Non-Music Courses That Can Help Your Music Career

Sociology
Sociology is essentially the study or how people behave in groups. Why is this useful? Well, this means you'll have a stronger understanding of the dynamics that take place within an office, a band, or a group of fans. Understanding how people think, behave, and make decisions when they are in a group of people, can help you understand how to market to teens that often value the opinions of their peers. It can help you understand how to effectively take the lead on a group project, or make sure every contributor gets a chance to be heard. Of course, I'm not saying any one sociology class will give you all the answers, but it will give you clearer understanding of group behaviors and tools for working with groups in the future.

Psychology
Like sociology, psychology classes can help you understand the way people's minds work. It's a great skill to have in general, but especially when it comes to working with creative people. There are several areas of psychology that deal with everything from personality to addictions. Some psychology classes will even combine marketing and psychology and allow you to learn the psychology aspects of advertising and communication. These courses teach the psychology of marketing and study, for example, why we tune out certain advertisements, how to appeal to certain personality traits, and how men and women view things differently.

Physics
In a way, a music performance or recording is just a beautiful demonstration of many aspects of physics. Physics determines where to place a microphone, how to build an instrument, and how the sound reaches you when you see your favorite performer. Physics is responsible for the sound of your voice and the fact that microphones actually work. So, it can certainly help to understand how all of this works. If your school happens to offer a course in acoustics, that should be especially helpful. On a similar note, if you're really interested in recording, it also may not hurt to take a few electrical engineering classes to learn how wires, circuits, and all of the gear you work with functions.

Communications
Sure, there are obvious communications courses to take that deal with broadcasting, press releases, and radio. These of course will be beneficial, but they are not the only ones you can take. Every job requires an ability to communicate on some level and courses in public speaking, writing, broadcasting, and related subjects can help you gain confidence and experience in skills that relate to every job and industry.

Any Business Class
Obviously you know the music industry is a business, so it seems reasonable to that taking at least basic classes in marketing, economics, finance, etc. can help you out. However, these skills aren't just important to those who actually want to work on the business side of things. Business skills like marketing, negotiation, sales, and pricing are good for musicians, producers, engineers, and other creators to know. It allows you to maintain some independence and helps you look out for yourself when it comes to signing contracts or making decisions for your career.

Katie is the creator of Intern Like a Rockstar, a music industry career blog that provides information about career options, job and internship openings, how to find a job, how to network, etc. To find out more about how to break into the music industry visit http://www.internlikearockstar.com/.

Learn more about Katie at http://www.katiereilly.net/

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Organ Playing: How to Play Widor's Toccata?

Toccata for organ from the 5th symphony by Charles-Marie Widor is one of the most popular organ works, second only to Bach's D minor toccata. Rapid tempo, perpetual toccata figuration and splendid harmonies make it a perfect piece for recital, postlude, or wedding recessional. It is a dream for many organists to be able to play this piece. In this article, I will give you tips on playing Widor's toccata on the organ.

Practice on the piano. Since this toccata requires a fairly well-developed piano technique, I suggest you practice this piece on the piano. If you play it on the piano, you will soon notice any uneven notes. Try to work on making all notes sound even and precise. The more you practice this piece on the piano, the more comfortable it will be to play it on the organ.

Do not rush. Practice this piece in a slow tempo because it is easy to play it too fast. If you play it in a fast tempo, chances are that the notes will sound sloppy and your playing will lack precision and clarity. Even after you master this toccata and perform it in public, take a rather moderate tempo. By playing too fast, it is a high risk of missing important structural and harmonic elements. In fact, Widor himself criticized organists, who play this piece too fast.

Observe precise staccato articulation. When playing the sixteenth-note figuration, try to achieve the precise staccato. Many organists miss this important point and slur the notes which in a rapid tempo and vast acoustical space will lack clarity. The eighth notes in the other hand should also be played staccato. The best way to perform staccato in a French tradition is by shortening the notes by a half, e.g. by playing sixteenth notes and making sixteenth note rests.

Option: play one octave lower. If you perform this piece on the organ which has screamy and high-pitched mixtures and very few 8' foundation stops in the manuals, you can play it one octave lower without the 16' stops. Playing this way will give your organ more gravity and the mixture sound will not be as screamy. This toccata is especially suited for such a trick because the left hand never goes below tenor C.

Play scales in double thirds and sixths on the piano. As you probably are aware, this toccata requires to have a fairly advanced piano technique. This means, that your fingers must have the necessary dexterity, evenness, and independence. One of the best ways to achieve such a skill is by regularly practicing scales in double thirds and sixths on the piano. In order to successfully master such scales in all major and minor keys, you will have to use finger substitution technique to achieve a perfect legato.

If you follow my suggestions and practice this toccata in a slow tempo, observing a precise staccato on the piano, and develop your technique by playing scales in double thirds and sixths, you can successfully master this wonderful composition. Just be patient, have your goal in mind, stick to your plan and your performance level of this toccata will become much higher.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide "How to Master Any Organ Composition" http://www.organduo.lt/organ-tutorial.html in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music.

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The Importance of Scales In Music

The phrase "Always do you Scales" for me conjures up images of cranky old music teachers who were desirous that I learn old music that they wanted to teach, and that I would have to spend years doing exactly that before I could really get into the cool stuff! Not so, as far as I am concerned. It is, in my view, possible to learn the cool music right from the off. After all what's the point in learning music if it isn't fun? And how are you supposed to do a piece of music justice when you perform it if you don't enjoy playing it.

In my world, whatever keeps you playing is good to play! And, I would add, that whatever enhances your playing is good enhancement! This is where scales come in and this is where scales can be fun. For every song that you learn always learn the relevant scale. This will help you master the song faster and see how the song itself works and is constructed. There is no need to overload yourself with technical exercises, but just enough to help loosen up your fingers and get them moving in the same that they are required to do so for your relevant song.

That hardly seems so bad now, does it? But let me explain to you a little further about some of the other enormous benefits that will come your way as a bonus. Just remember, that all of music is made up of scales. The American National anthem, for example, is a major arpeggio in reverse; the English National anthem, to give you another, contains a run that just goes up the first five notes of a major scale; Rock and Roll progressions are made up of dominant 7 arpeggios; the theme tune to Eastenders involves just going up a major scale; the soundtrack to this... the hymn that does this... I could go on with examples all night!

What I am trying to explain is that there aren't that many scales but there are a heck of a lot of songs and a ton of music out there. If you know how to play your scales, you will have a head start on how to play any song whatsoever. As I said before all melodies are derived form scales, so it follows that if you know the scale you'll be able to play the song more often than not, straight away!

By learning the relevant scale for whatever song you are learning you will gradually build up a database in your mind of notes and combinations of notes, as well as strengthening your fingers. What is more, you can make the scales fun and even more useful, by mixing up the patterns and rhythms. For example, play a scale with a shuffle feel to help you with blues and jazz melodies. Or, perhaps, experiment, with different pick strokes so that you become more versatile with your picking hand. Or, when playing with other students of music, practice the scales at different intervals so that you can get used to harmonizing.

Of course, if you just practice your scales by reading them out of a scales handbook you will find them quite dull. Instead, try and commit them to memory and then the real fun begins. There is no limit to what you can do with them, experiment and even try writing your own melodies. See where the scales can take you and how important to your musical development they can be.

For More Lessons and Musical Advice Visit http://www.guitar4free.com/

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Making the Most Out of Practicing: The Five Coin Trick

A Practice Game: 5-Coin Trick

The "art" of practicing is truly an art. How many teachers simply tell a student to "go home and play a difficult passage twenty times!"? But, HOW are we supposed to practice?

Here's a game that I use for students (all sizes and ages) where the mind is taken off the number of times a passage is played. What I usually tell a student is to choose a passage that needs "solidifying." Pick a metronome speed (yes, your metronome IS your friend) that's comfortable. Then begin the game.

1. Pick anywhere from 5 to 10 objects (coins, pieces of candy that don't roll around, rocks, etc). With this game, I tell young students to get the money or candy from the parent so when the practice session is done, they get to keep (or eat) their reward!

2. Place at least 5 of the objects in the "neutral zone." The neutral zone is in the middle (table, chair, the top of an instrument case, music stand, on the piano, etc.)

3. There are three zones:

"I messed up!" zone (to the left),"Neutral" zone (in the middle) and,"I played it right" zone (to the right)

4. OBJECT OF THE GAME is to get ALL the objects to the "I played it right" zone.

5. NOTE: if the passage needs lots of work, use more than five objects!

6. RULES of the game:

You CANNOT have items in BOTH the "I played it right" and "I played it wrong" zones.Objects can only be in TWO zones at a time. The "neutral" zone is one of them.

7. Play through the passage a few times to determine the best metronome speed with the least amount of mistakes.

8. Start with ALL the objects in the neutral zone.

9. Play the passage. Was it played correctly (both notes and rhythms)? If so, move an object to the right ("I played it right" zone).

10. If the passage is played incorrectly, an object is moved to the left ("I played it wrong" zone).

11. Remember that objects can only be in two zones: "Neutral" and "I played it right" or "neutral" and "I played it wrong" zones.

