There are several different theories on the origin of this ballroom dance's name. The most often told story is that the dance was made popular by a young man named Harry Fox who was a vaudeville comedian with the Ziegfeld Follies. Another story says that the dance is so named because of the similarity to an equestrian gait that was dubbed the Foxtrot by the military. It is a gait where unlike a normal trot where the front left and rear right (or front right and rear left) legs are moved at the same time causing a somewhat jerky motion, the Foxtrot has the animal moving each leg one at a time making for a smooth trot that is easier on the animal and the rider. This trot actually led to the development of a breed of horse known as the Missouri Fox Trotter. Still a third suggestion is that the dance (in its earlier version) resembled the way a fox walks (with one foot in front of the other leaving a single track).
In the early fox trot the feet were placed in a single line one in front of the other. It wasn't until the 1950's that this ballroom dance was revised to have two different dance lines, one for each foot. Around 1922 the jerking, trotting steps of the dance were exchanged for a more relaxed movement called a Saunter. By 1927 the jumpiness was gone and the steps were smooth and gliding and the dance was now referred to as a Slow Foxtrot.
This ballroom dance is composed of walking steps and side steps. When on a crowded dance floor like in a night club short steps are used. For ballroom dancing long, smooth, easy gliding steps combine to give the Fox Trot its unhurried appearance.
The Fox Trot is danced with the same type of hold that is used in the standard waltz, with a combination of long slow steps and short lively ones. The timing of this ballroom dance is of great importance. The slower steps are done on the heels while the quick steps are done on the toes.
The Fox Trot can be danced to most any music regardless of whether it is slow or fast. In the 1920's the Fox Trot was embraced by America's youth. They loved this ballroom dance, which started out as a bouncy trot-like step that had been incorporated into the vaudeville act of Harry Fox. The Fox Trot has become one of the most loved ballroom dances to date. It is also one of the hardest to learn.
There is also what is referred to as an American Smooth style of Fox Trot that differs in as much as the hold can be broken throughout the performance so you will see more open movements and underarm turns.
Ballroom dancing has undergone many changes and one of the most significant developments was the use of the quick and slow steps of the Fox Trot allowing the dancers more variety than the earlier one and two step dances.
You love playing the piano but are increasingly frustrated with only being able to reproduce what is in front of you. No sheet music, no play. Oh you only have it in the key of Eb? Well sorry I can't play that. Does this sound like you?
Several years ago I could only play exactly from the piano sheet music in front of me. If I looked up from the music for a fraction of time I lost my place. I was only comfortable in the keys of C, F, and G. Sometimes D and Bb. But I longed to play and smile at the congregation in my church. Or check the worship leader to see if he was going to add another stanza. Then I started to learn Pachelbel Canon in D. Ever heard it? A study on the D scale. It opened my eyes to improvising or embellishing on a song at the piano.
Here are five key things to remember to help you do the same.
Learn and practice your scales in all keys. Nobody likes this. It's not fun but it can greatly increase your playing proficiency if you are diligent.
Learn and practice chords. Especially the odd ones such as diminished, augmented, 6ths etc. These can quickly give color and style to your songs.
Fake it. Use a fake book to play. This will greatly encourage you to add to the harmony and melody because you only have a chord symbol and one melody line in front of you. It will sound very dry so you will be motivated.
Use the whole piano. Play those same notes just an octave higher. Now try one more octave
Don't get discourage by your first results: You may not like your first results but don't give up.
Visit the Struggling Church Musician Piano page for more resources to playing the piano by ear and chord piano.
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) was a legendary Dutch Master organist, composer, and pedagogue of the 17th century. He is most renown for not only for his great polyphonic choral writing but also for being a founder of the North German Organ School. He is also frequently called "Maker of German organists" because of his influential teaching activities that helped propel and flourish the renown North German Organ School. His most famous students include Samuel Scheidt, Heinrich Scheidemann, Melchior Schildt, Jacob Praetorius II, and Anders Duben among many others.
Sweelinck's keyboard style was influenced mostly by two major trends: Italian vocal polyphony and English virginal composers. From Italians the composer inherited beautiful linear counterpoint writing with mostly constant number of parts in the composition. From the English virginalists, he took over their virtuosic figurational writing which consisted of frequent passages, runs, arpeggios, flourishes, diminutions and various other types of figuration.
Ballo del Granduca is one of today's favorites pieces by Sweelinck. Its authenticity is doubtful as it might have been composed by Samuel Scheidt. The title of the piece refers to the Balleto (or little dance of joyful character of the Renaissance) of the Great Duke. It is a set of theme on a dance tune and 4 variations, although the opening section is called variation 1. Variation 1 consists of many colourful and joyfully sounding chords with a characteristic long-short-short rhythms. It contains 5 sections each one with a duration of 4 measures and ends with strong closed cadences at the end of each phrase. The cadences are in G major (the tonic key of the piece), C major, A minor, G major, and G major. The first and the fifth phrases are repeated.
