TV live on your computer if you will only discover how to. Well, you can and you will actually know how to at this point in time.

These days, watching TV shows live on computer is so simple. There are two ways. It is possible by just using special software and also by making use of television websites.

You will only need to know which one to really try. First, maybe you can just try watching TV shows live on your computer by using special software that will let you enjoy hundreds to thousands of world channels and then TV shows. You can just download and install it on your device by following some complete and clear instructions. You can have it installed and usable in just a short period of time. You will love it. You will love what it can offer.

However, you will also need to buy this special software. You will have to buy it but for just as low as $49-$50. You will find it almost for free. There will be no monthly fees to worry about. You will be free from them. You will only have to pay for a small and one-time fee. Buy it and then you will be able to download and install it on your computer easily and quickly. You will just love having it, even buying it. It will be very useful. To you, these hundreds to thousands of world channels and then TV shows will be easily and quickly accessible.

But you can also try watching TV shows live on your computer by making use of television websites. Also make use of your existing Internet connection. Search for high quality television websites to also enjoy TV shows with good picture quality and nice sound quality. After, just be sure your favorite TV shows are made available. You are trying to watch TV shows live on your computer also because of them. Warning though, your Internet service connection must be very good. For you not to encounter any loading problems, have a high speed one. See your Internet service provider for advice. You just need to make sure that you have it also for your own good.




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Thursday 25 August 2011

How To Practice The Piano

By Andy Penbram


To learn piano or keyboards can be a little depressing when you concentrate on your playing for days on end to find that you do not appear to be getting anywhere. The reason the majority students give up the piano, particularly in children is a highly regarded lack of advancement. Here are a handfull of tips to help you with your own personal practice sessions which ought to help you to progress faster.

Organize your practice time - Build a little routine for your practice periods. The main points of the routine will be very different from person to person dependent on the of music they are learning to play.

The first move to make when you sit down to practice is to warm up. A good way to do that is by practicing your scales for a while, this can loosen your fingers and in the long run will help you to learn pieces in various keys.

As soon as you have finished the warmup you may then go on to working on your pieces. You ought to know after the first few times of practicing a new piece where the difficult sections are. Start with these sections just before you try to play the whole piece. Play the section with separate hands. Keep swapping hands though so as not to let the other hand get cold. Now play the troublesome passage with both hands together.

You can now try the entire piece from start to end with a faith that you will be more comfortable when it comes to the troublesome parts.

Always utilize a metronome when you play your scales and arpeggios and use it for your pieces too if they permit it. Set the metronome to a slower speed than is necessary initially which should help you to play the piece easily. Over the space of 1 or 2 days you can slowly start to increment the tempo of the metronome until you are playing it at speed. You could even benefit from playing the piece more than it should be simply to get your fingers really working and used to the piece.

You've got to learn how to relax while you are playing. Relax your fingers, your back and in reality your entire posture. If you are tense while you play then you'll find it far more difficult to control your fingers and for your playing to flow. This is a little like studying how to ride a bike or drive a vehicle. To start with there are so many things to remember and coordinate but at some specific point it all of a sudden clicks and it all slots into place.

Daily practice on its own isn't really enough to learn the piano correctly but a steady and structured practice routine will certainly give you an advantage.




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Wednesday 24 August 2011

The Way To Master The Piano

By Andy Penbram


You could have come on some home study courses for piano or keyboards if you've been looking for info on the right way to learn to play the piano. Or maybe you have thought of trying a piano instructor who will give you personal lessons. Whichever category you are in the fundamentals concerning how to master the piano stay the same.

There are a few points the piano student should take into account:

Get the fundamentals right

We always have to commence with the fundamentals. You should find out what you can about the instrument such as where the notes are, the pedals, the way in which the keys work and so on. If you could learn a little bit of basic theory of music and also a bit about how to read music so you will be well prepared. You must find a good piano instructor or maybe even a distance learning course that can be found online, then make sure that you'll have sufficient time to put in a bit of daily practice and you should be set to go.

Choosing the right piano music to practice is important

Its critical you get hold of some good piano music to practice. You will not become inspired and won't advance as a piano player if you've chosen practice pieces that are above your present level. If you can pick short memorable pieces to practice then it'll be a lot more easy to get them sounding good, particularly if they are short enough for you to learn by heart. Try learning a piece or 2 by ear, i.e. Listening to some music repeatedly and attempting to play it yourself without music. You might try working out the chords or the melody or both. Hearing a song over and over again and then trying to learn it on the piano will function as a great help to training your ear which may come in very useful later on.

This may get difficult

As you progress you will find that there comes a point when it will become difficult and testing. As you advance from total beginner piano level to intermediate then the learning curve can become quite steep. There'll be moments when this can become depressing. If you find this taking place you must just keep practicing knowing that it is a normal part of the method. Don't worry if you become bogged down and feel you're not making any progress as this is a normal part of the process, rest assured that subconsciously you are learning and one day soon it will just all click as your brain and your hands all of a sudden start to cooperate.

Add a personal touch to it

You can add your own personalised touch to a the some of the pieces you are learning by changing it slightly just as when you hear two artists performing different variations of the same song. Try to play the piece in a rather more bold style. If you can have fun and experiment a little then you will find the learning process will get even more easy. You'll probably need to learn dull pieces and play unexciting exercises during your learning period. Try and persist and not quit. You need to get through this beginner piano period before you can progress onto more engaging and venturesome playing.




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Tuesday 23 August 2011

Problem fixing Electric Guitars

By Steven Dean


There are times when a guitar player will face technical screw ups such as a bent neck and poor intonation.