If a passage is played CORRECTLY and there are objects in the "I played it wrong" zone, move an object from the left to the "neutral" zone.If a passage is played INCORRECTLY and there are objects in the "I played it right" zone, move an object from the right back to the "neutral" zone.If a passage is played CORRECTLY and there are objects in the "neutral" and "I played it right" zones, another object is moved to the right.If a passage is played INCORRECTLY and there are objects in the "neutral" and "I played it wrong" zones, another object is moved to the left.

12. Play the game until ALL the objects are in the "I played it right" zone. After they are all to the right, play the passage ONE MORE TIME. If a mistake is made on the final turn, an item has to be moved back to the "neutral" zone. It will take two more correct performances to get all the objects back in the "I played it right" zone.

13. Upon completion of this game, either move the metronome up ONE notch and start all over or move onto another passage. To keep from being frustrated, make sure the metronome speed is set to assure success. The key point with this game is to "cement" the fingerings (and/or rhythms) into the hands and mind. This cannot be done without repetitive practice!

Now, go practice! And parents, kids should get to keep the coins or eat the candy.

Del Hungerford is a professional musician and educator in the Pacific Northwest. She's been a member of professional orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as teaching in the public schools. Currently, she teaches education courses and clarinet lessons at the university level. She holds a D.M.A. in clarinet from the University of Washington. For more information on Del's musical activities, check out her blog: http://delhungerfordmusicstudio.blogspot.com/

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Resuming Organ Playing After a Long Break - 4 Tips

Many organists after playing the organ for some years for various reasons stop practicing. They quit playing because of the changes in their lives, such as moving to a different area, starting a family, finding a new job etc. All of this contribute to the lack of time, motivation, practice instrument and a person simply does not continue playing the organ. However, even after many years of silence he or she can feel the renewed interest in the organ. In this article, I will give you 4 tips on how to resume organ playing after a long break.

1) Do not practice for long periods of time at first. Although you might have used to play the organ for several hours a day, I do not recommend you jump in and resume the practice in the same way. You have to realize that while your motivation and interest in the organ might be the same as 10, 20, or 30 years ago, your stamina is not. In addition, your body might not like sitting in the same position for hours. Therefore, I think it is best to expose yourself to organ playing gradually.

Start practicing with just 30 minutes a day. This way you will avoid overexertion which is not very healthy. The most important thing about your practice is that it should be regular. You will achieve more if you practice for 30 minutes every day than for 3 hours just once a week. Of course, with experience you can practice for an hour or even longer but especially long practice sessions should be avoided.

2) Choose easy pieces first. Although after resuming organ playing you might have plans to learn your favorite technically advanced organ pieces, you should be aware of your current technical abilities. Remember that after years without practicing organ your level is not the same anymore. Just because you might have played and learned some advanced level pieces years ago does not mean you will be able to play similar ones right away. Therefore, I suggest you do not pick up your organ practice where you left in the past. Instead, play some shorter and easier compositions at first.

These could be works with thin texture, slower tempo, simple melodic lines and rhythms and long note-values in the pedal part or even manualiter works (without the pedal). Especially suited for this purpose are 8 little preludes and fugues, BWV 553-560 formerly attributed to J.S. Bach, some easier chorale preludes from the Orgelbuchlein, the Neumeister chorales, chorale preludes by J. Brahms, slow movements from Mendelssohn sonatas, pieces from L'Organiste by C.Franck, "Practical Organist" by A. Guilmant and other works.

3) Have a goal in mind. In order to resume organ practice successfully, you must also have a dream. This is what keeps you practicing in the first place. Without this goal, it will be difficult for you to learn the pieces that you choose. Instead of focusing on your goal, you might play many different compositions without ever learning them. However, if you truly want to improve your organ playing, having a goal in mind will greatly facilitate your progress.

4) Make a practice schedule. I have noticed from my personal experience that a detailed step-by-step plan is essential in any kind of undertaking. This plan is precisely what helps your dream become a reality. Your plan might include steps in mastering any particular piece that you like. Once you have your plan, create a practice schedule for fulfilling your plan. Be very precise and indicate specific time of the day which you will use for practicing organ.

Your practice time might be the same for every day of the week or you can reserve different times for different days. Whatever you choose, make it constant. Then all you have to do is to stick to your plan and follow your schedule diligently.

Of course, adhering to my suggestions will require some willpower but if you truly want to practice for many years, you will not regret it.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide "How to Master Any Organ Composition" http://www.organduo.lt/organ-tutorial.html in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music.

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What Are the 7 Benefits of Organ Improvisation?

If you have ever seen or heard skilled organ improvisers creating real music on the spot, you were most likely dazzled by their seemingly supernatural abilities. After such an encounter many people have a strong desire to start learning improvisation themselves. Before teaching yourself the art of organ improvisation, it is crucial that you understand these 7 benefits that improvisation can give to the organist.

1) You can learn to create your own music like composers do. It is very satisfying to be able to compose music. Since improvisation is composition on the spot, you will learn all the tools needed to compose your own music.

2) You will develop the ability to think musically. Since every composition consists of various elements of music (melody, rhythm, harmony, and many others), by creating your own music it will be possible for you to recognize these elements in other compositions which leads to musical thinking.

3) By teaching yourself organ improvisation you will develop creativity. All of us were very created in our childhood but through the years this ability often diminishes because of various reasons. Since improvisation is an inherently creative process, it will greatly enhance your creative capabilities.

4) Improvisation can help you to become a complete musician. The art of improvisation involves also mastering such areas as organ technique, registration, repertoire, piano technique, ear training, music theory, figured bass, harmony, musical form, counterpoint, fugue, music composition and others. Therefore, your musical education will be complete.

5) Improvisation will enhance your worship playing. If you are a church organist, the ability to improvise will be a great help to your service playing. There are plenty of opportunities to improvise during liturgical services and organist who has acquired this skill has many advantages than the organist who never tried to improvise.

6) Listeners love improvisations during recitals. If you have listened to the performance of a good improviser, you know how audience appreciates the organists who can improvise. The listeners are simply in awe of such abilities and skills to create music on the spot which sounds like a real composed and written-out composition.

7) Improvisation can propel your organ playing technique to the next level. In order to excel in improvisation you must also gradually develop the technical ability to express your musical ideas. In other words, you have to be able to play fluently all the different technical details, like scales, modes, arpeggios, and chords of all kinds. Therefore, a skilled improviser is fully equipped technically to play even the most advanced organ music effortlessly with precision and clarity.

Have you ever tried to create your own music on the organ? Although the art of improvisation might be very complex to fully master it, the basics are quite simple. You will be surprised at how easy it is to start learning to improvise. The best way to proceed is to get a good organ improvisation textbook and start making your music today.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide "How to Master Any Organ Composition" http://www.organduo.lt/organ-tutorial.html in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music.

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Today's Paradigm and the Working Musician

Basically we all live in a paradigm that started with dialogue. When you were a baby and learned your first words the paradigm began. You know how your internal dialogue is constantly going during your waking hours? Well that is because this reality is based on those words. (I know, do not get too excited. I am not going space cadet on you. Just relax.) Those words make up this paradigm. We all are in agreement as to what those words mean and represent. For instance a car is a car to me and the same to you. However, if you took some kind of recorder and recorded your thoughts all day and then replayed those thoughts to someone else here is what would happen. Most of the thoughts would be in line with the other person's beliefs. Some though would be outside of what that person is thinking on a day to day basis. The thoughts that are within the same way of thinking are the basis of today's paradigm, or reality. Those that are outside of the other person's thinking are yours and belong to a personal paradigm. That personal paradigm is influenced by some degree, great or small, by the paradigm at large.

Here's what that does to us. Depending on how much we desire to belong to today's world, how much we desire to be popular or accepted, our actions are proportionately influenced. Without getting lost in this entire psychology let me explain what happens to the musician. He is caught up in a very weird state of affairs.

Besides self-preservation, most of our actions are motivated by four main issues. Those four motivators are food, sex, money, and acceptance. I know most musicians have noticed how the other sex is attracted to the performer, and money is good, but for the musician the main motivator is acceptance. He is driven and influenced by his desire to be accepted by music fans and other musicians. Because of the over whelming power of the existing paradigm the musician does not do what it takes to build a more powerful paradigm. You see, instead of buying into the prevailing paradigm and just self destructing, the musician can build a paradigm that the world buys into. You can be crazy as a bed bug and the world will love it, but you have to have a foundation that allows you to be crazy as a bed bug and build a big business. You see once a musician sells out to the world view of what a musician should be he is confronted by the absolute shallowness of the whole affair. The world is fickle. And the musician seeing this after many years feels there is no recourse, so he gives the world what they seem to be wanting. And that is self destruction. Ever notice how the musician goes down in flames as the world applauds? It does not have to be that way. You can create a paradigm that is structured in a way that actually profits from what the world seems to be wanting and at the same time grows stronger because of the set of rules it is guided by. And as it grows stronger it profits more, the world buys into it more, and it grows even stronger still.

