Play SAXOPHONE Like the Pros

A Selmer Bundy II Alto Saxophone.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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.

By Doron Orenstein 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 Article Source: EzineArticles

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THE BEATLES: History and Album Guide

The Beatles are almost universally regarded as the greatest act in the history of post-war popular music, and that claim is hard to deny when one considers their status as the biggest selling musical act in history, their universal critical acclaim, and the never duplicated hysteria that surrounded the band during the height of "Beatlemania" in the Sixties. The cult of the Beatles is alive and well around the world more than 40 years after the band's demise.

The Beatles wave to fans after arriving at Kennedy Airport.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The group got its start in Liverpool, in the Fifties, as a John Lennon-led skiffle band called the "Quarryman." Lennon was a rebellious Liverpool youth who had been introduced to rock and roll music from the recordings brought across the Atlantic and into Liverpool by English merchant sailors. It was from these recordings that Lennon and his generation in England were first introduced to the likes of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Little Richard, Fats Domino, and other early fathers of the music. Eager to emulate his new heroes and make a name for himself, Lennon recruited some schoolmates to join him in his new band. Members would come and go until the band settled with a lineup of Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best, a drummer.

The band changed their name to the Silver Beetles for a time and then finally settled on "The Beatles." The band acquired an avid local following in Liverpool and became a fixture at the Cavern Club, where they performed inspired sets on a regular basis. While the band was playing clubs in Hamburg, Germany, Sutcliffe fell in love with a German girl and decided to stay behind, leaving the Beatles a four man outfit. Sutcliffe would die of a brain hemorrhage at age 21 in 1962.

The group made its first recording as the backing band for singer Tony Sheridan on the single, "My Bonnie," which received airplay in Liverpool area. The popularity of this record inspired Liverpool record shop owner Brian Epstein to attend one of the Beatles' Cavern shows, and when Epstein witnessed the wild reaction of the audience, he convinced the group to take him on as their manager. Epstein convinced the band to drop drummer Pete Best from the group in favor of Ringo Starr from a rival Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. The final roster of the Beatles was set with Lennon and Harrison on guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, and Ringo Starr on drums. The group would record the moderately successful single, "Love Me Do," before the end of 1962.

Epstein then began to search for a record label to sign his band. After numerous rejections, the band was finally signed by the Parlophone label. The Beatles recorded their first album for the label, "Please Please Me," in 1963. The album was recorded in a single day, apparently to capture as close as possible the immediacy of their live shows. Although Epstein had trouble finding a U.S. label to sign the band, he managed to get the Beatles booked on the Ed Sullivan TV Show in April, 1964. New York disc jockey, Murray the K, hyped the Beatles upcoming TV appearance, setting the stage for the birth of Beatlemania. The Beatles appearance on the Sullivan show was a sensation seen by millions of Americans, and the Beatles become international superstars overnight.

The Beatles thus began an exhausting two years of near constant recording and touring. The early Beatles records were released separately in the U.S. and U.K., sometimes with different titles. For example, "Please, Please Me," the band's first U.K. album was released in the U.S. as "Meet the Beatles." The names of the albums don't matter much as everything this band recorded is essential, and any collection of Beatles music is guaranteed to be of high quality. Titles to look for from the 1964 albums are:" With the Beatles," "Twist and Shout," "A Hard Days Night," "Beatles for Sale," and "Beatles 65." The Beatles' music would soon change from light poppy love songs to darker and more introspective fare as the group attempted to expand its musical horizons.

With the release of the album, "Help" (1965), the Beatles began the process of reinventing themselves. The title track, "Help," "Yesterday," and the very Dylanesque, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," saw the group moving into previously uncharted territory. Their songs were still just as catchy, the harmonies still as sweet, but the material had become darker and more intriguing.

This artistic growth continued on the next album, "Rubber Soul" (1965), and for the next five albums. This string of albums represents the Beatles' best work and some of the best albums of popular music ever recorded. On Rubber Soul, the band begins to experiment musically with the inclusion of sitar on "Norwegian Wood," and several songs such as "Michelle," "If I Needed Someone," and "In My Life" which could easily be classified as "folk rock."

The Beatles' following studio release, "Revolver" (1966), sees the Beatles at the peak of their powers. Revolver is an astonishing collection of songs representing a myriad of styles from the art rock of "Eleanor Rigby" and "Good Day Sunshine" to the hard rock of "Taxman" and full blown psychedelic experimentation in "Tomorrow Never Knows."