The second variation features many passages and runs in the right hand part with eighth or sixteenth notes rhythms while the left hand plays chordal accompaniment in two or three voices. In variation 3, the hands switch: eight note diminutions are transferred to the left hand part and the accompanimental role is given to the right hand part. The 4th variation contains most of the virtuosic sixteenth note passages and diminutions in the right hand part which are so characteristic of Sweelinck's style. The variation cycle ends (variation 5) with eight note motion in the right hand part (in double thirds and sixths). Technically speaking, this is the most challenging variation and therefore a culmination of the entire set of variations.
Oboist Albrecht Mayer preparing reeds for use. Most oboists scrape their own reeds to achieve the desired tone and response (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As you may have heard before, being consistent in your reed making helps ensure consistent reeds. A simple but powerful statement indeed.
Reed making is a rather long and varied process, and most successful reed makers would recommend that you do the same thing every time. That way you can slowly make corrections without losing your point of reference.
But what if you want to try something new?
The spirit of adventure definitely has a place in reed making, as long as you have the time (and patience) to do some experimenting. There is so much new equipment available to oboists today that can help (or hurt) your reed making adventures.
There are new kinds of staples coming out all the time, and someone is always introducing either a new gouging machine or shaper tip to the market.
Sometimes it is possible to borrow these new "toys" from friends to try, and other times you may be able to try a shaper tip on loan from a double reed company.
Just remember, don't be afraid to try new things! That's how you learn.
But here is a tip to make your experimenting as productive and efficient as possible:
Whatever you do, don't get too caught up in the frenzy and try to change more than one thing at once.
It may go without saying, but reed making with any new materials at all is just like a science experiment. Remember those days back in lab class?
You never change more than one variable at a time when testing something new.
You want to be able to determine just how the new change affects all areas of the experiment.
Some things you might try:
change the length you tie the cane on try gouging your cane a few millimeters thicker
Try these and many other things! As long as you keep everything else exactly the same, you will have conducted a successful experiment and you will learn something.
It is surprising and fun to see how your reeds will change, and sometimes (hopefully most times) it will be for the better!
Oboist and entrepreneur Maryn Leister helps beginner, intermediate and professional oboists become happier oboe players.
She is owner of the oboe learning company MKL Reeds and publisher of the Reed Report and Oboe Success Tips Newsletters. Each newsletter is full of straightforward tips on becoming a better oboe player and on taking control of your oboe reeds.
Get your free subscription to the Reed Report newsletter and start your own journey towards a more rewarding oboe future right away. Sign-Up now and get your FREE Oboe Reed Tips!
Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was born in a house on the Getreidegasse in Salzburg, Austria, on 27th January 1756, the feast of St John Chryostom. His parents were Leopold Mozart and Maria Anna Pertl. He was the last of seven children but only himself and his elder sister Nannerl, survived into adulthood.
Mozart in 1777, the year of the concerto. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Later in life the boy would choose to adopt the latin 'Amadeus' in place of the Greek Theophilus.
Wolfgang's older sister (whose was called Maria Anna but always known as 'Nannerl') showed musical promise from an early age and began to learn the harpsichord in 1758 at the age of seven. Wolfgang seemed interested in her lessons and began to learn the instrument himself at the age of four and soon picked up some of her pieces. Incredibly he had, by the time he was five, managed to compose a few simple pieces of his own with the help of his father.
Leopold Mozart was at that time Court Composer to the Archbishop of Salzburg and was an accomplished composer and well respected teacher. However he realized that Wolfgang's talents were exceptional and decided to concentrate on the musical development of his two children. He arranged for Wolfgang to perform publicly at the University in Salzburg in 1761 and over the next few years undertook a number of lengthy tours of European cities where the young Wolfgang and Nannerl would perform for the entertainment of the Royal Courts.These trips had their hazards. They could be lucrative but also highly expensive. Both Wolfgang and Nannerl were seriously ill on more than one occasion contracting both Typhoid Fever and smallpox.
Mozart's first opera, La Finta Semplice, was performed in 1769, when he was just thirteen, in the Archbishop of Salzburg's Palace.
When they finally returned to Salzburg Wolfgang spent time composing and was also appointed to the post of konzertmeister. However things changed when the old Archbishop, who was tolerant of the Mozarts extended absences,died. The new Archbishop was not so amenable.
In 1777, at Mozart's request,the Archbishop released him from his post. He also took the opportunity to dismiss Leopold at the same time, although he was fairly quickly re-instated.