Here is the starting point: You have to understand the paradigm that is world today. Here is my view on that. This is my view and I am not a professional in these matters. If you are a psychologist then you would have a field day if I let you play with my brain for a day. I learned to treat the paradigm in one way in order to build my own paradigm another way. The way I treat the paradigm is this. Everyone you know or will ever meet is just a kid who is in the third grade on the school playground. All social interactions today are based on this dynamic. Good business is not. But bad business practices are on this level. If you truly understand what I just wrote you will go a long way in your relationships in the world today. You see on the playground there were bullies, those being bullied, and those just trying to stay out of the way. You may be dealing today with someone who was bullied a great deal and is trying to overcome that feeling of helplessness that is still guiding and influencing his decisions today. Love everyone where they are, but try and understand that there is an underlying dynamic that you may be caught up in and have very little control over. You only have two options, now or anytime. You can take action, or you can walk away.

However the trick is to bring that person's dynamic into your own paradigm. You can do this with other musicians, band members, fans, and club owners. You have to understand the dynamic going on at the time. But first you have to make your paradigm yours and the stronger. And because you have been given a paradigm, much like a download in a computer, by your parents, friends, relatives, teachers, and the world at large, you have a great deal of work ahead of you. But it is worth the effort. Trust me.

Changing the paradigm.

You are what you think. However, and more important, you are what you believe. That belief is influenced in one of two ways. Positively in relationship to our wants, needs, and more important goals. Or negatively in the same areas. You have in your mind two very powerful guardians waiting to be called upon. And these guardians are dedicated to the job of letting you have what you really believe. If today you believe negatively then the negative guardian comes forth and protects that belief. If today you believe positively then the positive guardian comes forth and protects that belief. They do not judge right or wrong. They only protect that belief at all costs. And they are very, very good at their job.

"Today is a lousy day. I do not feel like practicing." Up comes the negative guardian and does a wonderful job of giving you what you asked for. And it works in the opposite way as well. You must sell out to this fact. It is a fact and you must learn to control your thoughts.

Roy Gene Horne is a songwriter, musician, performer with over 30 years professional experience. He has written hundreds of songs, recorded, performed, booked, managed, and fronted his own band for all of those years. His music can be heard at http://www.littleroygene.com/. Little Roy Gene Blues Blog at http://www.littleroygene.blogspot.com/

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If You Enjoy Being Able to Listen to Music for Free, Wouldn't You Love to Make Your Own Beats!

I am a music producer. I enjoy listening to music all of the time, and I absolutely love internet radio websites that allow you to listen to music for free, such as Pandora or Slacker; and even though those sites are free to us, the listener, those sites are certainly paid for and supported by the ads that are played periodically while you and I enjoy.

Now, while I tend to frequent the internet radio sites just to hear an unedited, continuous stream of music that I ultimately control, I also tend to listen frequently so that I can hear what's new and what's hot in the streets. I have discovered a plethora of new music just by listening to sites like Pandora or Slacker on a daily basis, and for sure, keeping up with the hottest new music and staying current has helped me to stay on top of my A game with my own music productions.

What Does This Have to do With Anything?

Now, you may be asking yourself, "What does listening to internet radio stations have to do with absolutely anything concerning making beats?" Well, listening to those sites on a frequent basis has a number of things to do with making beats, things such as follows:

Internet radio stations do not tend to follow a preset format like your traditional broadcast stations, meaning that you won't typically hear the same 5 songs every hour on the hour. Instead, you pick the artists that you like, and you'll continuously hear songs from that artist, and songs from other artists that are either associated with the artist that you chose, or within the same genre of music. Now, if you like a particular artist, more than likely you will like the style of music that they do, and you will probably like to incorporate some of that style and flavor into your own productions.

Less Interruption, More Focus

Therefore, if you're listening to these artists on internet radio, in an uninhibited manner, you will be better able to listen and tune into what is going on within the music, and you will also see that most of these artists and producers, regardless of who you listen to, they generally follow a pattern, or a formula of sorts within their music and productions. If you're a newbie to making beats or music production, I encourage you to take a thorough listen to any of the internet radio sites, pick an artist that you really like, and then sit down and listen.

You will then see that their sound and instrument selection is generally the same, the topics that they sing or rap about are generally the same, the song arrangements are generally the same. If you do this for about an hour or two, you will have the formula necessary to make radio ready, chart topping music and beats at your disposal. Trust me, this works!

Helps you to Keep Your Stacks on Deck

And it saves you money as well, because singles on itunes will typically run you about $.99 - 1.29. And again, the radio broadcast stations are filled with everything that you've already heard before a thousand times over. So if you don't already have an itunes playlist loaded with thousands of songs, I believe that listening to internet radio would be the next best thing to get your beat making study on. I have used this technique for years, and it has worked very well for my production needs. Try it out for yourself!

Christian Tisby is a 7 year veteran music producer, who proudly advocates the use of software music production tools and gear. Software production gear greatly benefits any producer, whether newbie or seasoned, allow technology to work in your favor! Visit my website http://www.betterbeatsahead.com/ for more information.

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What Makes Led Zeppelin's John Bonham Irreplaceable

John Bonham is Led Zeppelin's drummer. No one has replaced him until now. He died in 1980. His son Jason had taken his place on the drums during the band's tribute performance for Ahmet Ertegun last 2007. The young Bonham's presence in that reunion concert led to fan's speculation on a new Led Zeppelin, but was not materialized.

During the early stage of the group in 1968, Robert Plant recommended John Bonham to Jimmy Page. Soon as Page heard John Bonham play, he had persistently pursued him to join in his then newly formed band. Bonham had a regular gig and had several offers when Page wooed him, so that his acceptance was not easily obtained. Bonham was quoted to have said "I had so much to consider before I joined Led Zeppelin. It wasn't a question of who had the best prospects, but which was going to do the right kind of stuff.

Prior to his recruitment, John Bonham had the chance to perform with Robert Plant in "Band with Joy" plus some knowledge about "The Yardbirds" to which Page belonged. He must have known in which mix of group he could play his best. Eventually, he accepted Page' offer. From then on, Bonham was the esteemed drummer of Led Zeppelin that even his death could not convince the surviving Led Zeppelin to replace him with a new one. The band opted instead to disband.

Bonham was quoted as having said "I can't say how long Led Zeppelin will last, but we'll go on for as long as we can." Bonham did not know that Led Zeppelin had rested as a group when he was laid to his final rest.

So what makes Bonham irreplaceable as Led Zeppelin's drummer?

Jimmy Page was reported as having said in an interview "There's never been anybody since. He's one of the greatest drummers that ever lived - John was the greatest rock drummer ever, as far as I'm concerned."

John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin's bassist and keyboardist said of Bonham "John was rock solid and because drummers and bass players have to work so closely together you soon get to recognize each other's ability. You soon know if you've got a duffer onboard."

Jones description of his working partnership with Bonham is even more kind of intimate. There was an understanding and anticipation of each other's move. Jones said "With Bonzo (referring to John Bonham) and I, we just listened to each other rather than look at each other and we knew immediately because we were so solid. From the first count in we were absolutely together."

Lastly, Robert Plant may have looked for the qualities of Bonham in some aspiring drummers that he had been quoted to have said "Bonzo was the main part of the band. He was the man who made whatever Page and I wrote basically work, by what he held back, by what he didn't do to the tempos. I don't think there's anyone in the world who could replace him."

There you have it, folks. His band mates have said it all.

Looking for Led Zeppelin T-shirts for cheap? Find lots of band T-shirts at Alt-Shirts.com.

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DubTurbo Review: From a Real Customer

Hello, I am writing this article since there are many people want to get some real information about DubTurbo but what they have found was mostly hype and from people who have never tried it. Before I purchased a copy of DubTurbo, I was just like you. I even did a research carefully to make sure that what I was going to buy was worth my money. Those are the reasons why I decided to write my own article to give my personal thought about this music production software. I hope that you will understand this product before you buy it. I will write down the three most asked questions and the answer for each below.

1. Is DubTurbo a fraud?

The answer is "NO." DubTurbo really offers all the functions and the tools that you may find on the official home page. It has a thousand sounds of different instruments for you to choose. It comes with step-by-step video tutorials that teach us how to use DubTurbo as well as how to make beats hotter and faster. DubTurbo is compatible with Mac and PC. It works both offline and online. I have to say that everything on the official page is right about DubTurbo.

2. Is DubTurbo Good Enough?

When it comes to the quality, is DubTurbo good enough? This is a difficult question. If you are satisfied with the product, it is good, if you are not, then it is not good enough. The problem here is that people are different. Each person has his or her own point of view. To professional artists, who are earning around $500.000 a year, their answers to this question may be "No." However, for beginners, intermediate and post-intermediate users, this software is perfect for them since the interface is very easy to navigate. Anyway, if someone says "No" or "Yes" to DubTurbo, it does not mean you will be like him or her. The truth is most people who buy this software are satisfied, that includes me.