The release of Revolver coincided with the band's retirement from live performances. Freed of life on the road, the Beatles would dedicate themselves to experimentation in the recording studio. With the able support of their producer, George Martin, the group would again reach new heights of creativity in the studio with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967). This album's overt experimentation was an attempt by John Lennon and Paul McCartney to outdo the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson who had raised the studio bar with his work on the Beach Boys' classic recording, "Pet Sounds," during the previous year. "Sgt. Pepper," which is often cited as the Beatles' magnum opus, is every bit as thrilling as Revolver with epic songs such as "Lovely Rita," "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite," "She's Leaving Home," and 'A Day in the Life."

The Beatles kept rolling with the double album simply titled, "The Beatles" (1968). Its unadorned, solid white cover earned it the nickname, "The White Album," among fans. The album is amazingly eclectic and contains nary a bad tune amid its myriad of tracks. Among the album's classic tunes are, "Blackbird," "Mother Nature's Son," "Revolution," "Back in The USSR," and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

In 1969, The Beatles would release their last true studio album, "Abbey Road." Group in-fighting that had lasted for several years was becoming intolerable and Paul McCartney was tiring of holding things together. McCartney would later signal the demise of the band by releasing his first solo album in 1970. Abbey Road was another brilliant effort that contained classic tracks such as "Come Together," "Here Comes the Sun," and most impressively, the medley of short, connected songs that finishes the album.

"Let It Be," which was recorded prior to Abbey Road, would be released in 1970 with the title track, "Let it Be," and Lennon's "Across the Universe" as standout tracks.

Read also the Article on Wikipedia for the Last Information.

By Brian C Westland Article Source: EzineArticles

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Do You Want Your PIANO PLAYING To Sound Terrific? Start By Reading The Menu

One of my piano students once told me that every time she begins a new piece of music, she starts by reading the menu.

Have you ever gone into an unfamiliar restaurant and simply ordered your food? Wouldn’t you first want to see what’s on the menu?

Piano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then why would you start playing a new song without paying attention to what’s on its bill of fare?

You are probably already aware of the musical ingredients (terms and expressions) but you may not be paying attention to them. If you want to sound terrific, you need to get beyond just playing the notes.

Playing the correct notes is essential for a great performance. But when you bring out the dynamics, get the tempo just right and follow the phrasing, Your piano playing will come to life!

Here is the musical menu to help you go from good to great.

• Beverages

o Clef: Normally the right hand reads treble clef and the left hand bass clef, but there are exceptions.

o Register: There is only one correct place on the keyboard for every note on the staff. Every octave on the piano has its own character.

• Appetizers

o Key Signature: You need to use this guide not only to remind you of which notes to play sharp or flat, but also so that you will know and hear the character of the scale of that key (sharp keys are usually bright; flat keys tend to be dark).

o Major or Minor Key: All key signatures can either identify major or minor keys. Be sure to know which it is. This makes a world of difference.

• Soup & Salad

o Time Signature: The biggest contrast is between duple (multiples of 2) and triple (multiples of 3). Decide which it is before you start playing.

o Tempo indication (metronome setting): Playing a song at just the right speed is essential. Too slow, it will be dull and sluggish. Too fast and it will sound rushed and can easily lead to sloppiness and mistakes.

• Entrée

o Dynamics: These are your guides for playing at just the right volume. Should this section be loud or soft? Somewhere in between? Or does the volume increase gradually (crescendo) or decrease (diminuendo)?

• Side Orders

o Expression marks: The phrase marks (curved lines) will show you where the music needs to breathe. Think of this as if you were singing or playing the clarinet. To get this effect on the piano, lift your hand off the keyboard at the end of each phrase.

o Articulation: The biggest difference is between legato (smooth & connected) and staccato (detached), but you will need to notice accented notes and much more.

• Desserts

o Lyrics, era, and genre: These can certainly help you uncover the stylistic secrets that will help you present the piece in the correct context. Whether it’s Bach or the Beatles, Scarlatti or Sinatra or something in between, you’ll know just what feeling the composition needs.

Action Exercises

Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, pick a new piece that you really want to learn. Before you start playing the notes, look for all of its menu items. Use the above list as a guide.

Second, every time you practice this piece, incorporate the first three menu ingredients as you learn the notes. Note: you’ll need to practice more slowly at the beginning as you’re learning the notes, but when you’re ready, select the most suitable speed.

Third, add polish to your playing by using the second half of the menu list as your guide to discovering the other essential musical elements.

If you want to play the piano with more expression, more expertise and more enthusiasm, always remember to start by reading the menu. You’ll have a guaranteed recipe for success, and…… You’ll be amazed at how quickly your piano playing will sound terrific!