One of the most important reasons for poor sounding and unplayable guitars is the incontrovertible fact that the neck is either bent or misaligned from the body. This can set off a full range of issues from fret buzz to poor action to your guitar just being a load more difficult to play than it should be.

In the guitar neck lies what's typically referred to as a truss rod, which is important because over- tightening it causes the neck to bend forwards, while loosening it turns it inwards. To deal with this problem you want a set of Hex keys, a level or straight edge, and a screw driver. What you want to do is to make sure that the strings are in place as the string stress is also a participatory factor to the way in which the neck of the guitar will bend. If you've a neck that is bowing out, you would like to tighten the screw and use your level to gauge its accuracy.

On the flip side, if it is bending inwards, you may want to loosen the screw until the neck is level which will help when it comes to working with your electrical guitar kit. Just walk cautiously as even the tiniest adjustment will have a big impact on the neck of your guitar.

Lastly, one of the the most important issue guitarists face is poor intonation. This suggests that essentially your guitar has a tuning problem and even though it may play comparatively in tune between the first 5 frets when you explore the higher frets you could start hearing some of your notes sounding a little off. Poor intonation typically requires some restructuring to the bridge saddles. These can be quite different dependent on your guitar of choice but the basics are sometimes the same.

Many individuals are intimidated when thinking about any aspect of the guitar set up but the reality is adjusting the intonation is actually fairly simple and any person can do it if they research it a little first.




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Monday 22 August 2011

What Is The Best Starter Digital Keyboard?

By Andrew Strauss Laeddis


To become a pianist you need three things: talent, training, and an instrument. Even the greatest piano virtuoso will find it difficult to reproduce his award winning pieces on a piano that is below par to begin with.

Some do not pursue a piano training simply because they think that pianos are expensive. If you are a beginner, getting a good quality but less expensive digital keyboard would be a much better option.

Digital keyboards have five general types. First of which are digital pianos, which are good for those who are still starting out, because they are simple and easy to use. Arrangers are loaded with features that allow you to be a one-man band, that is, it can provide you automatic drum, bass and chord accompaniment. Stage pianos, as the term implies are made for those who intend to use it for onstage performances. While not as feature rich as an arranger, the sound it generates is much bolder. Advanced piano players can tinker around with workstations and synthesizers. More work can be done on these systems such as sequencing, recording or editing music as well as manipulating waveforms. Because they are the most feature-rich of the bunch they also command the heftiest price tag.

Among the many brands of digital pianos available these days, low-priced but feature-dense Casio pianos remain to be in demand. They are best known for their topnotch beginner pianos which come built in with step-up learning systems. Casio also incorporated a music challenge feature to most of their beginner keyboards to provide a fun learning experience. Tri-sensor scaled hammer-action keyboards which have an ivory feel similar to concert pianos are common features of pianos made by this company.

For beginners, getting the CTK-2100 is a wise decision. It is a good buy at $170 because you already get a 61-key unit which already feature-rich. Tutees will find the voice fingering guide on the CTK-2100 very helpful during practices. Using AHL audio technology, these keyboards provide almost the same sweet tunes produced by a real grand piano.




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Sunday 21 August 2011

Learning Chords On THe Piano

By Andy Penbram


If you have elected to learn how to play the piano at home as opposed to going to a personal piano tutor then you'll most certainly have obtained a distance learning course online or a piano learning DVD. The very first thing you may learn is how to find all the notes on the keyboard and the way to play one or two basic melodies. The next step is to start to learn certain fundamental chords... Playing recognisable tunes along with chords places you on the right track to becoming a real piano player. In most situations this occurs pretty quickly.

Piano chord fundamentals are all that is required at this initial stage and piano chords are basically really easy to play. The most simple piano chord is composed of only 3 notes. Also, in its most basic form the base or first of these three notes is the note of the name of the chord itself. This suggests that for a C chord, the note at the bottom will be C itself.

The subsequent notes are very straightforward also... Simply go up two and then two once again. This means that from the root of C for example, you move up 2 notes to the E and then two more up to the G. Thus the notes of the C chord are C, E, G.

When you start to play other chords it might become a little more complex due to the flats and sharps. In the key of D as an example the F is usually played as F sharp so that the chord of D is, D F sharp A. The pattern of this basic chord however will remain the same. The bass of the chord then move up 2 and up two again.,, as straightforward as that.

Insert a bass note and a little rhythm to these chords and you will be playing good sounding music in a flash. You'll find it pretty straightforward to remember the patterns of each chord but solely to be sure you get it right there's is a chord sheet available on my web page to set you straight. This shows you the fundamental notes that each chord is composed of.




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Saturday 20 August 2011

Social Media And Music

By Takara Alexis


The internet has negatively affected the music industry through the growth in piracy using programs such as BitTorrent. While this has lead to a drop in album sales the rise of social media on the internet has had a positive impact on the music industry.

Social media lets users to communicate about their favorite bands and have more access to bands than they ever had in the past. Social media had lead to the rise of several bands in recent years which is a sure sign that social media has an effect of how bands are being discovered. The Arctic Monkeys, a UK band, rose to fame because of the popularity of their MySpace page. As more and more people went to the band's website their songs became more and more popular and word of the band spread. This type of success story is not a lone case. Social media and music work together in a special way.

Last.fm is a popular music site that encourages users to find new music. You are able to type in the name of your favorite band and find other bands with a similar musical style. Last.fm also keeps track of what you've been listening to and makes recommendations based on that information. The groups feature on Last.fm allows users to get together and talk about a certain band or musical style that interests them. This fosters a sense of community and people with similar musical tastes are able to communicate with each other and make recommendations to each other.