3. Should I Buy DubTurbo?

The answer to this question is up to you. Just read all the features of DubTurbo on its homepage. If you need those features, just get a copy. There is a 60-day refund policy. It states that they will give you a full refund without asking a question if you are not satisfied with their product. Therefore, there is no risk to try DubTurbo in 60 days. With this amount of time, you will be able to explore all the features of DubTurbo to to make sure that it is right for you.

You may read some actual customer feedback here:

DubTurbo Review

For Powerful Tools that can help you make awesome loops and surprise your friends, please also visit this page:

Make Rap Beat

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Choose the Best Trumpet Straight Mute

Every trumpet player knows a great mute is going to make your playing sound stellar. But how do you choose the best mute for your type of playing? Let's look at what mutes are and the types that are available. Trumpet mutes are devices which are placed inside the instrument, or are hung or clipped on to the bell in order to alter the sound. They are made from copper, brass aluminum, plastic, wood and sometimes cardboard. There are three main types of trumpet mutes, the straight mute, the cup mute and the wa-wa branded as a Harmon mute. You will want to purchase one of each especially if you are going to be playing in a band or orchestra. But we will focus on the straight mute in this article.

Many different manufacturers offer some great straight mutes, they are Bach, Denis Wick, Jo Ral, Tom Crown, Leblanc Vacchiano and Yamaha. It is very important to try them and listen carefully to the sometimes subtle and other times very different sound which each one produces. Since the straight mute generally makes the trumpet sound more metallic and or nasally, especially when playing loud, you will want to find a quiet room in order to carefully listen for the differences. Each will have unique blowing resistance and tone color. If the ensemble you perform in prefers a specific manufacturer, then it's best to go with that one. It might be a good idea to ask your trumpet teacher or band leader for their preference. Since mutes make distinct sounds, as a section all of the trumpets should be playing on the same brand for the ideal sound quality.

If I may make a few recommendations of straight mutes which I have played on for many years. The Jo Ral company offers a great straight mute. The 1C is made of spun aluminum and has a copper bottom. They also offer brass bottoms for a slightly warmer and darker sound. Both will give you excellent tonal quality resulting in a near-perfect intonation. But let me interject a word about intonation. Any mute usually will make the trumpet go sharp. You must adjust by pulling out the tuning slide enough to make yourself play in tune while using a mute. With that said Jo Ral offers many styles of straight mutes and a complete line of other types of mutes, all of which can make your trumpet playing and that of your section sound professional.

My second recommendation is the Denis Wick straight mute. Using high purity spun aluminum Scotchbrite finish for a silver brilliant look. This mute offers a bright sound and excellent intonation and projection. The Denis Wick company offers a complete line of straight mutes with variations on the shape with bottoms available in aluminum, copper, or brass designs. They also offer every type of mute for the trumpet.

I know investing in a high quality trumpet is important to sound good and help you play in tune. The same goes for a straight mute or any mute for that matter. Because you cannot perform well on a poor quality trumpet or mute. No one is going to the rehearsal having just ripped out the upstairs plumbing to save a few bucks and now will try to perform the Hummel Concerto. Although I bet Malcolm McNab could probably do it. What sounds good to you may sound awful to someone else. So make an informed decision and don't be cheep. It is true that you get what you pay for. Challenge your ears to what sounds best. Listen to professional recordings of the top trumpeters in the world and train your ears to that sound. Try imitating that sound and settle for nothing less. You won't go wrong doing that. When it comes to music, if you haven't noticed yet, everyone is an authority, so they have told me. You decide what you like and let others make their choice.

David Kocman is a musician and composer who brings his thirty plus years of experience to teaching other students and musicians. You can checkout his website at Trumpe mute where he describes the simplest way to choose the best trumpet mute for your playing style.

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Is Experimental Music a Useful Term?

Experimental music to me can be anything from something slightly apart from the predictable to music that may not even resemble music at all. And there are many creative music makers that describe themselves quite happily as being experimental. While others object to the term, claiming it is too broad and actually undermines the musical product they have created.

Experimental tends to be a label that is put on artists that stray from the norms in music. Perhaps their musical style does not follow the familiar formulas that make up a particular genre such as jazz or pop music. Perhaps the structure of their pop song does not follow the normal verse chorus and bridge structure. As a music and spoken word artist, a chorus may not even occur in one of my songs. So my music feels right to be classified as experimental. And as I am not interested in duplicating what has already been done, this feels suitable for me as well as fitting for my artistic approach and intentions.

But I do know of composers and performers of what would be considered as more creative music who do not like this term. Perhaps rightly, they feel it is just too broad and does not really define what they are doing. Also, deriving from the word experiment, it implies that their music is somehow unfinished or incomplete. The term experimental music here is understood more literally as the music being described as an experiment. Hence insinuating that the musical outcome is merely the product of some exploration and trying something out, rather than grounded in musical knowledge, craft and creativity. So experimental here is almost a derogatory term to describe music that has not arrived yet, it is still becoming. Again, I do not really have a problem with this description or interpretation and would champion the role of a few musicians to try to explore and discover new musical ground and voices. It is however understandable that some creative music makers may find this judgement patronising and critical of their music.

Ultimately, like with any label, category or genre classification the term experimental music is somewhat vague and perhaps even misleading. A lot of very popular and accessible music can entail very experimental elements and approaches. One only has to look at the Beatles for evidence of this. But one does have to define one's creative music approach and style and for me experimental feels appropriate, honest and hopefully intriguing.

Caro is an independent producer and performer of experimental music that often features music and spoken word. Bringing together many genres in one track, she is often accused of being experimental and innovative.

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The Hills Are Alive With the Sounds of Music

You have just been watching the BRITS and seen Adele and Ed Sheeran pick up two awards apiece, and now you are wondering, "how can I become a singer?". This is a different question to how can you become a star or famous, etc. First of all, you must decide what sort of singer you want to be. You will already know there are many types of singers and genres of music from which to choose.

First consider what sort of voice you have, and what you want to do with it. At the end of the day, singing should be about enjoyment. There is no point in deciding on opera if you have no interest in that particular art form. Similarly, if hymns are not your thing, do not go for a church choir. The choices are endless and you should not necessarily limit yourself until you have tried out a few. Maybe you could give karaoke a try if modern music interests you. This allows you to not only try out different types of songs, but more importantly, you can get feedback from the audience.

If you are truly bent on becoming a singer, then you certainly ought to consider having lessons. Whether you are nine or ninety years old, you can still benefit from lessons. A teacher will help you develop your voice, keep your instrument in top form and advise you on what can be the best style for you. All of the top singers in the world, male and female, still have singing lessons and voice coaching on a regular basis, in some cases daily.

You will find the details of voice and singing coaches either in your local business, or telephone directory, as well as on the Internet. Call a few of them. Even arrange an initial interview with them. It is important you get on smoothly or have a rapport, as this is the only way they can manage to get the best from you. Consequently, it is how you will get the best from your voice.

As we all know, it is a great feeling to sing, and an even better one if you can perform well in front of other people. Seize the day and act now so that when the music awards come around again next year, you do not ask, "how can I become a singer?" but instead be able to say, "I am a singer".

If you cannot find a coach on your own, we provide the best info on finding the best singing coaches. We also answer your questions about how to become a professional singer or how to become a great singer for free. Visit our website through these links for further details.

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Perfect, High Performance and Quality Brand Without a Doubt!

Rega products are just awesome. They offer high performance and high quality products. What is more, this is the only maker to develop the unique new disc operating system. With the advent of technology and Internet things have become much easier these days. You can use Rega amplifiers to enhance the quality of sound. It increases the sound quality to a great extent. Due to ever increasing computer processing power and memory fabrication, this brand knows each and everything. For this very reason they keep on coming up with the range of new products from time to time. If you really want to enjoy your favourite music then you must use their products. You will get an excellent musical performance. The best part of the products of this brand is that they offer greater musical performance. For e.g.: their latest offering new chip set contains over 20MB of memory with 32 bit digital signal processing capacity.

They are made using special techniques and also lot of hard work goes into the products. For the most part, this brand is in market for over 32 years of experience. Without a shred of doubt, they are one of the specialist Hi Fi manufacturing producing units. All the products possess special features. They also offer a lot of advantages. First and foremost, it technically corrects levels of real frame. In the making of the products high quality suitable materials used all the way through. Unique bearing present in the products offer high levels of rigidity. What is more, exclusive anti skate contrivance provide ample power whereas presenting no bearing resistance. The most important feature of all the products is that bespoke manufactured wiring is used all the way through. As a result, you get ultimate performance. So, what you are waiting for? Hit an online or an offline store and buy the products right now! Get them right away!

This brand also offers Signature range of reference products. Rega P9 turntable and Alpheta MC Phono cartridge belongs to this signature range. You get amazing results from a phono pre amplifier. On the other hand, this is little pricey. But you need not worry, as there are other cheap products offered by this brand offering superior performance. When all is said and done, the products are worth every single penny. All the products are housed in a good compressed extruded aluminum case. It also has launched a brand new CD player for the fans of this brand. This CD player is known as Apollo. They are definitely a quality brand. This is visible in all their products also.