Copyright © 2007 by Ed Mascari ed@edmascari.com

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Composer Illustrated: ARCANGELO CORELLI

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BELLY DANCE Basics

Belly dancer in Cairo, Egypt
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Oriental Dance, also known as belly dancing is one of, if not the most sensual styles of dance. It is also one of the most beneficial forms of dance there is healthwise. In addition to the great calorie burning affect of belly dancing there are other health benefits that this form of dance has become famous for over the centuries. 

Belly dance has a long and proud history dating back to the dawn of civilization. This style of dance has in its history been used as both an act of worship and an act of seduction. Not always in exclusion of the either as this form of dance is believed by some religions to be a boost for fertility of newly wedded couples. 

Belly dance is a style of dance that doesn't require participants to be in optimal physical condition in order to begin. In fact, the low impact nature of this form of movement makes it an excellent choice for those who are not in ideal shape to begin with. This form of dance works the muscles gently with the jarring effects of impact aerobics and other exercise methods. It also works the belly, which is often the problem area for many who aren't in the best of shape. You should also find that you will strengthen your back through belly dance as you progress. This will also help with almost every aspect of your physical fitness routine. More importantly for those who are a little (or a lot) out of shape is the belly dance burns an average of 300 calories an hour. This means that if you practice one hour a day you are burning over 2,000 calories per week.

For those who celebrate their womanhood, there is no better form of dance to express that joy. Belly dance has a long history as a celebration of being female. From being used in ceremonies in the temple to being used to entice and seduce the unwitting belly dance is a celebration of simply being a girl.

If you are afraid to begin your belly dance lessons in a class full of other men and women you can always opt to purchase videos and DVD lessons. There are many of these lessons from which to choose, even lessons that focus on the mental and/or healing aspects of Oriental dance if that is where you feel you need to focus your efforts. Belly dancing is a great deal of fun in addition to being a decent form of getting much needed physical activity. 

If you plan to belly dance, you should understand that the costume is part of what sets the mood or the tone. While you do not need all the bells and whistles, the general consensus is that baring your midriff puts you in the state of mind that is most suitable for belly dancing. For this reason it is recommended that you wear clothes that bare your belly such as low-rise yoga pants and a sports bra or some other belly-baring shirt for your practice sessions. This also helps your instructor see if you are making the moves correctly.

If you decide to partake in belly dancing classes, congratulations! You will be joining an historic group of women that date back to what many believe is the very beginning of time. You should also have a new hobby that is both entertaining and healthy.

How to Make a 3 Part ORGAN Arrangement of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by BACH?

Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most popular movements from the cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach is the famous "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". This work was originally composed as a choral part from the Cantata No. 147 sung at the end of parts I and II of this cantata. Many organists love to play this work for weddings and other joyful occasions. Because of the popularity of this work, there are so many organ versions available which are not necessarily perfect for you. In this article, I will show you how to make an organ arrangement of this composition for organ in 3 voices which will sound very well and will be comfortable to play.

Before we can make an organ arrangement, we have to become familiar with the orchestral instrumentation. If we take a look at the original scoring, we will discover that this work is notated in 9 staves. The harmonized chorale tune is performed by the 4 part SATB choir which in Bach's time might have been sung by the 4 soloists, too. The top soprano voice is also reinforced by the Trumpet in C.

The bass line is performed by at least 5 people: vocal bass, cellist, harpsichordist (or organist), the double bass, and perhaps the bassoonist as well. The vocal bass joins in choral phrases. We can imagine Bach himself playing the harpsichord or the organ and conducting at the same time. He would have been playing the bass line in the left hand and adding chords or another fully worked out solo voice from the basso continuo notation with the right hand. The double bass player would be playing the cello part one octave lower (at 16' pitch level).

The 3 instrumental parts are meant for two violins, viola, and also 2 oboes doubling the violin I part. The viola player would have to play from the alto clef. Note that the meter of the violin I part is 9/8 while other voices are notated in 3/4 meter. This is probably done to avoid triplets in the violin I part.

As you can see, it must have been quite an ensemble of at least 14 people. In order to make an organ version of this piece, we have to decide which parts are most important because naturally we can't play every part on the organ at the same time. Obviously, there are 3 most important lines in this composition - the chorale tune, the violin I part playing orchestral ritornellos, and the cello part giving the harmonic foundation.

By playing these parts on three separate divisions, we could make a very nice and satisfactory organ version in a trio texture. The violin I part could be played using 8' and 4' flute combinations in the right hand. The chorale tune would sound best, if played in the tenor range (one octave lower) in the left hand on the solo registration, perhaps using a soft reed stop, such as an oboe. We can take the cello line in the pedals using 16' and 8' soft stops.