Mozart set off on tour again but this time with his mother. It turned out to be disastrous. Without his fathers strict discipline Wolfgang, now 21, was more interested in enjoying himself than working. At one stage they were almost penniless and had had to sell some possessions in order to continue their journey. In July Frau Mozart became ill and died. Mozart returned to Salzburg and returned to his former position which his father had managed to secure. This didn't last long - the Archbishop dismissed Wolfgang during a trip to Vienna where they attended the celebrations of the accession of the new Emperor, Joseph II. Leopold was horrified but Wolfgang regarded it as a golden opportunity to stay in Vienna. He did reasonably well there teaching and composing. Then he shocked his father again -by announcing he was to marry. Leopold protested but to no avail and the marriage between Wolfgang and Constanze Weber took place on 4th August in St Stephens Cathedral.
The couple enjoyed relative success for a few years with Mozart's music being popular and there being no shortage of pupils. However they had an expensive lifestyle to maintain and some jealousies began to emerge from other composers. A huge blow came when on 28th May 1787, Mozart's father died.
Mozart's financial situation became worse and by 1789 he was regularly requesting loans from friends. He toured again but had little success. He was working hard and earning money but their outgoings were such that they had constant financial worries.
Emmanuel Schikanader, was an actor,singer,writer and an old friend of Mozart's.He was the manager of the Theater auf der Weiden in the suburbs of Vienna and he suggested to Mozart that he write a pantomime type opera in German which would have mass appeal and, most importantly, be profitable. Mozart agreed, probably in desperation for money and worked on it ( The Magic Flute) through the summer of 1791. It was a huge success and brought temporary relief financially.
During this time Mozart received an anonymous letter asking him to compose a requiem mass. Although it was a strange request he decided to accept as there was a significant fee offered. However Mozart became overworked and his health began to decline. He was desperate to complete the commission but was becoming exhausted and on 20th November his condition worsened so much that he took to his bed. With the help of his pupil Sussmayr he attempted in vain to finish the Requiem but got only as far as the Lachrymosa.
As Mozart's condition deteriorated he suffered from fever, vomiting and swelling. On 4th December Mozart went into a coma. In the early hours of 5th December 1791, the greatest composer the world has ever known, died.
In a final ironic twist to the tale, the emperor confirmed Mozart's appointment to the post of Kapellmeister at St Stephens, a position which would finally have given the Mozarts lasting financial security.
From amongst all the jazz legends and pop legendary pianists, Thelonious Monk is most known for what can be called 'straight forward jazz'. Born Thelonious Sphere Monk on the 10th of October 1917, Monk began playing the piano at the tender age of nine. Most of what he knew on the piano was self taught in addition to the tricks he learned while slyly dropping in on his elder sister Marian's piano classes and a little formal training.
Thelonious Monk, Minton's Playhouse, New York, ca. September 1947. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
He dropped out of Stuyvesant High School where he was doing his schooling to start playing the piano professionally. He toured with an evangelist for whose meetings he played the church organ. In his later teens, he got gigs playing jazz piano. He was the house pianist at a club - Minton's Playhouse - in the early 40's. His influences at the time were most the stride pianists of the era - Duke Ellington, James P Johnson and the likes.
His trademark style of playing was something that he polished incessantly during the cutting competitions that took place at the club late at night featuring all the piano greats of the time. His stint at Minton's Playhouse brought him in touch with the other exponents of Bebop - Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Kenny Clarke. It is this period of time that the bebop style of playing was created . He influenced the the bebop style of playing so much that he has arguably been referred to as the founder of bebop.
Monk then moved on to playing for groups. His first ever studio recording was made featuring the Coleman Hawkins quartet in 1944. He became the leader of the Blue Note three years later. His recordings with Blue Note displayed his penchant for coming up with composing music with strong melodies. The same year saw his marriage to Nellie Smith, with whom he had two children. His son TS Monk was born in 1949. He is a jazz drummer, composer and band leader. His daughter Barbara was born in 1953.
In 1951, Monk ran into trouble with the police. A car in which he and fellow pianist Bud Powell was found to contain narcotics. During the trial against Bud Powell, he refused serve as witness testifying against Bud Powell. As a result, his New York City Cabaret Card was taken away by the police. Thus not being able to play in New York where there was liquor being served. He continued to play in other places though.
He continued recording, touring and composing. After his contract with Blue Note Records lapsed, he moves to prestige records. At Prestige, he recorded some not-so-successful but critically acclaimed albums with Sonny Rollins on saxophone and Art Blakey on drums. It was around this time that the famous Christmas Eve sessions were recorded which were released in the form of the two albums - The Modern Jazz Giants and Bags Groove and Miles Davis - both of these by Miles Davis.