Browse all the latest products on a lot of related websites. Get all the information related to the prices from the websites.

Buy a product as per your need and preference. Go online right now! Get it right away! If you really want to make a purchase of Rega online, then you need to log onto the website http://www.lintone.co.uk/.

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Spinning Through Time

In many ways, the role of disc jockeys or DJs has not changed in the last fifty years, but in others the new breed are unrecognisable from their predecessors. It was back in the days of Radio Luxembourg that the name disc jockey became part of the popular vocabulary.

Thousands of British kids went to bed at night with their portable radios secreted under the bed-covers, so they could listen to the likes of Simon Dee, Tommy Vance, and Noel Edmunds. They were playing the kind of modern music that the BBC was not. Many would say that this was the biggest contributor to the birth of Pirate Radio.

With the birth of Radio Caroline and Radio London, based on ships moored off the Essex coast, the term DJ came into its own. The likes of Jonny Walker, Dave Lee Travis and Emperor Rosko became household names. Not only were they broadcasting "pop" music twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, but they were engaging with their listeners.

The success of these modern-day pirates was directly responsible for the modernising of the BBC and the introduction of Radios One and Two. It was a memorable day in September 1967, when Tony Blackburn became the first "jock" to take to the airways of a national radio station catering solely for the younger generation.

There is of course another side to the story of the disc jockey, and that is the live performances. With the birth of rock and roll in the mid fifties, the concept of people playing records instead of live music really took off. Thousands of kids would flock to the dance halls and clubs every week to listen to their favourite music from the USA - Bill Haley, Elvis Presley and the others.

Before long, the DJ was established as THE source of entertainment. Even today, he or she is the preferred choice to provide the music at clubs, weddings, parties and any other social gathering. The mobile disco still does the rounds, providing hours of popular music guaranteed to get everybody up and dancing.

The modern-day disc jockeys are a different breed altogether. They no longer just play the music. Nowadays they make the music. Many of them release highly successful albums of their innovative sounds and mixes in genres such as Garage, House and Hardcore. They also feature on many singles alongside top singers and rappers. It has recently been reported that vinyl records are making a comeback; so it seems the DJ is here to stay.

Disc jockeys are so popular now that there are always ads of dj wanted. Get the scoops as fast as they come in on these links, and become the best dj ever!

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Play Saxophone Like the Pros

Although it's one of the quickest instruments to initially pick up, learning to play saxophone like a pro - or even a highly developed student - is a whole other matter.

Developing Your Saxophone Tone

Ask just about any awesome sax player, and they'll tell you that the most crucial area that a saxophone player must pay attention to is the quality of their sound. Of all the wind instruments around, the saxophone brings with it the greatest variety of sonic options. Take Stan Getz in contrast to Lenny Pickett, for example.

Here are three things that you can do to boost the quality of your saxophone tone:

* Practice overtones. If you finger a low Bb but blow into the horn as though you were going to play a middle Bb, you'll see that the middle Bb comes out sounding much larger and louder. Try to make the middle Bb fingering sound as large as the low Bb fingering. Take the exercise up in half steps as far as you can go, using palm key fingerings once you get to middle D as your bottom note. Don't move your embouchure to get the overtone notes to come out. Take into consideration how your throat would be if you were singing those overtone notes, and have your ear guide your throat to the proper position.

* Keep the bottom lip rolled out enough so that the fleshiest part is touching the reed.

* Play with the "EE" vowel sound on your mind. This will keep your throat unobstructed.

Developing Great Saxophone Technique

Though the term "technique" can apply to any aspect of playing an instrument, for the majority of musicians, technique signifies the capability to play high-speed successions of notes cleanly and clearly.

To play with excellent technique, here are several things you can do:

* Focus on scales and arpeggios in one key at a time. It's more effective to perfect a scale in one key than it is to be able to play through all twelve keys ungracefully.

* Work on hearing the music you're playing, and not what your fingers are doing.

* Make certain that there's no stiffness in your neck. Stiffness in your neck triggers stiffness in your shoulders, which leads to stiffness in the arms, hands, and fingers.

Working on Saxophone Articulation

Articulation denotes the method in which we start and stop notes. We use articulation to give the melody shape and texture,. Without it, you end up with what sounds like "robot music."

Here are some tips to help you better your articulation on the saxophone:

* Don't tongue the very tip of the reed, but rather touch with the tip of your tongue the point just past the tip of the reed. You can also go about half an inch to an inch back on your tongue if that's more intuitive for you.

* Move the tongue up towards the reed and down away from the reed. Articulating by moving the tongue back and forth should be avoided.

Putting it All Together

Learning how to play like a pro is not something that automatically happens merely because you have a great saxophone teacher or because you read a great saxophone book.

Ultimately, the end goal is to cultivate a keen ear so that, in your mind, you develop a very clear picture of what you'd like to sound like. This means listening to the best saxophone players throughout history, and practicing with focus. Remember, when it comes to practicing, it's not about the quantity of hours you practice, but really, it's about the quality of your practice time.

Doron is the creater of Bulletproof Saxophone Playing - a program that helps you take your saxophone playing to a whole new level. If you take the actions recommended in this comprehensive and inspiring course, you'll play better than you over thought possible.

Highly acclaimed by some of the top players in the saxophone world (including Rob Wilkerson, lead alto in the Michael Buble band), the program features a 70-page e-book and audio interviews with Rick Margitza, Walt Weiskopf, Dr. David Demsey, and others.

http://www.bulletproofsaxophoneplaying.com/

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What Makes Experimental Music Experimental?

As an independent creative music producer and performer, I am often accused of being experimental. And this label feels quite appropriate and comfortable for me to describe my creativity is largely channeled through music and the spoken word. But this oft used term can be very broad and vague. What does the term experimental actually mean? And what constitutes experimental music?

Within and amidst most if not all of the many genres and sub genres of music, there is an experimental approach, style and strand that at least a few artists are responsible for. These somewhat more maverick music makers, music players or composers can therefore tend to adhere to a musical style up to a certain extent. But then they will deviate from the norms of approaching, composing and performing that style or genre of music. For example, an experimental jazz saxophonist will still play with in the confines of the a particular jazz style with recognisable phrasing and harmonic progressions. But he or she may then add an element that is outside of the traditional formulas for this style - perhaps adding a different harmony or disharmony to their instrument playing.

Modern and contemporary classical music from the earlier twentieth century was considered very experimental when composers started to add more dissonance, new harmonic progressions and instrument combinations to their orchestral scores. Debussy, Stravinsky and Arvo Paert composed very experimental music for their time. Even the instruments themselves can be toyed with to open up the possibilities of tone and timbre. For example, one can play with the sounds of a piano by adding objects to or altering the strings within the instrument to give what is called a 'prepared piano' sound. Experimental composer Hauschka uses this a lot and can bring out a much more percussive piano sound that hardly resembles the instrument as we know usually it.

Music is usually constructed of a few basic elements. These are melody, harmony, rhythm and tempo (how fast or slow the music is to be played). Experimental music would tend to play with these elements in a fresh and perhaps new way. The key to being experimental seems to be to surprise the listener. The predictable does not usually take place and safe patterns are disrupted, even if slightly. Electronic experimental outfit Boards of Canada have their signature style of bending the pitch on most melodies they compose, rendering their music sweet but also slightly warped or wayward. And of course silence is part of music too - the gaps between the notes and sounds can be considered just as important as the notes or beats themselves. John Cage tried to make this point with his highly experimental score call 4 minutes and 33 seconds which is in fact scored silence.

Experimental musicians can also mix up genres. One can hear this in the early dubstep or grime music as the influences of techno, dub and ambient music were apparent. As an artist that toys with conventions by bringing together lots of music genres including juxtaposing music and the spoken word. Essentially for me, being experimental means making music that surprises and brings the listener into a more personal voice that is hopefully interesting and refreshing to discover. There is usually a pattern in there, though it may not be so obvious to feel at first.

Caro is a composer and performer of experimental music bringing together music and the spoken word with references to the classical, pop and electronic music worlds. Her latest independent album 'Til You're No Longer Blinkered' is currently being remixed by electronic musicians from UK, US and Europe.

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How Do I Find Song Lyrics?

It's happened to all of us at one time or another. You're singing along to a favourite song (albeit off key and quietly so as not to offend the neighbours) and you get to the one line in the song you just hum along to or skip over because you don't know the words to it. Or maybe you're like me and you just make them up as required.

Either way, wouldn't it be nice to know them with certainty so you can sing them aloud? It's easy to find most lyrics but some require a bit more digging and some sites are much better than others. Just as in searching for anything else there are a few general things to consider before you begin.

I've found two effective ways to find lyrics and dozens of ineffective ways (that I won't disclose here). If you're the pioneer type of individual, just type in the lyrics that you do know -or a portion thereof- into the search engine of your choice. It helps to use "quotation marks" or add the phrase 'song lyrics' to your words to help the search engine. Within seconds you will have a staggering amount of responses to wade through, most of which are of little or no value.