The 3 part version of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring will sound very well on the organ and it will not be too difficult to learn. Just make sure you treat this arrangement like a real organ composition, and practice slowly with correct fingering, pedaling, articulation, and phrasing. It is best to practice repeatedly one small fragment at a time.

By Vidas Pinkevicius 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. Article Source: EzineArticles

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MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS of different kind

An object which is used to make a melodious sound is called musical instrument. In today’s life, music has become essential part of entertainment and a method to relax the body after a stressful day. There are large number of musical instruments with different style and different sound. Every single instrument has its own quality. No one can differentiate between two or more different instruments. These instruments are mostly used in orchestra.

There are different categories of musical instruments like keyboards, drums, percussion instruments, stringed instruments, woodwinds and brass wind instruments.

The instrument that comes under the category of woodwind is prepared with single or double reeds.

Wind instruments
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some woodwind, musical instruments are in a tubular form while some woodwinds have many curves in a tube and the shape of the instrument makes it easy to make different sound. The instrumentalist places a reed in the mouthpiece to make sound and the quantity of air in the tube will decide what kind of sound is produced. The type of woodwind instruments are flute, clarinet, piccolo, oboe and bassoon.

The brass wind musical instruments can be seen from the distance because of the shine of the instruments. The different type of instruments under this category are trumpets, French horns, tuba and trombones except for saxophone because it comes under woodwind as it has a mouthpiece that needs air for creating musical sound.

Stringed instruments
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The stringed instruments are like violin, guitar, violas, cellos and double basses. These instruments have different method of playing. Cellos and double basses are played in standing position and violin, guitar, and violas are played by carrying it in hand. These stringed instruments are checked by the tuning of each string before the performance to get better sound.

The different types of percussion instruments are timpani, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, chimes, xylophone, celesta, tam-tam, and the triangle. The sounds of these instruments are louder compared to any other instruments so they are placed behind all other instruments so that it produces a proper sound and doesn’t create a noisy environment.

The keyboard category consists of piano, clavichord, harpsichord etc. Every musical instrument that has a key button that is attached to a string to create a sound comes under this category.

The musical instruments, drums, the types and structure of drums are different in different countries and the sound that it produces differs from one type to another.

So, if you are planning to own any of these types of musical instruments, there are few things to be considered before purchasing it.

• Check for the reputed stores that sells original and genuine instruments.
• Check the sound of the instruments that you are planning to purchase.
• See how you feel when you hold the musical instruments.
• Look out for the well known brand of the instruments.
• The last and the important thing- see that it is within your budget.

After purchasing your instrument practice everyday for an hour or less to learn it fast and remember to always keep it clean.

Choose your favorite woodwind or brass wind instruments and enjoy with your family in a melodious environment.

Wilson is author of this article on Brasswind. Find more information about Guitars here. Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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A Life Of LORENZO DA PONTE: Talent Flies; Practical Reason Walks

 Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1838)
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Among the world’s favorite operas, we find three of them with a libretto penned by Lorenzo Da Ponte and music by none other than the astonishingly delightful Viennese ear-confectioner Mozart. The list is a delight in itself: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovann, and Così Fan Tutte.

We learn in the new book, The Librettist of Venice, by Rodney Bolt, that Da Ponte grew so close with the unequalled Mozart – both of whom, we learn, were not only talented but vain, insecure and ambitious – that while writing Don Giovanni, they worked in adjoining lodges and shouted to each other through their windows.

Da Ponte even dared to contend with Mozart, who believed the text should be subservient to the music, while Da Ponte was certain that the words should be primary, in fact, that without his poetry even Mighty Mo’s music would be nothing.

Yet how Da Ponte tumbled from the heights. Hard as it may be to imagine, he wound up in New York, running, at one time, a grocery store on the Bowery.

Brilliant as an artist, he was apparently, in his personal life, a managerial moron. Or, said another way, while talent flies, practical reason just plods along, like a relative moron.

Da Ponte, born Jewish, was, as a result of his father’s having decided the family should become Catholic for the easement of a life of trade, ordained a priest. But his real vocation was married women. His exploits, we learn, rivaled Casanova, who became his pal and, if we believe such a thing is possible in the category at hand, his mentor.

Da Ponte himself admitted a shortcoming in comparison with his rival for insincere relationships: he didn’t have Casanova’s purported talent for fleecing the women he falsely wooed. In fact, Da Ponte claims he actually loved the ones he made out with.

He also considered himself adroit politically, but his moves were disastrous. He upset the successors of Joseph II so much he was exiled from Vienna.

Now,still technically a priest he was married to a younger but more wisely practical woman named Nancy Grahl, but even she was unable to keep the man out of bankruptcy in London and again in America, where they moved in 1805, because her family had settled here.