A recent music-focused social media program that is becoming more and more popular is Spotify. Spotify allows users to stream music and create playlists that can then be shared with other users. The service is free and in between every few songs there is a short commercial. The playlist share feature allows users to discover new music as well as share their favorite "hidden gems" with the rest of the world. Spotify recently integrated itself with Facebook and users can now share their favorite playlists on their Facebook profiles. Included on Spotify is a "buy" link so if you happen to like a certain track on a playlist you can be the proud owner of it within seconds. Spotify is picking up steam and will become more and more prominent as time goes by.

Social media and music are becoming more and more connected. People are often very passionate about their favorite bands or artists and love the chance to express their feelings about a certain song or album with others. Social media is the perfect outlet for music fans and will continue to evolve and help the music industry create new stars.




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Friday 19 August 2011

A Quick Introduction To Pillows

By Beth Giles


People and pillows have a long history together. The Pharaohs of ancient Egypt not only used them during their life but were buried with them as well. Today, pillows are one of the most popular bedding accessories raking in 11% of all sales worldwide.

Pillows are made with all kinds of materials. In ancient China, there were pillows made out of wood, metal, porcelain, and even stone! These days, pillows are kinder to the body. They are made with soft and light materials such as foam, synthetic fiber, and the coveted feathers or down.

A cotton cloth, usually rectangular in shape, is filled with the soft material then sewn up. Completing the pillow is a pillow case which can be slipped off for washing.

The goal of a pillow is to provide the neck and head with soft support. The material of the pillow adjusts to the natural curve when a person is lying down. Hence pillows that are too low or too high are not recommended as they will prop the head at an irregular position causing discomfort and a stiff neck.

There are many kinds of pillows that support other areas of the body aside from the head and neck. Body pillows are designed to support the whole body and seat cushions to protect the back from slouching.

Travelers make do with a U-shaped travel pillow which can be slipped over the back of the neck and over the shoulders so one can lean their head to the side and sleep while traveling.

Donut pillows help the tailbone, the lumbar pillow supports the lower back, and nursing pillows prop up babies when they breast-feed.

Keeping the pillows clean and dust free is a necessity for health. Old pillows are a haven for dust-mites which can cause allergies to unsuspecting sleepers. When a pillow gets too old and heavy to wash or clean, it's time to throw it in the trash and replace it with a new one.




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Thursday 18 August 2011

MIDI Controller 101: For a Music Computer, a MAC or a Windows PC?

By Donald Grossy


"What should I use for my music-making, should I buy a MAC or a PC?" If at the moment you are someone asking this question, then this text will be of major help. In here, you may know what the biggest considerations are when you will be deciding what to get between a MAC and Windows PC. Worry no more; this is the article for you.

For those guys and girls making price an enormous consideration, then a Windows PC would be a great choice. MAC cost more than any workstation hwne you are looking for the same range of quality. You will be able to save more from a PC since you can, adjust it precisely how you prefer it. You can purchase separate parts from computer stores with the specifications you want and then you build your own (that is if you know how).

Another thing that makes PCs more cost efficient than MACs is that MACs cannot be fully upgraded. If you'd like to upgrade your MAC, you buy another one with higher directions. Purchasing parts to include to your old PC, like that of a PC doesn't work with MACs. For MACs, you want to buy a completely new one for you to have a quicker memory.

When it comes to productiveness, MACs win in this class. MACs work directly out of the box. There is no need for configuration tests, compatibility tests, software installations, and the likes. MACs ' computer parts are made only by Apple so you wouldn't need to trouble about incompatible parts like many PC users came across, because there are presently many makers and dealers of PC parts.

Also, in MACs, music-making wouldn't be hindered by worms, viruses. MACs have conflict resistant systems so making your work quicker because you don't have to reboot your system occasionally.

You see, there are more concerns but these two are just the greatest. Both computer types have their arguments. You may let me know, 'you did not give a particular answer, just a generic one. ' Here's the explicit one, if you can afford a MAC with an Intel processor, go with it. Still, it all reduces down that we have our own preferences and virtually all things are subjective, including this.




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Wednesday 17 August 2011

Is DUBTurbo The Best Beat Maker?

By Adam Finer


If you have not heard about DUB Turbo yet, you're shaping up to! If you've been toying with the idea of manufacturing your own rap beats or dance music, then this is a good way to start.You can make pretty much make any type of electronic music with this program from trance, house, rap and even reggae!

Why pick DUBTurbo?There are a large number of different software programs in existence but a lot of them require you to understand what you are doing regarding digital audio and music production theory. You'd need to find out how to record, edit, master and have the cash to buy the high end software products and gear that goes together with it. This is all hunky dory if you know that you're going to make a go of this more than just a spare time pursuit or are well off you can throw a couple of hundred at this endeavour and have time to go thru the massive learning process.

The general public starting just want to be in a position to make beats quickly without this bother and burden with a view to maybe upgrading to a Cubase or Professional Tools later if they find that they have a knack or simply plain enjoy it and want to pursue commercial sound production.The answer to the cash and time consumption problem is DUBTurbo.

This programme gives you most, or all, of the primary functions of the high end DAW's but is created for the unmitigated newb so that you can start to make beats in minutes. The reason DUB Turbo is so good is that other beat makers on the market use MP3 files which is not at all good for producing decent sounding beats as MP3's cut out a lot of frequencies due to their compression processes, therefore making your music sound thin and feeble instead of full and potent.

DUBTurbo uses WAV files at CD standard 16 bit, 44.1kHz so providing you with studio quality sounds straight from the start. This is critical for when you decide to sell your beats (which DUBTurbo has a check-list for) in that you can separate your musical piece and export them as individual studio quality tracks which is, in itself, industry standard. You may import your own sounds for that individuality that each creative person craves.This is what makes DUBTurbo the top choice for newbies as you have all of the features of the more high end solutions but also easy enough for anyone to use and at an affordable price! You also will be in a position to save your beats and burn onto CD and take them with you to amaze your friends!