He visited Europe in 1954. He went to Paris to record and perform. He met jazz patron and member of the Rothschild family, Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, with whom he struck a friendship that lasted his life long.
Though Monk was well recognized in jazz circles by his contemporaries and the jazz audience , his records didn't sell as well. He shifted from Prestige Records to Riverside Records, who bought out his contract. In an effort to get the masses in tune with his style of music (which was thought to be too difficult at the time for the average listener), Riverside asked him to record an album two album of his own versions of the jazz standards of the time.
Thus Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington was released with the intention of increasing Monk's market. The album has Duke Wellington's tunes redone by Monk for which he had to study Duke Ellington's pieces from scratch. On his next release, Brilliant Corners, he got a chance to actually record his own tunes. Expectedly the title track of the album was so difficult that it had to be put together from a total of three takes. Sony Rollins accompanied him on the album.
By Duane Shinn
A free email newsletter on exciting piano chords and chord progressions from Duane Shinn is available free at Best Piano Lessons
Bar chords are the first advanced step for the guitar player. You have some kind of understanding of how to play open guitar chords and you have practiced till your fingertips are hardened enough not to hurt any more. So the next step is to learn the basic open chord shapes that move up the guitar neck to make bar chords and to start on the next stage of educating your left hand and arm in the art of guitar playing.
When you learn bar chords you will see that there are some basic chords that you have already learnt how to play that can be moved up the fretboard to form chords in more keys. The way we move open chords up the fretboard is by placing the first finger on the left hand across the guitar's neck and using the other fingers to complete the chord shape.
When you first try to play bar chords you will notice the change in sound. You have made all the guitar strings shorter, so they do not have the same amount of sustain and reverberation. The next thing you notice is that bar chords are painful. The pain should lessen as you practice but if it doesn't there are some things about your guitar playing you will need to look at.
First, if there is any adjustment needed to the way you press down on the strings with your left hand, you will need to relax your hand and experiment a little. Hold the chord shape but do not exert the pressure needed to make a clean sound. Now see if there is any tension in your arm. Just check to see if you can feel it. Go all the way up and down the arm fro the shoulder to the fingertips and relax any little areas of tension. This might result in some change in how you are holding your hand on the strings. As you try this checking for tension, also take note of if you hold your breath and clench your jaw. If you do either of those things, let the tension drop away in those areas.
Other areas that might need attention when you are looking for the easiest way to play bar chords are the height of your guitar's action and the need for hand exercises. You can do an online search for balls or other gizmos that you can use to help build finger strength, or for hand and finger strengthening exercises. But before you get too far into exercises, if your guitar's action is high you will need to press hard to make bar chords. Acoustic guitars have a relatively high action so the strings do not buzz. If you feel that your action might be too high you can adjust it by filing down the slots in your bridge so that the strings sit lower. If you make the strings too low you will need to buy another bridge bone.
If you are able to switch between acoustic and electric guitars you can clear up the question about your guitar's action because electric guitars have a lower action than acoustics. There are also tricks that you can use to avoid the pain of guitar chords, like using the open D fingering to move up the frets instead of using the open E shape to make a bar chord. This limits your chords to the top three strings. Also you can try loosening the tension on your strings or fooling around with open tunings, but do not go meddling with your guitar unless you are really sure you have some medical condition that stops you from playing bar chords. For now just assume that your hand will stop hurting once you have practiced enough.
There was a time in history when Jazz the music was banned during World War II when it was considered a plight for freedom against Hitler's Nazi regime due to what it represents. Jazz music is the product of America that was creatively invented by African American from culture, and all the elements of the American life that influenced this style of music.
King & Carter Jazzing Orchestra, Houston Texas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jazz music is a symbol of freedom, hope and the ability of express ones self in through one of best art forms which is music. Meaning, African Americans fought oppression since the beginning of slavery, and Jazz music represented that resistance. Jazz music has a foundation of the basic rules of composition, but it has since expanded its way toward newer forms of music.
America who also gained their freedom from Europe joined showed their patriarchy by listening to the Jazz music on records and on the radio to encourage their fellow Americans to believe in their country, and the freedom it stands for. Hollywood, celebrity musicians and Jazz musicians even supported freedom by joining patriotic films to get their point across to the world. This act caused Hitler and Stalin to fear the effect Jazz music would have on all who listens who could easily be influenced by the idea of freedom, and patriotism.