He attempted to establish Italian opera companies when English-speaking audiences had little interest in them. To add onions to opera, the grocery business failed.

He finally became a teacher, bookseller and wannabe impresario.

On the positive side, New York turned out to be the most agreeable spot for him. It was relatively liberal, and Da Ponte found himself a favorite of the cultural elite.

He became the first professor of Italian at Columbia University. While the position was pretty much ceremonial, Da Ponte has the double distinction of having been the first Jew and first priest on the school’s faculty.

He lived on into his 80’s, revered but regarded as eccentric.

He was charming man who made a profession of being European when such a state was still considered novel.

Yet when one compares his everyday doings with his winged collaboration with Mozart, one can only shake his head with the recognition of how quicksilver brilliant the remarkable syntheses of talent are, way up in mental processes we can only hope will drop answers into our expectant consciousness, compared to the "first we do this and then we do that" plodding of the practical but still invaluable mind.

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The Different Styles Of JAZZ

Do you love listening to that smooth, toe-tapping music we call jazz? Do you love to dance with your significant other to the sounds of Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, or Duke Ellington?

Duke Ellington, a famous jazz musician, poses with his piano at the KFG Radio Studio
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While it’s undoubtedly cool to use words like ‘Swing’, ‘Bebop’ or ‘Bossa Nova’ when describing a jazz style, not very many people really know the difference between Hot Jazz, Classic Jazz or Afro-Cuban Jazz. If you don't know the difference between one style of jazz and another, this article is for you. Read on if you want to up your cool quotient while discussing Hot Jazz:

Classic Jazz: More popularly called ‘New Orleans jazz’ because of its origins, classic jazz originated in the late 1800’s - early 1900’s with brass bands performing for dances and parties using an assortment of musical instruments including the trombone, saxophone, tuba, clarinet, cornet, guitar, bass, drums and cornet. At the time, musical arrangements varied significantly from one performance to another.

Hot Jazz: Pioneered by Louis Armstrong, hot jazz was characterized by improvised solos that built up to an emotional and ‘hot’ crescendo that was supported by bass, drums and guitar or banjo.

Chicago Style Jazz: If New Orleans was the birth place of jazz, Chicago was the breeding ground. Several young, dynamic players including Bud Freeman, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa and Eddie Condon significantly furthered jazz improvisations with a combination of high technical ability and harmonic, innovative arrangements.

Swing: During the classic 1930’s, most Jazz groups were Big Bands who played a robust and invigorating version of Classic Jazz. More popularly called Swing, for the first time jazz was used as dance music. Many of the most famous musicians the world has every heard were swing jazz musicians. The famous jazz swing players include people such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, The Dorsey Brothers, Glenn Miller, and Louis Armstrong, to name a few. Of course, the genre of ballroom dance called swing grew out of jazz swing music.

Bebop: Immortalized by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and alto saxophonist Charlie Parker who engaged in chordal improvisations, Bebop was a complete deviation from mainstream jazz that was typically derived from the melodic line.

Bossa Nova: Initiated as “Brazilian jazz” by Brazilian’s Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto, Bossa Nova is a blend of seductive Brazilian samba rhythms, classical European harmonies and West Coast cool. Adopting the Bossa Nova style, West Coast saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd gave this jazz form a huge boost in the United States around 1962.

Afro-Cuban Jazz: Also known as Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz can be traced back to percussionist Chano Pozo and trumpeter- arranger Mario Bauza. Characterized by its highly infectious rhythms combined with Jazz improvisations, Afro-Cuban jazz is typically played using rhythm instruments including bongo, timbale, conga along with assorted Latin percussion instruments and is often accompanied by guitar or piano and joined by vocals or horns.

Now that you know what the different types of jazz music are, you can speak intelligently about the music that you love! So get out there and have some great jazzy fun!

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History of the GUITAR

It is very difficult to trace a line back to the exact birth of the instrument we know as the guitar today, as there is a lot of myth and uncertainty surrounding its origins.

Taylor steel-string guitar.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is mainly due to the fact there have been a number of similar instruments throughout the ages. Many historians claim the guitar originated at various points in time. Some believe the guitar in its earliest form dates back some 4000 years, however no-one really knows for sure. This is due to a number of artworks that depict guitar-like instruments being used at various times throughout history. Many ancient Egyptian paintings portray musical instruments that could be mistaken for the guitar.

A popular theory is that the guitar could have been invented by the classical-era Greeks. This is due to confusion, however, mainly with the similarity of its name with the Kithara. The Kithara was in fact a type of harp or lyra, which bares little resemblance with the guitar other than in name.