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Tuesday 16 August 2011

Best French Music

By Jean Pierre Prieur


French Music is defined by music legends belonging to the genres of classical, pop, folk and rock music. French pop music featured many talented and well known singers hailing from Quebec, Belgium and France. The francophone market consisted of people crazy about pop music in France. The fan-following became huge and there was a distinct variation of French pop from French rock. Some of the famous people related to French music world are mentioned below:

Brigitte Bardot is normally associated with film and has graced the French cinema for several decades. However, aside from being a world-renowned film actor and ballet dancer she also recorded a number of songs after retiring from film in 1973. She collaborated with the likes of Serge Gainsbourg during the 60s and 70s.

Charles Aznavour is an American-French singer and songwriter. He is one of France's most popular singers and has been recognized as being one of the most known singers in the world. This musician has sung for presidents, popes and royalty. He was born in Paris. The people of France often referred to him as France's Frank Sinatra. He has written about a thousand songs. Most of his songs told a story about love. Charles spoke quite a few languages that included French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese, and Neapolitan. Today, he makes his home in Geneva, Switzerland.

Jane Birkin was a very popular singer and a permanent fixture at music shows and concerts. Talented beyond description, she often spent her earnings on various donations. She also acted in a few films and sang songs with her first husband, Serge Gainsbourg. Her records sold millions of copies and rocked the world during the 1960s.

Patrick Bruel thrilled the world with his songs, and also worked as an actor. Though his passion in the beginning was football, he fell in love with singing. Prior to launching his singing career, he entered films first, being featured in more than 40 film and TV productions. He is credited with several live performances and studio albums. His stunning good looks made him immensely popular with girls and women.

Carla Bruni was a fashion icon who quit fashion and became highly popular for her songs. She writes lyrics for songs, composes and sings. Here are a few of her famous songs - Notre Amour Est Mort, Ta Tienne, La Possibilit D'une le, Il Vecchio E Il Bambino and L'antilope.

Julien Clerc started with classical music and learned to play the piano by age six. He began composing in high school, recording his first album in 1968. He had a successful run in the Paris version of "Hair." He released many hits as a major recording star.

French pop music was considerably popular and the translated versions of famous songs were greatly appreciated by people. French pop music has a distinctive style and sound. For that reason, most of the songs are translated into English. The translations are completed by linguists, to satisfy the demand of fans. There has been a considerable rise in the popularity of pop songs during recent years.




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Monday 15 August 2011

Country Music As A Musical Style And The Best Country Songs Ever

By Todd Alan




Country music as a musical genre is all the rage in the US particularly the Southern part. It's also popular in the Canadian Maritimes and there have emerged a bunch of songs overtime that may be considered the best country songs. The two best selling solo artists to be in the US were indeed country music vocalists. This was Elvis Presley and a current performer, Garth Brooks.



Country music had one of its best years in 2006. Country music is said by many to be ageless. Because of this it's also considered to be tough to single out an inventory of best country songs of all times. Nevertheless the following 10 songs have appeared in the field as the ten best that may have anybody singing along. The first two of these are:

Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn - This song is autobiographical in outline. It prepared the ground for her career and the rise of a feature length film of her life story.

Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers. Followers are made when they hear this song. It caught the soul and made a spirit of love in country music. The contrast in style between these two artists is highlighted in this song.



The next two songs did a lot to reach the hearts of lots of folk and tell their stories of love.

How Do You Like Me Now? By Toby Keith. It is felt the artist put his heart on his sleeve creating and singing this song. It serves to tell the stories of anyone who has loved and lost. The boundaries are stretched as the final guy question is asked of the former lover.

All-American Girl by Carrie Underwood. This song created a shake-up in this idiom by showing that the heart of this music appears in the mind and soul of an All American Girl. This song serves to show off modern country.



After these comes:

Because of You by Reba McEntire. Here again the artist revealed her heart on her sleeve making her soul appear alive. The most hardened of hearts shed a tear on hearing this song.

Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney. This was a hit was a song devoted to love. This song removed the stigma that country music was all beer and blue jeans.



The last four of these top ten best in country music contains A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash; Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson; Stand by Your Man by Tammy Wynette; and The Gambler by Kenny Rogers which stressed key guidance to all card players. That guidance is you gotta know when to hold and when to fold.




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Sunday 14 August 2011

The Different Strategies Used By Body Builders

By Alene Smolski


Although bodybuilders follow a myriad of different muscle building strategies and workouts, there are a few fundamental weightlifting principles that everyone follows regardless of skill level. These principles form the basic theories behind any serious weight training program.

The first principle of body building is high intensity training, or HIT. This type of workout involves single-set full-body weight training exercises, performed one to three times a week. The goal of these exercises is to get a strenuous workout in a short period of time.

The basic rule of HIT is that every set after the first should be more strenuous than the first. These exercises call for sets of 8-12 reps each.

Since each set after the first needs to be more intense, you'll need to add weight, do more reps, or complete the set in a shorter amount of time than you did in the first set. In this way, your sets keep scaling up in intensity.

Another basic principle of weight lifting is called periodization. This is the practice of increasing the weight in steps so as to avoid overtraining.

An example of utilizing periodization in weight training would be lifting relatively light weights during the first week that you begin working out, then moving on to moderate weights the next week, then heavy weights the week after that.

The purpose of periodization is to gradually introduce the lifter to heavier and heavier weights. This keeps the lifter working towards new goals and also aids in preventing injury or overtraining, which is a common problem for beginners.