If you're like most folks and you don't mind other people doing some of the trail blazing for you, then I have included a short review of some of the larger sites and what to expect there. Don't expect to find a single source that has all answers for every occasion. Searching for song lyrics is just as much of peck and pray operation as most other searches on the net.

Lyrics.com - This site has a huge library but the suggested answers are very bare bones indeed and if you don't know the song's title you are going to have significant challenges. If you know the songs title you can expect to find the lyrics here.

Songlyrics.com - Another site with a large library but you will have to be prepared to sift through a lot of irrelevant responses to your lyrics. Has the potential to work well if you know the songs title and preferably the recording artist as well.

Findmeatune.com - This site is not blessed with the largest library, nor the most astute search engine. It does offer a unique feature that is sure to get some people's attention. Basically, if you know the suggested song title is not a proper match for your lyrics you are encouraged to enter the correct information to upgrade the data base. Sort of a 'wikilyrica' tool.

Lyster.com - This site is quite limited in comparison to some of the other more robust sites and it requires a bit more 'digging' than most. Suitable for the most popular tunes but then again, what site isn't?

Lyricfinder.corg - It proclaims that it will settle arguments between you and your friends regarding song lyrics. That's a stretch as it's really just a Google powered redirect site where you are given several topical responses before dissolving into the same unrelated search term laden crap sites that Google searches are so famous for.

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What Rock Musicians Have the Coolest Guitars?

The Coolest Guitars Are in the Hands of the Hottest Stars

Rock stars have a certain flair and nowhere is this more apparent than when looking at some of the coolest guitars used by rock guitarists. Some musicians are known for one particular guitar while others are known as collectors who may have many unique and interesting axes.

Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick
Rick Nielson is said to own over 2000 guitars, many of which are unique custom designs. One guitar nicknamed Uncle Dick is a double-necked axe in the shape of a man complete with head and feet. Uncle Dick was featured on the cover of the Cheap Trick album Next Position Please. Nielson also has a guitar painted with the faces of The Beatles, a guitar with five necks and many guitars featuring his signature checkerboard pattern.

Prince
Another guitarist known for a wide array of guitars is Prince. He often plays a Schecter Diamond Series Cloud Guitar which he made famous when he used one in the film Purple Rain, but he also plays a variety of other guitars, including one shaped like the symbol he temporarily took as his name. The symbol is now known as "Love Symbol #2."

George Lynch of Dokken and Lynch Mob
With guitars sporting names like Flame Boy and Skulls & Snakes, George Lynch has one of the most flamboyant guitar collections in rock and roll. The Dokken axe master has a penchant for ESP guitars and has them painted with everything from tiger stripes to flaming skulls. Lynch understands showmanship is a big part of the show and his guitars certainly reflect this. His best known guitar, known as Mom, features a skull and bones design.

Dimebag Darrell Abbott of Pantera and Damageplan
The late Dimebag Darrell was well-known for his amazing collection of guitars. One of his most famous was the Dixie Rebel, a Dean guitar adorned with a Confederate flag design. Dean Zelinsky, founder of Dean guitars, has said that Abbott's love of Dean guitars is one of the biggest reasons for the brand's continued success. With a fondness for the Dean ML model, Dimebag played several Dean guitars which he gave names such as Razorback and Dime-o-Flame.

Michael Schenker of UFO, Scorpions and Michael Schenker Group
No one in rock music is more closely associated with the Flying V guitar than Michael Schenker. The German guitar god has a large collection of V-shaped axes, most of which adhere to a black and white color scheme. Even the popular Flame V is designed in black and white with black flames on a white background up top and a mirror image on the bottom half with the colors inverted. Schenker clearly understands that understatement can be cool.

Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen is another well-known guitarist with an impressive collection of guitars. Though his most recognizable design is probably the random white stripes on red that many of his Kramer guitars sport, he has many other memorable axes in his six-string stash. From a bright yellow Charvel Hydra to an Ernie Ball EVH Ying Yang design, Eddie Van Halen has a wide-ranging assortment of guitars. Still, the best known axe associated with the band Van Halen may well be former bassist Michael Anthony's Jack Daniels bass guitar.

The coolest guitars often belong, not surprisingly, to the coolest rock stars. These guitarists definitely have a handle on cool and their guitars certainly prove it. More impressive than the look of the axes, however, is these rockers ability to play.

Rock Artist Studios sell custom guitar bodies, waterslides decals, electric guitar pickguards, in the UK.

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How To Buy Beats And Make A Profit

If you want to be in the music business as an independent artist or a major artist you or your representation will have to pay for beat licenses. The problem here is that you might not know where to begin. There are so many options and you may feel that you must have a perfect beat for the perfect price or else your career is in trouble. What is a non exclusive license? What is an exclusive license? What are exclusive rights? Which one should you choose depends on what you are willing to spend and if you can realistically cover those costs. If you can't make that money back in then some you may feel as if you wasted your time and money.

To make matters worse, you as artist may feel that if you lease a beat and someone else has it that could jeopardize you in some way. This is not the case and you need to stop thinking like a listener at this point. You are the artist and they are the listeners who came to hear and buy your music. They came for you first and the beat second. Some producers who have similar tastes in music sample the same records from time to time. When we hear another producer use the same sample as another one, we as listeners don't complain. Everyone has their own style that is what makes music so great. If you want to last and have longevity in the music business you must stop thinking that every beat created should only be for one artist only.

You've got to understand that this is business where money is made. If you can't pay for a beat that you want to make money with, a producer will not settle for you. He will keep shopping it regardless even if you do get your hands on the beat.

So what do you do about this? You have to know what your options are when you are seeking non-profit beats or to buy beats. If you are just looking for beats to put on a mix tape for promotional use, you can get as many free beats or downloads as long as you get the permission. Some producers require that you give them credit or else your use is not valid. You can get a non exclusive license where you are renting out the beat for a limited amount of time or limited amount of profitable action (selling the songs, getting paid to perform that song, etc).

Exclusive licenses allow you to be the only one to use that beat for a set period of time with exclusive privileges. These are typically used when a major record is released. The producer and artist both see residual income from this kind of license. An exclusive rights contract is typically a work for hire contract where a producer gives up his copyright to you in full and you own everything. Indies typically seek these kinds of contracts frequently. If you can't afford what a producer charges for that kind of contract it's best to just get a license to use the beats and work your way up financially if buying out a copyright is your ultimate goal.

Of course if you are online selling your image you must know how to promote yourself effectively without breaking the bank even further. One thing you need to know that you need to get a lot of website traffic all the time to your page. An easy way to cover your costs if you buy a non exclusive license to a beat is to make a website or blog for yourself and put content on it about yourself. It can be a biography or electronic press kit. Then go to Google and sign up for Google ad-sense so that you can make money from impressions and clicks. Focus on getting direct traffic using free methods first before you try to pay for advertising as that can get real expensive quick. If you are dedicated and able to get thousands of targeted visitors coming to your site everyday the advertising money earned from Google ad-sense will ad up quick and you would have made your money back before even selling a song. Now place a newsletter sign up form on your site and start building a fan mailing list. Once you get that going send your fans back to your blog where the ad-sense is located when you have something free and cool to show them. This will create repeat visits which will mean residual income for you meanwhile you can still send promotions to them so that they can buy your music and merchandise. After that buying beats should not be a problem.

If you enjoyed reading this informative article about buying beats and would like to try a free downloadable beat visit the link below!

http://klaritytracks.com/vault/seriousfreedownload-2

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The Art of Scales

Scales are a necessary part of playing any musical instrument well. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but lack of playing scales and arpeggios results in poor technique. Like a body builder lifting weights, scales are "weights" for musicians. For every musician who desires good technical prowess, scales are a necessity. Scale practice is NOT limited to classical musicians! The question is... Do you want to get better? If so, then start a regiment of scale practice!

To practice scales, here are a few tips:

Scales make up a good chunk of most music. If you practice scales "musically" minded, they will sound better when you actually play them in real music.
Part of the goal in practicing scales is to try and make every note sound the same. Each note should have good tone quality. Listen carefully to "how" each note sounds.
Always start slow. It's better to practice slow and accurate than fast and sloppy.
Slur! The reason for this is that finger "blips" will not show up when "articulating." This is the same for arpeggios. For wind players, connect the notes together by NOT tonguing. For other instruments, how smooth can you play?
One octave scales are best for tone practice. Set the metronome to quarter equals 60.
Play two-octave scales to build technique. Practice at least two octaves at a speed that's comfortable with the hands.
ALWAYS play scales and arpeggios with a metronome. It does not lie about tempos. Choose a speed that you can play with ALL the scales you know. In other words, don't change the metronome for each scale. Pick the speed for your slowest scale and play all scales at THAT tempo!
For scales (and arpeggios) that you are just learning, you may start without the metronome (whew!). Get the fingerings cemented into the hands. Once you can play them at a steady (but slow) speed, you may THEN add the metronome.
When practicing new scales, "work" them separately from already learned scales. Once the new scales are at the same speed as the other scales, add them into the scale warm-up routine.
OH yeah... please don't be afraid of the scales with lots of sharps and flats. The only reason that they are hard is because we don't practice them enough. The more you practice, the better they will get!
The goal is to eventually play all twelve major scales (and ultimately minors) at the SAME steady speed.
Keep hands relaxed and fingers close to the instrument. The general rule of thumb is to not increase the metronome speed until fingers can stay relaxed through all scales.
For other warm-ups and etudes, have a specific warm-up routine that involves areas that YOU need to work on.
The basic warm-up routine should consist of long tones, tone studies, scales, arpeggios, articulation exercises, and possibly etudes (or other technical exercises).
Consider adding sight reading into the warm-up. This will help with rhythm and learning music quicker.