The guitar as we know today appears to be an ancestor of the lute. The lute had four strings which would be plucked, not strummed as with a guitar. The body was oval in shape and had a rounded back. The downside of this construction was that the lute was not a very loud instrument, meaning it could not be played along side other instruments. Although missing many of the elements of today’s guitar, it is an important step in the guitars evolution.

The first written mention of the guitar as a distinct instrument is from the 14th century. In this very early form the instrument had three double courses (or pairs) of strings plus a single string (tuned the highest in pitch), similar in comparison to the lute, as mentioned earlier.

The next step was in the vihuela, which originated in Spain sometime in the 15th century. The vihuela had a slightly ‘pinched’ waist – less pronounced than today’s guitar and a smaller body then the lute. It also had added treble strings, again arranged in pairs and was made to be strummed rather than plucked as the lute was.

It wasn’t until the 16th century that the two instruments were ‘combined’, in a manner of speaking, when an instrument was made with a body like that of the vihuela but closer in size to the lute.

The guitar became popular throughout Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries and by the late 17th century a fifth course of strings had been added below the other four. By the mid-18th century the guitar began to take its modern form. The double courses were changed to single strings, and a sixth string was added above the existing five. It is very unclear whether this took place in France or in Italy, but the resulting instrument was very similar to that of which we know today.

The late 18th-19th century, guitar makers changed many aspects of the instruments design. These included broadening the width and thinning the depth of the body, increasing the curve of the waist, and adding internal bracing – all in effort to amplify the sound. The end result meant the guitar could now be played along side other instruments without struggling to compete in terms of volume.

The guitar became very popular with people because it was a very easy instrument to learn at least a few basic chords and songs. However, the guitar was not accepted well with the ‘serious’ musical community, hence the reason there is very few concertos written for the instrument – and is still dismissed by many classically trained musicians today. In the early 19th century, Fernando Sor became one of the most prolific composers for, and promoters of, the guitar as a ‘concert’ instrument. It was him, and others like him, which paved the way for Andrés Segovia to emerge and help bring the guitar to the immense popularity it enjoys today.

The 20th century has seen the majority of the instrument’s improvements. Firstly the strings used, which were cat gut until that time, were replaced by metal and nylon ones. The classical guitar was then modified to make the steel string acoustic guitar we know today. This required additional bracing to strengthen the body, and the introduction of the truss rod to give support to the neck. Again this resulted in an even louder instrument.

Many tried to amplify the sound further by electrifying the guitar. Many of the first attempts were made by the Martin Company in the 1930’s. It was here the invention of the magnetic pick-up occurred. The first amplifiers came about around the same time and were pioneered by Leo Fender.

The first ‘electric’ guitars were nothing more then existing acoustic guitars that had been modified to include a magnetic pick-up. This caused many problems due to the fact that they had hollow bodies, which would resonate the sound produced by the amp as well as the strings of the guitar – which creates ‘feedback’.

It was Les Paul that developed the first ‘solid’ bodied guitar which he named ‘The Log’ – due to it being little more then a plank of wood with a neck and two double coil pick-ups attached. To make his invention more appealing he stuck two halves of an acoustic guitar on either side, giving it a more traditional look. He went on to sell the idea to Gibson who still produce the ‘Les Paul’ model that you see today.

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It was Leo Fender however, that really brought the electric guitar into mass production and made it available at far less a cost then all previous attempts (more on the Fender story can be seen on our ‘History of Fender’ section). The first mass production guitar was the Broadcaster, which we now know as the Telecaster, which was released in 1948. He later went on to design and produce the Stratocaster, in 1954, probably the most well known electric guitar to date. Leo Fender was also the innovator of the electric bass guitar which he invented for live use along side the guitar, as a normal contrabass could not compete in terms of volume - The first model being the Fender Precision Bass.

Since then various forms of the guitar have come and gone but the main form of the instrument has rarely differed far from what we have seen from the 1950’s onwards. The main differences have been in the choice of materials used in the manufacture of the guitar. This has mainly been in the attempt of producing increased sustain or simply due to the scarcity of certain woods. Nowadays a complete range of guitars are available, from the lower priced entry level models to the premium custom shop models for all of us to enjoy, what ever our level of ability.title:History of the Guitar

Graham Howard Source: ArticleCity

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The American Influence Of JAZZ MUSIC

The Jazz music sensation began to rub off on other parts of the world which encourages the experimentation of melding their familiar sounds with the essence of Jazz.  In Europe's country in the Region of France  came the Quintette Du Hot Club de France who was responsible for the making of the early "Gypsy Jazz".

Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Timmie Rosenkrantz in September 1947, New York
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt created gypsy jazz  by mixing the style of French Musette which was used in the dance halls, eastern European Folk known as Jazz Manouche, and American swing of the 1930's. The sound was developed by instruments from the string family which are a steel string guitar, violin, and an upright bass. The atmosphere of the Jazz music is seductive with sudden unpredictable twists, and accelerating rhythms. The French artist Bireli Lagrene plays this unique music with old elements of the past.

Another style of Jazz music that allowed the musicians to express themselves freely was the invention of Avant-garde or free Jazz music.  Both of these styles stemmed from the Bebop era, yet produced a relaxed form of harmonic and rhythmic music in the 1940's and 1950's. The musicians John Coltrane, Dewey Redman, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, Ornette Coleman and many more were the creators of the free Jazz music. Between the 1960's and 1970's the Latin musicians created the Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Jazz Music styles after Bebop musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Taylor cultivated it.

Gillespie and Taylor was influenced by the music of Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians Chico O'farrill, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, Xavier Cugat, Mario Bauza and Arturo Sandoval. Jazz music expressed in a Latin interpretation was termed Bossa Nova with origins in Samba music which is a mixture of Jazz, classical and pop music from the 20th century.  Bossa is a moderate sound of music with Classical harmonic structure from Europe, Samba polyrhythm's from Brazil and cool music. The tempo of such a work is about 120 beats per minute. The instruments used in this particular sound is nylon stringed guitar, piano, high hat tap of eighths, tapping on the rim of the drum like Sade's "Sweetest Taboo", and a vocalist.  The sound produced is a new relaxing sound where the acoustic sound of the guitar can lull one to sleep with it's easy melodic line.

Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim became popular in the sixties with this style of music. The influence of Jazz music returned to the place of its origins in the religious music known as Urban Contemporary Gospel from the spirituals music. Much of spiritual music sung by southern slaves in the past has a haunting dark and mournful sound during the 1800 and 1900's. The churches know as the sanctified or holy churches took a more happier approach by encouraging member to sing speak their  personal testimonies as they celebrated with song and dance.

The sanctified artist Arizona Dranes  who was a traveling pastor made recordings that would fit in many musical categories such as  blues, and  boogie-woogie with the use of Jazz instruments. At the time the Jazz instruments used with religious themed music were percussion and brass instruments.

5 Reasons to Learn MUSIC THEORY

If you thought music theory was a waste of time and not necessary to further your musical goals, then read these following 5 reasons why this is not true.

1. Read sheet music: Being able to play from any piece of sheet music. Well it may be hard to play BUT you can read it!

2. Be able to transpose: Say you are playing a piece from the sheet music you can now read but you think it sounds too high or too low, or just not right. Well now you can move it into a new key and play at a better singing.

3. Be able to modulate: You will be able to, with a few quick moves of the fingers, move your music into a new key with a succession of notes so pleasing to the ear it will bring a smile to your listeners faces.

4. It will increase your skill in improvising: Enough said.

5. Knowing music theory will help you recreate the sounds you enjoy in your favorite songs. Those fabulous chord progressions. The parts that give a song that certain sound. Gospel, Contemporary etc.

To learn music theory you don’t have to become a scholar on the subject. Just at least learn the basics. Getting a good music theory book and spending a few minutes a day reading from it and doing any included exercises can jump start your music playing.

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COLE PORTER's Song "True Love"

Cole Porter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"True Love" was written by Cole Porter and performed by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the 1955 film, "High Society," which also starred Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. "True Love" was the first and only gold record for Grace Kelly and was the 21st gold record for Bing Crosby. The song stayed on the charts for 22 weeks, rising as high as number 3. "True Love" was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song in 1956, although it lost to Doris Day's "Que Sera, Sera."

Cole Porter was a highly experienced songwriter when he wrote "True Love." The decades of the 1930's and 1940's were full of Cole Porter hit musicals. During the 1930's alone, Porter wrote music and lyrics for ten Broadway musicals for New York and two film musicals for Hollywood.

Cole Porter was born in Indiana in 1891 to parents who were wealthy. He received an extensive musical education, learning the piano and the violin by age six. His favorite of the two was the piano which he practiced two hours daily. By age ten he was writing words and music to original songs, and by age seventeen he published his first song.

Porter also received an impressive academic education which carried him through Yale and into Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Music. While at Yale, Porter became the president of the Glee Club and a cheer leader, and, among the 300 songs he wrote while at Yale, he wrote two football fight songs that are still played today. Despite being the roommate of Dean Acheson, the future Secretary of State under President Truman, Porter dropped out of Harvard Law School to continue with his music education.