Another popular concept in weightlifting is the hard gainer philosophy. This lifting strategy uses high intensity routines to hit muscles hard and promote growth.

This concept aims to work all the muscle groups of the body to provide a balance of strength. Those following this philosophy lift weights three times a week, but the only work each muscle group once every week.




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Saturday 13 August 2011

Tips to find Band For Wedding Reception?

By Louisa Farrelly


Every amazing party has 3 things in common: tasty food, good ambiance, and great music. As you plan your special event, you'll be bombarded with choices about everything from color schemes to pudding platters, but when it comes to deciding on the music you would like for your gigantic bash, it actually comes down to 2 main categories: live music or recorded music. In this article, we're going to be talking about the advantages of hiring live bands for a party or marriage.

Recorded music is a straightforward and cheap fix. Anyone can make a play list and play it on a stereo system, and most people have the understanding to burn a CD of their favourite music. Even a child can plug in their lightweight MP3 player and just hit shuffle. But where is the fun in that? This is a nice thing to do for a little gathering at home , but for a very special event like a marriage or anniversary party, you need to make it a notable experience.

You could go with the choice of hiring a professional DJ service, but face it: many of us have been to receptions with a DJ, and the result's generally pretty sad. DJ services customarily have their workers follow a prescribed script, complete along with corny jokes and cliche play lists. How many times have you been to a wedding reception where the DJ played a long listing of disco classics and Top 40 pop hits? You have the choice of choosing the class of music you would like with a DJ service, but if you want something a bit more elegant or if you want some good rock, there isn't any smarter choice than hiring a live band..

The musicians that you hire will want to make an impression on you and your visitors with their skills, unlike a DJ who simply has to play the correct recorded music. In this fashion, a live group is far better because they're going to work hard to play their best and put on a great and entertaining show for your party guests. They feel connected to the music that they play, and that connection translates to a personal commitment to performing to the very best of their abilities.

The ambiance that an onstage music performance can contribute to your event is perhaps the greatest benefit to hiring a live band. For example, if your marriage reception is a black tie affair, having a group of musicians playing in a string quartet would add an unmistakable touch of class and refinement to the final environment of your reception. Similarly, if you need to make an atmosphere where people are going to want to get up and dance, a high energy rock or soul band can actually create the mood wanted to get folk out of their places and onto the floor.

If you decide to hire a live band for your event, all you have to do is get online and conduct an easy net search. There are numerous music booking sites out there where you can enter in your location, sort of event, and the type of music you want to hear and the site will create a listing of all the musicians in your neighborhood. You can check out photos and hear samples of their music, and then meet the band directly through the information given on the booking site.




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Friday 12 August 2011

Where Can I Watch TV On The Internet Tips

By Mark Du


I myself also wondered in the past where can I watch TV on the Internet. I had been without a TV set and thought of where possibly can I watch my favorite TV shows online. And you are here now also may be in same situation and thinking where possibly. The good thing is I will teach you where you can.

These days, it is possible to watch TV on the Internet. When without a TV set, you can just make use of the Internet and some good television websites. You can actually watch your favorite TV shows online. You will only need to make use of the Internet and find some good television websites with your favorite shows on TV. Just make sure that everything they have is clear, with good sound quality and complete. You will also not enjoy your favorite TV shows online when they aren't with must-have qualities. Then you can just start watching them when you are already free.

But when watching TV on the Internet, you might also encounter loading problems. Try to have a have high speed Internet connection also for your convenience. You will not enjoy them when not loading easily. You will have to do the starting, stopping and reloading of your favorite TV shows for many times. Consult your Internet service provider. High speed Internet connection may also be expensive but then you will also love having it considering it will allow you to enjoy your favorite shows on TV conveniently. You will not have any loading problems when you have it.

But if you think that watching TV on the Internet, yes through some good television websites, will also be not that good you can just try the another way of watching TV through your computer and it is by downloading special software that comes with thousands of world channels. You will have to buy it but you will only be actually spending for once unlike with high speed Internet connection. And after buying it, downloading it and then installing it, you will already be able to watch even those TV shows you don't really enjoy watching but you can also watch when really bored. You will get to have so many channels on your computer. You will even love not having a TV set around.

You decide how you will watch your favorite TV shows. Go for what you think will be really good for you.




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Wednesday 10 August 2011

three Tips To Improve Your Piano Playing

By Andy Penbram


Here are some simple yet simple tips to help to learn pianoif you're a newbie or intermediate level piano player.

Practice Regularly

It is really vital to practice each single day.Regular piano practice can become tough work especially for kids, this will regularly lead straight to a decline in interest when older. For the adult student however the goals are not the same and having a yearning to learn the piano will keep virtually all folk going and make practice more interesting.The most important point about daily practice is that it will reinforce your muscles and will get your fingers and your brain conversing with one another more efficiently.After a couple of days you'll get accustomed to playing and you won't need to think about it so much. You will find it much harder to play after you've had 1 or 2 days off from practicing.

Make yourself practical targets

If you can set yourself one or two practical goals for your piano learning then you'll definitely find how to advance a good deal quicker. Make yourself 1 or 2 long-term goals and a few short term goals. Dominating a selected piece, tune or just a chord sequence would be a good example of a short term goal. Repeat the piece many times every day till the time comes that you are happy with it. You may set one of your long-term goals as reaching a fixed level of playing for example or to reach a level where you could accompany another musician. The setting of goals does not necessarily have to include time boundaries and cut off dates but it may help.