In the year 1921 there were Americans who did not favor Jazz music or the Jazz dance. There were activist who stated that Jazz is a type of menace that is worse that alcohol, and that it would be better to wipe Jazz out of existence. In Germany, Jazz and all other American music was banned in the country before and after Americans joined the war. Stalin forbid the playing of Jazz music at the end of the 1945 war throughout the Soviet Union, and banned the use of saxophones. Jazz was called "the music of blacks by Hitler as a reason for the prohibition of Jazz music. Nevertheless, Jazz music was embraced by all who heard it around the globe.
In fact, It was adored by those who supported the resistance of such a war. In the area of Azerbaijan the year of the 1950's produced even more forbidden Jazz music into a new style of Jazz known as Mugam that came from the Baku style of music. The sound of Jazz produces an atmosphere of relaxation and freedom that even spread to Algeria who wrote a form of Jazz that spread all around their country and in Europe known as Rai in the late 1960's. Though there were many haters of Jazz music who forbid the use of it those who understood loved it.
Those who did not like Jazz wrote books on it titled "Vo do do de o Blues" against Jazz and blues. Another title was "Anti rag time girl" about a lady who hates Jazz music. However, when the underground clubs broke the law discreetly to make a home for jazz in Speakeasies they also spread the gospel of Jazz music all around the world.
Despite the increasing appeal of popular music, orchestral music has flourished in the modern era, often looking to alternative influences and stylisms. Here are some of the most famous modern composers.
Bela Bartok (1881-1945) drew on his Hungarian folk roots to revolutionise opera, chamber music and ballet. Regarded as a great thinker as well as a musician, his influence will remain for years to come.
Philip Glass (1937- ) started out as a minimalist with works such as 'Strung Out' but later expanded his oeuvre into symphony with operas like Satyagraha, based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Glass is active in the Free Tibet cause.
Most famous for his opera 'Peter Grimes', Benjamin Britten (1913-76) was the leading light of Britain's classical music scene in the twentieth century. He was above all a deeply moral artist, expressing an enmity towards violence with his acclaimed 'War Requiem'.
The most important exponent of the postmodern movement, Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007), simultaneously delighted and outraged the public with operas such as 'Light' in which the members of a string quartet were suspended by helicopters above the venue they were performing at. The conductor Sir Thomas Beecham was once famously asked if he had ever conducted any Stockhausen. He replied that he hadn't, but he might well have trodden in some.
Another of the world's most famous composers was Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) who turned his back on Romanticism in favour of a more avant-garde, irregular style epitomised by the ballet 'Firebird'. He then reworked a number of classic compositions in a modernist, experimental manner. He is roday regarded as highly influential on French and American classical music.
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) embraced the broadening media-music sphere to become a TV star, a great pianist and a conductor as well as arguably the finest American classical artist of his time. As well as writing ballets and operas he turned his hand to popular musicals, creating such hits as 'West Side Story'.
Like Bernstein, George Gershwin (1888-1937) also expanded his horizons by composing Broadway musicals such as 'Oh Kay', 'Strike Up the Band' and 'Girl Crazy'. He also absorbed the influence of the jazz that was popular in his time to write the iconic 'Rhapsody in Blue'. Gershwin's last notable composition was 'Porgy and bess' which incorporated the music and experience of African-Americans in a wholly unprecedented way. Along with the others in the list, Gershwin can truly be one of the greatest and most famous modern composers to have blessed the world.
Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about famous modern composers, please visit Classical Musics Greatest Composers Site [http://classicalmusicsgreatestcomposerssite.info] for current articles and discussions.
Article Source: EzineArticles
The current popularity of the replicas of the ancient Anasazi flute among members of the Native American flute community present some interesting challenges for the Native American flute (NAF) enthusiast. The main difference comes from the nature of sound production of the different flutes. Traditional NAFs owe their mouthpiece structure to the European recorder or penny whistle due to the fipple which splits the air column creating the sound.
As the NAF developed, a two-chamber system with a small air channel directing the airflow became the standard. The Anasazi flute replicas are examples of a much earlier, less technical system of using a mouth-guided airflow, or embouchure, as the means of sound production.
The early NAFs scale and tuning systems varied. There was a biometric method based upon boring holes corresponding to distances of various points of the player's hands, as well some tunings much like the major scale of recorders and penny whistles. Sometime in the 1950s-70s the standardization of the pentatonic scale became the familiar sound that has attracted people to the flute. The relative ease of sound production and pleasing sound of the pentatonic scale ensures quick success for the musician and non-musician alike. In contrast, the Anasazi-style flutes require that a tone be created by training the mouth muscles to direct the sound across the front edge of the top of the flute. This difference is at first difficult for many people since sound is not automatically produced by simple blowing, but is produced much like blowing across a soda bottle. A bit of muscle memory and trial and error (and a significant amount of practice) is necessary before a consistent sound can be obtained.