After World War I, Porter moved to Europe where he met and married Linda Lee Thomas, a beautiful and rich divorcee and a descendant of the Lees of Virginia. Their relationship was a loving, supportive, lifelong partnership. Cole Porter was gay and had numerous male interests which Linda had agreed to allow. However, the marriage was at times unstable when Porter's gay interests threatened the couple's carefully maintained social appearances.

Following their marriage in 1919 in Paris, the Porters lived an extravagant lifestyle in Europe through the 1920's. Their palatial home in Paris had floor to ceiling mirrors and zebra skin upholstery. Later, they moved into a famous palace in Venice where their lush parties included fifty gondoliers, circus acrobats, and a ballet company. They also built a night club outside their palace which accommodated 100 guests.

Back in New York, Porter's first few contributions to Broadway musicals were poorly received. However, by the end of the 1920's Porter gained recognition, and through the 1930's and 1940's he was one of the brightest stars on Broadway. He worked excessively and tirelessly on his musical productions and spent time in both New York and Hollywood.

In 1937 a terrible horse riding accident crushed both of Porter's legs. As the story goes, while waiting for hours for help to arrive he composed the lyrics to a verse of his song, "At Long Last Love." The accident left him crippled and in pain for the rest of his life. He underwent more than 30 leg operations until his right leg was finally amputated in 1958. Following his leg amputation, Cole Porter dropped out of music production until his death in 1964.

In 1955 Cole Porter wrote the lyrics and music for "High Society," starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong. The film was a musical remake of the classic 1940 award winning movie, "The Philadelphia Story," which won a Best Actor Oscar for James Stewart and which also starred Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. "High Society" featured nine musical numbers, plus there were five additional songs written by Porter which were not included in the movie.

"High Society" was one of MGM's greatest musicals. Grace Kelly was the movie's luminous star, and the romantic exchange with Bing Crosby in "True Love" was one of the movie's highlights.

Here are the lyrics to Cole Porter's "True Love."

Sometimes wind blows

a new moon moves at last alone

feeling far above her

oh how lucky we are

while I give to you

would you give to me

true love true love

so on and on it will always be

true love true love

for you and I have a guardian angel

on high with nothing to do

but to give to you as you give to me

love forever true

love forever true

for you and I have a guardian angel

on high with nothing to do

but to give you as you give to me

love forever true

love forever true

give me more true love oh yeah

true love true love

true love true love

got to give me your oh yeah oh yeah

true love true love

true love true love

for you and I have a guardian angel

on high with nothing to do

but to give to you as you give to me

love forever true

love forever true

love forever true love.

By Garry Gamber Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating service Article Source: EzineArticles

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The Reed-Like Sound Of The BASS FLUTE

A bass flute.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often in a pitch lower than the concert flute by about one octave and in the key of C, the bass flute is one of the largest instruments in the flute family with a curved end. This type of flute has keys that the musician uses in order to plug different combinations of holes to create the different notes. While this flute has a low sound, its drawback is that it can easily be lost when played with a number of other instruments as a result of its low pitch. The instrument has a decent range, though it could be considered relatively limited.

The bass flute is not a very old instrument, when comparing it to other types of flutes in the family. There are some difficulties in designing the bass flute, such as how to keep tapering the flute through the curve at the end of the instrument. This curve results in the musician having to use alternative ways to reach some of the notes they require, because of how the curve gets in the way of producing the right notes.

There is still some work being done to improve the design, but it is a decent enough instrument for now. It could also be a combination of the lack of music available that includes the bass flute as well as the unfortunate drawback that other instruments can easily drown it out that is the reason for this particular instrument not being too popular.

As time goes on and more improvements are made on the bass flute it might become more popular, especially if it becomes a little easier to play. It might not be the choice for people who are new to learning a wind instrument. It is often suggested that a person new to playing a wind instrument first learns how to play a simpler flute and become familiar with how to read sheet music.

This is not to say that if someone chose to learn how to play the bass flute without any previous experience that they would necessarily have a difficult time in learning how to play it. Some people can pick up the basics fairly quickly, especially if they have a mind to practice and be serious about learning how to play it as well as improve their skills. It is not normally an instrument that is offered in school bands, so many who choose to learn how to play the bass flute might have to do so on their own time.

Bass flutes are not exceptionally cheap, but one can save money by purchasing a used bass flute. Purchasing a used instrument when first starting out with any instrument is often suggested so that the new musician can have a chance to decide if it is really the instrument they want to play, especially if the instrument they have chosen to try is in a more expensive price range. The bass flute is going to cost a little more because it has a more complex design than the simpler flutes, such as the recorder.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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