You will make Mistakes - Be careful not to let it concern you

Keep in mind that you'll doubtless make a few mistakes and screw ups when you are practicing and even if you perform, don't let this get to you, simply focus on getting through the piece and making it flow. It is far more effective to give a fluid performance with only one or two mistakes and mess ups than a technically perfect yet dry and cold performance. Its not important to stop when you make a boo boo simply carry on playing. Remember if you can the place you made a blunder so that if you continue making the same mistake frequently then you need to do some additional practice on that part until you can play it with no issues. If you do not worry about your mistakes they'll either cease to exist on their own or they'll become so apparent by showing up time after time that you will have to handle them. These suggestions should make it faster for you to practice and will help you to become a better piano player.




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Tuesday 9 August 2011

Choosing The Best Detroit Wedding Band

By Deann Whitehead


Wedding ceremony is considered the most significant occasion for people especially for the ladies. This is day when the bride is supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Aside from the dress, the Detroit wedding band is also a required piece. It will symbolize the love between the newly married couple.

Most of the time, couples would typically go to several shops looking for the best wedding ring there is. This is beneficial since they can make thorough comparisons of the products available in the market. This is one great way for them to find a pair that will be most ideal for them. However, these couples need to know the important things they should bear in mind.

Since it can be expected that these couples wanted only the best for their ceremony, they should check their skin tone before choosing a pair of rings. They will be confronted with numerous styles so it is important that they choose the most suitable for their skin type.

Diamond and gold are the traditional and most common jewelry used in weddings. It is no longer applicable to just stick to these two options. Although there are individuals who can wear these, there are also individuals who are not suitable for diamond and gold. Below are some techniques for people to find the most suitable ring for them.

The skin tone can be determine through examining the veins on the arms. Warm and cool are the two type of skin tones. People with warm skin tones are known to have green veins. It the veins are blue, then the person has a cool skin tone.

The most ideal rings for those with warm skin tone are those created from whiter metals such as platinum, palladium, and white gold.

Additionally, they can also pick the style of rings depending on the natural color of their eyes. Those with green, blue, or gray eyes should pick ring that are dark-colored. Those with black, brown, or hazel eyes should go for light-colored rings.

In the past, people would always perceive that expensive rings are way better. However, this is not necessarily true. In order to get hold of the perfect Detroit wedding band, it is required to check if it is suitable for the couple who will be wearing them. This will turn out to be the most ideal for them. Read more about: detroit wedding band




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Monday 8 August 2011

American Idol Step 10 of 10 To Increase Your Chances Of Getting On The Show

By Dennis Duncan




Step 10 in increasing your chances of getting on any vocal reality show should be that you need to learn how to make eye contact and sell the song and the experience.

One of THE MOST important skills you need to master is eye contact. If you are uncomfortable making eye contact in general you'll need to overcome that fear. Otherwise, the judges will notice your lack of confidence. Great artists know how to connect with their audience.

To help you overcome your fear, a good practice is to lock into the eyes of the person you are engaging in conversation. Stare them down. You can actually make it a game and see how long it takes them to start feeling uncomfortable and look the other way. Eye contact is the cornerstone to an artists' confidence. Think about this. If you go to a concert or meet your favorite artist, wouldn't you feel more engaged with the artist if he or she notices you and looks you directly in the eyes? I believe you would. When you are performing your song, don't just stare uncomfortably into outer space. Deliver your song to the audience, the judges! Sell them. Convince them you've lived the song you are singing. Master this skill of eye contact while performing. Even if your vocal performance may not be the best, confident eye contact could make the difference in you getting to the next round!

Here is a quick story about eye contact. When I was performing showcases for record labels, oftentimes the room would be full of men. Imagine singing a love song to that audience. Sheesh! If you are a male singer, then this is uncomfortable to say the least. I eventually overcame the discomfort and turned it into one of my new weapons. What I found out was that the more I stared them down, the more uncomfortable THEY became. I had just flipped the script on them. What I demonstrated to them was that I wasn't scared; I was willing to sing to them any song, of any subject, to convince them that I had what it takes to become a recording artist. Not sure what they thought but it worked for me.

That wraps our series of ten tips on how to audition for American Idol for this month. Be sure to check out our YouTube Channel-My Idol Time for plenty of videos that will give you the edge to get on your favorite vocal reality show!




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Sunday 7 August 2011

The Importance Of A Professional-Looking Logo Design For Your Business

By Mark Cutler


If you own a business, the first visual representation that you want and need to make for yourself is a compelling logo. The design of this logo is therefore one that needs to be top notch for it to serve its purpose.

This is true for the sign you will put above your office as well as for the world wide web. This is why you will need to consider all the things that go into making a good logo design for it is not an easy task either.

The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to designing the logo is the fact that the logo must be corresponding to the message that the company would like to convey to the masses. If the logo does not paint a clear picture about what the company is about then it is not a good logo.

One other quality that a logo cannot lack is uniqueness. There is really no point in having your logo look too similar to a competitor's logo because you will basically be doing their advertisement for them.

As mentioned before, having a good logo is the first step to bring you closer to being a brand entity that has a following. Investing in a professional logo designer is therefore a very good idea for your business or if you have the skills then you can do it yourself.

If you are not knowledgeable in logo design however there is no doubt that you should hire a professional designer.

Keep it in mind that once you choose to go with a logo you will probably never change it again because changing it means losing clients that you already have as well.

Some businesses go for the complex looking logos because they assume these will have a more impressive impact on people but the truth is, the simpler it is the easier to remember it will be.




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Saturday 6 August 2011

Get Your Tips On Choosing A Piano

By Pete Malcolm


This article is meant to provide certain tips on choosing a piano for the novice buyer of such a classic instrument. These music making items are a true conversation piece in any room of the house and are crafted with not just function but form in mind, meant to complement almost any decor and look. Shopping for such a piece can be challenging, and it is important to keep certain things in mind. Below, we are going to tell you more on this topic.