Are you a rock or pop musician? If so, you can learn to play scales without reading music. Scales are meant to increase your technical ability. If you know the basics of building a scale, you can do it by ear. However, the same rules apply in that you MUST practice slowly and accurately and with a metronome.

Happy Practicing!

Del Hungerford is a professional musician and educator in the Pacific Northwest. She's been a member of professional orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as teaching in the public schools. Currently, she teaches education courses and clarinet lessons at the university level. She holds a D.M.A. in clarinet from the University of Washington. For more information on Del's musical activities, check out her blog: http://delhungerfordmusicstudio.blogspot.com/

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The Best Way to Learn to Play Lead Guitar

An important step in every aspiring guitarist's life is when they realize that in order to improve they will need to learn to play some lead guitar. At a certain point simply learning your favorite rock songs just is not enough, you want to learn to play lead and sound like your favorite guitarists. Learning to play lead guitar takes a lot of practice and dedication, but remember that every guitarist had to go through this learning curve. Below I will discuss three important components that are needed to learn to play lead guitar.

The first step towards learning lead guitar is to learn some scales. Now there are thousands of scales that need to learned, but in the beginning just focus on the pentatonic scale. This is the most commonly used scale in rock and other styles of music and is probably the easiest to learn. There are five basic patterns and you should practice all five for at least 10-20 minutes a day until you can perform them without having to think about the pattern or look at your fret board. Start with the first pattern in a key and then when that is learned move on to the next pattern. When I first learned them I practiced one scale pattern a week for five weeks and haven't had to worry about them since.

The second step is to get a good tab book of some of your favorite solo's and begin to pick them out by ear. Make sure you have a decent recording of the solo and start with a few of the licks you really like. This process will really improve your playing. You will want to make sure you note what scale pattern is being used for each lick and how they are played. You could also look into getting a dictionary of rock or blues or jazz licks. I personally do not like them, but I have used them before. The more licks you can learn the better.

Lastly, you need to begin practicing the art of improvisation. Spend about 10 minutes or maybe 20 minutes of you practice session jamming to your favorite songs. You will want to record yourself playing along with the progression if at all possible. Another way to practice this is to create your own rhythm parts to record and then solo over it. Try to sing your solo as you play it and try to get to the point where what you sing and what you play is the same. This is probably the hardest skill to master so keep at it because it will make you a master guitarist.

You are going to want to spend about 30-45 minutes a day going through these three practice techniques I've outlined. If you keep at it you will notice a difference in your lead playing within a few weeks. You might be surprised how fast you learn to play lead guitar.

To truly understand the benefit of teaching yourself to play guitar scales you have to go out and try it yourself. I have provided access to a free 6 part series of guitar lessons which will give you in depth knowledge of how to learn to play guitar. By the end of this course you will be able to play along with a band.

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Learn to Play Keyboard or Piano Online

What if someone told you that there was a way to play the keyboard without having to commit to a regular time slot with a private teacher and that would cost you very little money?

Sounds good right!

Well with technology being so fast paced it is opening up many new opportunities for people, even if they have a busy lifestyle with little spare time.

There are many online courses with 24 hour support which can give anybody the chance to learn a new skill if they wish to do so and they can be easily set up to work around any schedule.

Most people would assume that playing the keyboard is something that a private teacher can only show you but this is not the case and many people are reaping the benefits of using online courses.

Learning online will offer you as much if not more support than a private teacher can provide because it is a 24 hour industry, plus it can be relatively a lot cheaper too.

The benefits of playing keyboard using online resources is that you can fit it in around you life, so even if you only manage two ten minute sessions per day this will prove very beneficial.

There are some great courses around that can teach you how to quickly play complete songs on piano or keyboard even if you are a complete beginner. Here's what to expect:

You will usually have a video that explains how to make use of all the course features.

Then you will be able to select a song of your choice from the course. All songs will have a step by step video that is broken down into hands separately and then hands together.

The great thing about having a video to learn from is that if you forget something then you can continue to go over this as many times as you choose.

You should also have supporting worksheets that have the music from the song written out which can be printed and to hand at any time.

The course should be carefully designed with gradual progression. You will be amazed how quickly you will be playing your first complete song.

Many courses also provide an interactive forum which means you will be part of an online community of fellow keyboard players. This can be a great place to discuss your progress and to get to know other people who have similar interests.

If you are a complete beginner looking for the easiest way to play piano or keyboard then check out these simple song lessons: Easy Keyboard Lessons.

Playing piano or keyboard is fun, but singing and playing is twice the fun. Find out how to do it here:
Play & Sing Piano.

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Top Five Jackson Five Songs Which Weren't In The Top 10

The Jackson Five/The Jacksons had a fantastic 20 year run in the music industry. This is made more incredible by the fact that the music business is very well known for producing one hit wonders. So often, an artist can be lucky to have a career that last 20 weeks, not to even think about 20 years.

From their national debut in 1969 until their final group album in 1989 The Jacksons gave us all a lot of memorable music. Most people can name their favorite mega hits from The Jackson Five, and there are plenty to choose from. But what about some of the songs that didn't manage to make it to the Top 10 on the charts?

Here are five of my favorite Jackson Five songs that aren't as well known as the mega chartbusters:

#1 All I Do Is Think Of You - this is a fantastic ballad from the "Moving Violation" album and was released as the "B" side to "Forever Came Today". It's been covered a few times since its original release and the original recording still holds up well today. It's a song of school age love from afar, dreaming of getting closer.

#2 It's Too Late To Change The Time - a haunting bittersweet song from the GIT "Get It Together" album. The song is a story of trying to hold onto love in a constantly changing world, and questioning whether the love interest will choose their ambitions for success or a loving relationship.

#3 Corner Of The Sky - this song is on the "Skywriter" album and is from the Broadway play "Pippin". The song is about the quest for individuality, success and finding meaning in ones' life. The lead vocal duties are shared by all five brothers. I like listening to this one on road trips. It just feels like a traveling song.

#4 What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You - this song is on the "Dancing Machine" album. We've all heard the saying, but this tune tells you "I can't find peace of mind in what they say". This is one of those "middle of the night hurt" songs. When you just "know" something's wrong.

#5 Through Thick And Thin - this song is on the "Joyful Jukebox Music" album. Now, I've seen people refer to this as a compilation album. I'm not sure that I buy that. It very well could have been tracks that were in the vault, but these all sound fairly contemporary with what they were doing in the final Motown years. Their voices sound like these were recorded somewhere during 1974-1976, and I lean more toward it being their delivery of a final studio album. But most refer to it as a compilation, so maybe it is. I see this song as one of the last great duets of Michael and Jermaine on a ballad with Jermaine taking the "A" section and Michael on the "B" section. A well-crafted lyric that's a pledge of devotion.

And when you strip away all of the cool sounds and fancy beats, it's important that there's still a song there. A melody that can be sang, and words with meaning. So, if you care about great songs, let Leemanuel become part of the soundtrack of your life. Take a test drive with 3 free songs at http://ez.leemanuel05.com/

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Trying Out For Singing Auditions

Singing auditions can be referred to as rehearsals or a sample of a performance. The auditions are designed to know whether you meet certain standards as a dancer, a musician, an actor, or singer among other careers. In most cases the performer is expected to do the job alone. The judges can thereafter determine your ability in the specific area for which they are carrying out the auditions. In many cases they will be done to prepare performers for a concert or a competition. The best performers are selected before moving to the next stage.

The process may be long and involved. A competition may be looking to get the best ten performers but receive a lot more than ten applications. Audition is the best way to select the people who will compete for the prize. As in any other job interview, a panel of judges will ask many questions to make sure that you meet the criteria. They do this by carrying an assessment of all those taking part. These try outs can be done for a lot of different purposes. The company could be looking for singers in shows or in long running productions.

Auditions for singers can be done to test whether the instrumentalists or the singer can cope with the change of the environment. The selection panel may require the artiste to portray the styles they want for a certain production. Usually if you are hoping to get a big part you will be heard individually, while for smaller tasks in singing the chorus, it may be done as a group. Whichever reason you are preparing for, the audition is very important.

As a singer, before you do your rendition you need to be equipped very well because the stage will be left to you. Remember that the people are watching for your style as well as delivery. Many try outs for up coming shows may be done on the national television. This requires the singer to have confidence to face a large audience. You should work as much as you can to project your voice and leave the crowd excited.