The other difference between the two flutes is that the basic scale pattern of the Anasazi flute is a pentatonic major scale. That is somewhat of a simplification because by utilizing other fingerings a more plaintive, minor sound can also be produced, but the main harmonic basis of the flute is a pentatonic major. Although the two flutes are different in construction and playing technique, the two can indeed be played together as will be discussed in a future article.
Mark Purtill is an educator, artist, composer, performer and author and maker of anasazi flute replicas as well as other rim blown flutes. http://www.anasazidream.com
Having your own drum kit will make it easier for you to set up your own drum set. However, even without a drum kit, you will still be able to set up your drum sets by using your stool or throne as guide. When using your throne as a guide in setting up your drums, place your throne in the middle of an empty room. Sit on the throne with your drumsticks to get the feel of the height and depth which you may need in setting up your drums. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in from of your drums.
Roland TD-12s V-Stage drum set. Shot also includes an extra PD-105 tom pad, CY-8 cymbal, Axis Longboard double kick pedal, and Iron Cobra Hi-Hat stand. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
While closing your eyes and imagining yourself in front of your drum set, feel the balance of your throne. Both your feet should be planted firmly on the floor when you do this. Keep your feet on a comfortable position and then open your eyes. Check your feet and make sure that the width between your feet is more or less the same width as your shoulders. Putting your feet on a wide angle will give you a more stable and strong base. The location of your feet in very important because this will determine where you will put your pedals for your bass drum and hi hat. To make sure that your feet are comfortable where they are, try shifting your feet and experiment on different position. Do not worry, there is no hard and fast rules as to where you should put your feet when playing your drums so just go with the natural flow of your body.
Air drumming will help you gauge the possible height and reach of the drums. Play a mental tune and start drumming into the air as if you are playing your instruments in an actual concert. Pay close attention to where your hands go when you are air drumming so that you will know which way your body flow naturally. Always remember that our bodies have its own natural reflexes. By going with the natural flow of your body movements, you will be able to move more fluidly.
Setting Your Drum Set
Once you are comfortable with your position, mark the spot with chalk or any other non-permanent markers. Bring in your drums one by one and set them up one by one. Start by adding your bass drum first and then followed by your hi hat. Test your position again before you add your other instruments like the snare drum and cymbals. Every time you add another piece of instrument into your drum set, test your body movements and make sure that your movements are not restricted in anyway. If you feel that your movements are hampered in anyway, make adjustments. Always see to it that you are comfortable with what you are doing so that you can play your drums more beautifully.
The clarinet is a popular woodwind instrument. Many people play this instrument in bands, orchestras, solo, and in small groups. If you’re trying to choose an instrument, you might wonder whether the clarinet is for you. There are pros and cons to choosing to play the clarinet. Before you buy your first clarinet, it’s a good idea to figure out whether this is the instrument you want to invest your time and money in.
What Kind of Instrument Do You Want to Play?
There are several different kinds of instruments, and different reasons why you might want to pick the clarinet or make a different choice. Are you going to play in the school band or in an orchestra? A clarinet is a good choice. Do you want to play in a rock band? While there are popular clarinet players, you’re probably going to want to go with something like the keyboard, drums, or electric guitar, at least as a primary instrument. If you want to sing while you play an instrument, you’re going to have to pick a different instrument. The piano is a popular instrument if you’re playing in church, but I do play my clarinet in church, alongside the piano and the organ.
If you decide that the clarinet is the right type of instrument for you, you’ll probably want to test it out first. Most people are able to play the clarinet with enough practice, but it’s still a good idea to try it. Many students like to rent instruments, but I don’t recommend renting to own one: it’s a much more expensive way to acquire an instrument than buying one outright. If you don’t know anybody that has a clarinet that you can try out, feel free to rent a clarinet for a month so you can check it out before you buy one.
You can find inexpensive instruments online, but keep in mind that the cheapest instruments don’t always have the best sound quality, and you may want to replace them with better instruments later on if you start off with one.
Reasons to Play the Clarinet
There are many good reasons to learn to play the clarinet. It’s a fairly easy instrument to learn to play; you don’t need extensive music lessons to be able to play this instrument. You can probably even teach yourself how to play this popular woodwind. If you want to play in the school band, orchestra, or at home for fun, this is a popular choice for many people, and may be right for you as well.
Buying a new saxophone requires minimal knowledge of the types of saxophones available in the market as well as the differences that distinguish them from each other. Saxophones are generally categorized into four types. The first would be the soprano saxophone which is in the key of B flat. Its sound or pitch is higher compared to the other saxophones and is therefore generally considered as the hardest to play. This is not recommended to beginners who are not yet adept at playing the instrument. The second type is called the Alto Saxophone and is in the key of E flat.