Any type of a purchase of this magnitude is not exactly small money, so it is important to ensure that the buyer gets value for their cash. For this reason, it is paramount that the buyer tries out the instrument before purchasing it and make sure that all the keys are equally as responsive to the touch.

Many people may choose to go to a professional outlet and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Retailers offering brand new instruments will offer many different models and many options when it comes to the finish styles and color of the new unit, ensuring the greatest possible range of looks for a new instrument.

Another great reason for choosing such a professional store is that there will be many perks along with the purchase. For example, buying brand new means that this instrument is in its best condition, comes with a comprehensive warranty, and can be assured to last for generations to come. Along with this, most outlets will also offer the buyer a complementary tuning.

For the more budget conscious, many retail outlets also have trade in options for used items. Such used instruments are reconditioned and sold at a discount, often with a complementary tuning as well as a dealer's warranty. These used units make a great first buy for a novice shopper as they will provide a good value for the money spent.

Some consumers may be looking for an exceptionally inexpensive deal and may elect to purchase such an item privately. In fact, some of these privately sold instruments can come at a very low price and are a real option when it comes to purchasing such an item. However, there are a few things to keep in mind about shopping from private persons as opposed to dealing with a professional retail outlet.

It is still vital that the buyer try out the instrument before buying it and that means traveling extra miles to get to the seller's house. There are, obviously, no real choices in the finish or the color of the piece as it will be sold as is.

Purchasing such an instrument is not a choice to be taken lightly as it is a long term investment that, when taken care of, can properly last for decades. For this reason it is very important to keep these tips on choosing a piano in mind when buying such an instrument. There is no reason why such a purchase will not turn into an acquisition that may become a family tradition and heirloom lasting for decades and may be even longer than that down the line.




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Friday 5 August 2011

Mastering The Piano

By Andy Penbram


Here is some information for any beginner piano player who would like to move onto more advanced piano lessons and truly master the piano or keyboards. This will be a trip from amateurs level passing through intermediate and advanced levels until ultimately arriving at true master piano player level. On this trail there are sadly too many students who never make it past the first most principal beginners level.

The first levels of piano or keyboard playing can be grouped into two separate kinds, folks who learn how to read music and those that learn how to play by ear without music. The beginner piano player who learns to read music will initially learn to find all the notes on the keyboard and associate them with the written notes on the musical staff. Straightforward melodies can then be performed by interpreting the music. The player who learns how to play by ear will also find out how to locate the notes on the keyboard and might even learn a few basic chords at this time also.

With each one of the notes learned the beginner can now go forward onto an intermediate phase. This will usually comprise learning how to play a couple more difficult pieces for the pianist who is learning to read music. This could comprise reading off 2 staves and playing with both hands at the same time. Essential chord progressions and rhythms using both hands at once is what awaits the student who is learning to play by ear.

At the more advanced levels of playing the music reader will need to learn some fairly hard pieces which will stretch their talents and physically bolster the fingers and the coordination. The scholar who has chosen to play by ear will by this time be playing melodies integrated into the chord progressions. It's going to be very probable that at this level they are going to be able to play most tunes that they hear and to also discover the chords with little effort.

To advance on to master level the 2 different systems of learning are sometimes combined. Playing by ear and reading music both come naturally to the true master. Each one of the 2 strategies have their benefits and disadvantages. Many players who have learned how to read music will become technically particularly talented but might lack expression and emotion. The opposite can be thought for the scholar who learns to play only by ear, they might find it tough to be more technical and will lack the discipline that makes the student who has learned to read music. There should be no problem for the genuine master to be well placed to read music and play by ear in the same way.

There are many home study programs available for download for amateur and intermediate students that will help you move onto the more advanced levels of playing. The best thing about these courses is that they have video and audio files so you can be taught as if you had a piano teacher right there in your place.

Most significant of all however is that almost all the best programs will teach you how to read music and the way to play by ear at the same time. Being taught like this you'll have the foundation to move ahead onto far higher levels and will have the advantages of the 2 techniques of learning direct from the start




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Thursday 4 August 2011

African Drums - Rhythm You Can Feel!

By Claudia Kasen


The rhythm of African drums truly gets to you "you cannot ignore it: it can get your toes drumming and you feel drawn in by the strong, resonating beat and characteristic sound of these traditional instruments that have endured for centuries and are still well-liked internationally. Their influence has spread to several nations, most clearly the Caribbean, the West Indies and Latin America.

Perhaps one of the reasons they are so amazingly hot is that they do not require you to be well placed to read music or have great musical talent: if you have got a sense of rhythm you can love playing these drums for ages. In spite of their primitive simplicity: they're so basic; goblet formed, made generally of hardwood with goatskin stretched OTT; they have an enduring appeal and are played widely even today.

There are many firms which focus on the construction and distribution of these fantastic instruments and you will have no Problems in finding a source for them. Among the premiere brands are Remo, Tiger, Kambala, Toca and Meinl. Some African drums are now made in manmade materials, but if you can get your hands on a real drum, made in Africa, even though it is sort of old, don't hesitate to purchase it, as you will have a treasure in your possession.

Go to virtually any African village and you are probably going to hear somebody playing African drums, generally with an audience of 1 or 2 children gathered around, with some listening and others dancing carelessly to the inspiring rhythm. There are authentic videos posted on You Tube, picturing just such scenes. You may hear them being played in bars in Jamaica or in cities and hamlets in Nicaragua or Brazil. When you have the drum in your possession, it is prepared to be played and the more that you play it, the more at ease you'll be with the instrument. Play a chunk of suitable music on a CD and accompany the music with the drum. You'll find inexhaustible techniques of easy entertainment for hours.