As a musician you will get a number of rejections in the pursuit of the best position, that is just the way it is. When you get the chance just take your opportunity. In the singing world stars are born and they die. New songs will come into the market daily making what was sung yesterday history. The human brain always needs newness. Change is very necessary. When performing, whether individually or as a group, be confident and have the faith in your own ability.

We provide the best info about singing auditions and singing audition. For further details please visit the provided links.

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Top 5 Buying Tips: Best Acoustic Guitars

If you are in the market for a new acoustic guitar, chances are that you are going to want one of the best acoustic guitars within your budget. The real problem is that with so many guitars available and guitar reviews to read, it can be hard to determine just which make and model is right for you. Below you will find five criteria to consider, ensuring you get one of the absolute best instrument that suits you.

1. Price Range

One rarely has unlimited resources when it comes to purchasing a new acoustic guitar. In fact, most people have to stick to a fairly strict budget. That said, you should never settle for one of the cheap acoustic guitars simply because you don't have the money available right now. Even if you have to save up for a few months, it is definitely in your best interest to purchase the one of the highest quality, best instrument that you can afford.

2. Personal Attributes

Believe it or not, physical consideration such as your size (body size, arm length, hand size, finger length), age and gender really do come into play when you are considering purchasing a new acoustic guitar. For example, larger players and those with longer fingers may be able to manage a full-sized dreadnought model, whereas younger players and those with shorter fingers may need to look at parlor sized models or ¾ sized guitars so that they are not overwhelmed by the size of their instrument.

3. Playing Style

Individual players may prefer one musical playing style over another for a variety of reasons. You should be aware of your own playing style to be sure to select one of the best acoustic guitars appropriate for your particular preference.

4. Musical Venues

For those guitarists who regularly play in public, you need to be familiar with the kinds of venues that you play in and how the sound of your guitar projects in these places before you choose your new guitar. If you are playing only for yourself or a small number of friends, this particular criterion may not be as important as for those playing in public.

5. Playing Experience

A guitarist's ability to judge the quality of a guitar tends to increase as their skills improve. If you are a beginning guitarist, you are probably not as concerned about the subtleties of your guitar as you will be after you gain some experience and expertise. This can make a difference in the quality of guitar that you seek to purchase.

Conclusion

With so many choices available it may be hard to narrow your choice down to just one guitar. But if you take these five criteria into consideration, your chances of selecting one of the best acoustic guitars in your price range will improve considerably.

Find more reviews of best acoustic guitars on my website. Suzanne Z is a guitar enthusiast who loves to write about acoustic guitars. Her guitar reviews helps thousands of musicians each day find the best acoustic guitars, for all levels of guitarists including advanced and beginner. Also get free online lessons and 100+ free, printable/downloadable chords.

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Music to Listen to While Travelling

Whenever packing to go abroad there are certain necessities I go through. Passport, toothbrush, boarding pass are all accounted for, but there is still one thing I have to have when travelling to make the time go by. Music. First it was the Walkman, then the discman and now my faithful iPod. But the music isn't just to stave off boredom, it's a sensory aide to enhance the atmosphere and provides a theme tune to your trip to remember it by.

Whenever I want to relive what it was like to travel to a certain destination, I replay the music I listened to whilst there. The earliest I remember doing this was in 2001 listening to Crowded House and Powderfinger while travelling around Australia. It was quite an apt choice for the location in hindsight.

Driving through the outback up the east coast from Melbourne to Sydney and onto Cairns was the backdrop to this music and will always be engrained in my memory.

This is why it's important to listen to music whenever you can while travelling and has become an integral part of my planning.

I think it's also important to consider the best genre of music for a certain location. When travelling to remote destinations in the countryside it's best to pick some easy-listening tunes, whilst taking a city break would be best suited to something a bit more upbeat and urban.

My friend who has recently visited India made the wise decision to listen to Talvin Singh as he travelled through the rural landscape. This contemporary take on Asian music did nothing else than to enhance his experience and, to my knowledge, he listens to it still.

I remember Damon Albarn saying in an interview on radio that he likes to listen to jazz while walking around the streets of London at night. It's unsurprising that this style of music is well accompanied with the hustle and bustle of the city.

So music can actually provide a heightened sense of the experience for travelling and should be enjoyed whenever possible. But what about travelling on the plane, the train or even driving?

When flying to Egypt, we passed over Greece on a clear evening with the sunset bouncing off the islands. By total accident I was listening Yonderboi, Sinking Slowly, which seemed to fit perfectly with the scenery and mood. A low beat ambient track that seemed to accentuate the graceful gliding of the plane over the sun kissed sea. After this I found similar tracks from Solar Fields, Carbon Based Life Forms and Boards of Canada. If anyone is flying, they should almost certainly have these tracks on their iPod.

Travelling by train or car is a different feeling though and feels more purposeful as you get a sense of speed from the passing scenery. Something a little rockier is required such as Ocean Colour Scene or Kings of Leon, which provide some very good road tripping tunes.

Do next time you're planning a trip, get your playlist together to suit the mood and location and you might find you have just created a fond memory through the medium of song!

Richard Skidmore - Online Marketing Manager

Attractiontix.co.uk - AttractionTix is the UKs leading supplier of tickets to attractions and theme parks from around the world including Disneyland tickets, Siam Park tickets, Loro Parque and PortAventura tickets.

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Easy Steps To Articulation (Tonguing) on a Wind Instrument

Articulation is a fancy word for "tonguing" on a wind instrument. Because the tongue is a muscle, it needs to be worked and trained like any muscle. It often doesn't behave in the manner that's desired because the performer isn't consistent enough in HOW exercises are practiced.

In the spirit of weight training, let's look at the tongue like a body builder does with strengthening arm muscles. He/she will do several "reps" of a certain exercise and then take a break. Doing the same thing over and over only tires the muscles. As a wind instrumentalist, you'll need to play "reps" of exercises.

Reed Instruments: articulation is accomplished by taking almost the tip of the tongue and touching it to the tip of the reed. By saying "the," this should give you an idea what part of the tongue touches the tip of the reed. Practice saying "the" as many times as possible in one breath while keeping the jaw very still.

Flute and Brass Instruments: articulation is accomplished by saying "do" just above where the top of the teeth meets the roof of the mouth. Practice saying "do" as many times as possible in one breath while keep the jaw very still.

STEP ONE: Play a note in the middle range of your instrument. Tongue position DOES change in various registers so staying in the middle register will assure that the tongue is in the easiest position for articulation to be successful. Keep jaw from moving and watch in the mirror to make sure that the embouchure stays as steady as a rock! ONLY the tongue should move. Do this until it feels comfortable on a single note. Then, add more notes.

STEP TWO: Contest time! See how many times you can tongue a note in one breath. For every four tongues, put a mark on paper. (Have a parent help with this.) Add marks up and multiply by four for a total. Try to keep the speed steady and consistent. .

STEP THREE: Once you can do this on one note, add several more notes to the game.

STEP FOUR: Next, practice ascending slow five-note scales (with a metronome set around 60) by tonguing four times on each note of the scale. If 60 is too fast, slow down the tempo. Too many notes will tire the tongue out so DON'T do full scales yet!

STEP FIVE: Continue tonguing four times per note on a five-note scale but increase the speed. When you can get up to 112 per quarter note, you're now ready to add more notes.

STEP SIX: Add full scales or ascending/descending five-note scales. Basically, double the amount of notes that you're playing to increase endurance.

STEP SEVEN: After practicing until completely comfortable with four tongues per note, you can move on to changing rhythms. Begin in the MIDDLE register of the instrument. Start with a five-note scale and add simple rhythms. Start metronome at 60 per quarter and gradually speed up as tongue muscle gets more consistent and steady.

Rhythm #1 -- Two measures of 4/4 time on ONE note: quarter - eighth, eighth - quarter - eighth, eighth.Rhythm #2 - One measure of 4/4 time on ONE note: four eighths - half.Rhythm #3 - One measure of 4/4 time on ONE note: eighth, eighth - quarter - eighth, eighth - quarter.

STEP EIGHT: Once the three rhythmic patterns are at 120 per quarter, switch to cut-time and add full scales. This then becomes regular articulation practice. Choose at least four scales per day (minimum of one-octave) and alternate between the three rhythms above as "articulation warm-up" exercises.

STEP NINE: In addition, each instrument has method books with various exercises that work the tongue. However, the key is to keep the exercises short. For example, if there is an entire page of tonguing, consider playing one line at a time with a measure of rest between each line. This will act as a "rep" in the same manner that a body builder will do so many sets of the same exercise with a break between.

A POINT TO REMEMBER: The tongue is a muscle. If you do the same thing over and over without giving it a rest, eventually it will rebel against you! This is why various repeated rhythmic patterns help build strength in the tongue muscle. Think of the various exercises as repetitions like a weight lifter does with "sets" of exercises.

Del Hungerford is a professional musician and educator in the Pacific Northwest. She's been a member of professional orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as teaching in the public schools. Currently, she teaches education courses and clarinet lessons at the university level. She holds a D.M.A. in clarinet from the University of Washington. For more information on Del's musical activities, check out her blog: http://delhungerfordmusicstudio.blogspot.com/

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