It is the one commonly played most especially by beginners. This type of saxophone is recommended to beginners because most of the practice materials and compositions for beginners are in the alto pitch. The third one is called the tenor saxophone. It is in the key of B flat and is mostly used for playing jazz and blues as well as rock music. However, the neck of this kind of saxophone is longer than the other types of saxophone making it more prone to damage. The fourth kind is the baritone saxophone. It is usually played for jazz solos. It is the largest among the other three types of saxophone that its players will have to wear a harness to support its weight.
The person buying a new saxophone must determine first the exact purpose(s) for which the instrument is to be purchased. For instance, if one is looking at buying a new saxophone to play mostly jazz or rock music, then the best choice would be the tenor saxophone. But if the person using the instrument is a beginner and wishes to learn more about playing the instrument, then the Alto Saxophone is the best pick. Since these saxophones also come in different shapes and sizes, one who intends to use the saxophone regularly and wishes it to be more handy and manageable as opposed to heavy and sturdy will have to do away with baritone saxophone.
After delimiting one’s choice to any particular type of saxophone, the next consideration would be the price. This is very important especially if one has to work with a limited budget. Nevertheless, price consideration is also important vis a vis the market value of the instrument. One would not want to purchase an extremely cheap saxophone as it may render the quality of the instrument in doubt; neither is it wise for anyone to just rush and purchase a new instrument for a price twice its real market price. That would be a total rip off!!
Checking out the manufacturer of the saxophone may also help in ensuring that the saxophone is going to be good quality. This is especially important to ensure that one does not buy an instrument which is difficult to tune, has bad or weak tone, or is easily broken. The model of the instrument may also be helpful in buying a new saxophone. However, for students who wish only to purchase new saxophones for practice and casual playing as opposed to professionally using the instrument, being particular with the model may not be necessary. Finally, when the questions on the type of saxophone, its price, manufacturer and model have been settled it is important to make sure that the instrument is in its best condition. Check for faulty hardware, breaks, leaks, or bent parts. When all these have been observed, one may then proceed to purchase buying a new saxophone.
Talib Kweli performing in Brooklyn/Red Bull Experiment
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Gangster rap, or hardcore rap, is generally considered a sub genre of the larger category of rap music, which itself is a subcategory of hip-hop. Gangster rap is differentiable from other rap music in that it makes use of images of urban life associated with crime (Haugen, 2). According to the Encyclopedia Britannica definition of gangster rap, the top four images associated with the genre are violence, drugs, materialism and sexual promiscuity.
Gangster Rappers as Defining the Hip-Hop Social Group
As the hip-hop movement has gained recognition throughout the United States, it has established itself as one of the fastest growing social groups anywhere. In the late 1990s immediately following the murders of both Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, two nationally known gangster rappers, a propaganda campaign escalated against rap music and the hip-hop culture (Slaughter). Although gangster rap only represented a small percentage of the hip-hop culture at the time, all hip-hop and rap music was instantly stereotyped negatively as being “gangter-like”. Why? Well, this gangster version of hip-hop was the highest selling and most recognized form of hip-hop music among the majority class. And many critics have determined that this is because America is in love with sex, drugs and violence (Whaley).
Hip-Hop’s Rejection of Inferior Social Group Status
Henri Tajfel, a social psychologist who developed a theory of inter-group relations and social change, argues that members of a social group deemed inferior by a majority class can either accept or reject their inferior position in society. If a group refuses to accept its inferior position in society as just, it will attempt as a group to change things (Coates, 8-9). A large number of hip-hop artists have used their musical lyrics to reject the inferior social status placed upon them by the majority class.
The Reconstruction of the Gangster Identity
I have found that hip-hop artists use lyrics, both musical and poetic, to redefine the negatives characteristics given to their culture by the majority class, and in the process, reconstruct the gangster identity. By examining these hip-hop and gangster rap lyrics as text, I will show ways in which the lyrics attempt to reconstruct the stereotyped gangster rap identity by examining different views of violence, drugs, materialism and sexual promiscuity. In the end, one tends to wonder: Who exactly are the real gangsters?
Violence
That the hip-hop culture represents gangster-like violence is perhaps the biggest disputed claim amongst hip-hop artists. In order to disprove this claim, many hip-hop artists have pointed to the violence that exists within the majority social group, and how it leads to violence all over the world.
In “Violence”, 2 Pac demonstrates his belief that violence was prevalent long before gangster rap existed:
I told em fight back, attack on society
If this is violence, then violent's what I gotta be
If you investigate you'll find out where it's comin’ from
Look through our history, America's the violent one
Here, the poet points to American society as “the violent one” and that he has to be violent in order to “fight back.”