The most widely known African drums are the djembe drum, djun djun, bougarabou, gadzo, conga and kpanlogo but there are others and they have all played an important role in African culture and faith for decades. They're used at weddings, funerals, to celebrate births, in ritual dances, at the installation of chiefs and in many ceremonies. To Africans they are an essential part of life and an irreplaceable accompaniment in the numerous events associated with African culture. Check out the many sites dedicated to these drums and consider purchasing one or more for yourself: you'll own history and be linked to the oldest customs in the world.




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Wednesday 3 August 2011

Learn Piano At Home On Your Computer

By Andy Penbram


Up until just recently the sole way to really learn piano was to go to a teacher for piano lessons. The lessons would typically be roughly an hour long and you would go to lessons regularly. You can nowadays download entire piano courses off the web which will teach you the right way to play the piano from a total starter level and will lead you right up to a high intermediate level all on your own without needing to see a regular private piano teacher.

These courses consist of a collection of sound and video files with examples of what you have got to be playing and the way to play it. There's a complete printable manual with its own lessons professionally laid out and an entire array of little exercises and pieces to learn how to play.

This technique of being taught has a good deal of benefits over standard piano classes, for instance, you do not need to turn up for your lesson without fail each week, you can have your lessons whenever you like..In addition you are not tethered to a certain lesson. As soon as you are ready for the subsequent lesson or the following stage then you can press on whenever you are prepared or contrarily if you're experiencing difficulty with a specific lesson then you can simply spend longer on it.

With the computer it can on occasions be a touch tough to read the music or the lessons off the computer screen simply because it can be tricky to position the computer screen over the piano as you would a piece of music, (unless you have an ipad naturally). For that reason I find it more helpful to print the lesson I'm going to be practicing on and use this version on the piano just as I'd a piano book or sheet music.

A further beneficial benefit of playing with the PC close by is the facility to record yourself. You'll be most likely shocked when you play back what you thought was a modest performance of your exercises or set pieces but this is a nice thing because it lets you put into perspective how far you've come and how far you have to go to learn piano and become a skillful player.

You might also want to consider playing some pieces that aren't part of the programme you are learning with. Aside from giving you the chance to play some pieces of your own choice this could also expand your suppleness on the keyboards. You will easily be able to get to an intermediate level of playing by employing a distance learning course and generally they are a superb way for anyone to learn piano by themselves.




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Tuesday 2 August 2011

Benefits of Portable Music Devices like the iPad 2

By Andrew Carrie Landwater


If you are hesitant to take part in an ipad2 giveaway, you might want to think about the benefits you could receive if you won. Here we will look at some of the benefits of having a music device such as an ipad in the modern world. You will see that there is no reason to not try and win a free music device as long as the contest is trustworthy.

One of the great things about having a music device is that it can make bus rides much more enjoyable. If you have to get to work on the bus every morning, sometimes you are just too tired to have conversations with strangers or even to read your book. In these instances, having something available to listen to can give you a great mental boost!

If you are feeling sad, this can also be a negative experience. Anything can trigger sadness and sometimes we do not even know why we are so sad. Having music available can help you with the sadness. You do not need to listen to happy music necessarily; you may want to just listen to sad songs in order to feel better. Either way, it is good to have a collection of songs that are both happy and sad so that you can decide what you want to hear.

It is a good idea to have various things on your portable music device. You probably want to have something relaxing so that when you feel stressed, you can relax yourself with the soothing effects of music. You also want something more up-beat so that if you are walking or jogging, you can have something that keeps your spirits lifted. You also want to have your favorite songs, whatever genre they may be in.

There are many benefits to having music with you, as you can see. It not only helps you relate to other people, but it helps you to relate to yourself. This is why many people enter contests like the iPad 2 giveaway in order to try and win one of these devices for free. Even if you have to pay for it, it can be a wonderful investment because of all the joy it will bring you.




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Monday 1 August 2011

Car Speaker Guide

By Brad McKenly


For more years then I can recollect, I've been associated with car audio. Though the car companies have really enhanced their stock sound in recent times, they nonetheless aren't able to reach the quality made available by after market car audio equipment.

Over the years, one topic which is constantly discussed is what are the best cheap car speakers in the marketplace. Honestly speaking, it is obvious that the answer is purely subjective and according to one's relationship with a particular car speaker brand.

In real life it could be extremely rare if a sales person at any time supported something different then a brand name he / she individually offers as being the greatest vehicle audio speakers. Though sales agents could are exposed to a range of brands, their objective for suggesting any kind of given vehicle speaker must be suspicious given that their sale is his / her origin of income. This is why it's great to record the results of the unofficial review based on numerous years of reviews and ideas from actual customers of various brand names of car audio and video audio speakers.

This attracts nearly all among the finest ways of evaluating functionality of a typical speaker in real life surroundings of car audio and video. All of us listen to very often in regards to a customer which adored the audio speakers inside the show room after which became cautious of them once they had been positioned in his / her car. Our study outcomes reveal the emotions of users following every day use over intervals of a few months in addition to years.

Our survey has built All downhill loudspeakers to become one of the most preferred vehicle loudspeakers available on the market. Individuals loudspeakers are faves among serious vehicle audio fanatics additionally to individuals a new comer to the hobby of vehicle audio. To become judged best vehicle loudspeakers, the loudspeakers considered should be good at creating good seem quality when performed whatsoever energy levels. Frequently certain makes of vehicle loudspeakers will often lose decent seem quality when performed at greater levels.

This normally will disqualify them from becoming evaluated among the finest. It's also excellent to utilize an individual questionnaire simply because clearly this might reveal a speaker's use whenever driven by a common radio as well as through numerous power amps utilized in lots of automobiles.




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