In “Who Knew”, Eminem showed a similar viewpoint by expressing his belief that violence is a common occurrence in American society, yet not challenged in genres outside of the urban environment:
So who's bringin’ the guns in this country?
I couldn't sneak a plastic pellet gun through customs over in London
And last week, I seen a Schwarzaneggar movie
Where he's shootin’ all sorts of these bad guys with an Uzi
Here, the poet questions the existence of violence in a country that allows firearms and violent movies.
In “Casualties of War”, Rakim blames the United States government, specifically its Head of State, as the group causing the violence in society with their war-like ways:
I'ma get back to New York in one piece
But I'm bent in the sand that is hot as the city streets
Sky lights up like fireworks blind me
Bullets, whistlin’ over my head remind me...
President Bush said attack
Flashback to Nam, I might not make it back
In this text, the poet refers to our country’s decision to go to war as an example of the violence that exists amongst the majority social class.
In “The Watcher”, Dr. Dre redefines the negative characteristic of violence by pointing to the police force as the source of violence, and therefore, referring to them as “gangster-like”:
Things just ain't the same for gangstas
Cops is anxious to put people in handcuffs
They wanna hang us, see us dead or enslave us
Keep us trapped in the same place we raised in
Then they wonder why we act so outrageous
Run around stressed out and pull out gauges
Cause everytime you let the animal out cages
It's dangerous, to people who look like strangers
Here, the poet accuses the majority class of keeping them “trapped in the same place we raised in” and that the perceived violence is only due to the introduction of “people who look like strangers.”
These are examples of how hip-hop artists redefine the image of violence by showing how it exists or was created within the majority social group.
Drugs
Another common disputed stereotype of hip-hop artists is their use and distribution of illegal drugs. In attempts to redefine this negative characteristic, many hip-hop artists have pointed at the majority social group as the facilitator of drug abuse.
In “Justify My Thug”, Jay-Z speaks directly to members of government, raising questions about who has made the availability and use of these drugs possible:
Mr. President, there's drugs in our residence
Tell me what you want me to do, come break bread with us
Mr. Governor, I swear there's a cover up
Every other corner there's a liquor store - what is up?
In this example, the poet inquires as to why there is a liquor store in “every other corner” of his community.
In “I Want to Talk to You”, Nas uses the same approach to challenge the notion of drug distribution by asking his representatives what they would do in his situation:
Why y'all made it so hard, damn
People gotta go create their own job
Mr. Mayo,r imagine if this was your backyard
Mr. Governo,r imagine if it was your kids that starved
Imagine your kids gotta sling crack to survive
Here, the poet claims that the distribution of drugs is not only an effect of the poverty that exists in his environment, but also a means of survival.
In “Manifesto”, Talib Kweli actually accuses the government of being the body which allows drugs into the country:
Like the C.I.A. be bringin’ in crack cocaine bailin’ out of planes
With the George Bush connections, I push Reflection
Like I'm sellin’ izm, like a dealer buildin’ the system
Supply and the demand it's all capitalism
People don't sell crack cause they like to see blacks smoke
People sell crack cause they broke
In this example, the poet accuses the C.I.A. of flying drugs into the country, and again reiterates the point that it is a means of survival due to the “supply and demand” of a capitalist society.
In “Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster”, the Geto Boys fully redefine the negative characteristic of drug distribution by accusing the President of being a drug dealer, and therefore, a gangster:
And now, a word from the President!
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta
Getting’ voted into the White House
Everything lookin’ good to the people of the world
But the Mafia family is my boss
So every now and then I owe a favor gettin' down
Like lettin' a big drug shipment through
And send 'em to the poor community
So we can bust you know who
These examples show how hip-hop artists redefine the image of being drug dealers and users by again pointing to the majority class as the creator of the drug problem in this country.
Materialism
Hip-hop music is also seen by the majority class as a genre dominated by materialism. Again, artists point back to the majority class in an attempt to redefine this negative characteristic.
In “Respiration”, Black Star points to all the wealth surrounding urban areas, and how it absorbs the lower class in materialism, making them want parts of that wealth:
Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin’ class watches
Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living
Is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options
Here, the poet talks about various materialistic aspects of the majority class, and how the lower class must “play or die” to “stay alive.”
In “All Falls Down”, Kanye West actually blames this materialism on American society:
It seems we living the American dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
In this example, the poet blames the “American dream” for materialism, saying it causes people to “do the ugliest things” for “riches and diamond rings.”
In “Los Angeles Times”, Xzibit also blames this materialism on the majority class, claiming that is what the youth are taught coming up in urban environments:
Welcome to L.A.
Where you can see the whole city burning
Cause the cops got Uzis and the dealers keep serving
And your kids ain't learning it, except this
Sex power and wealth, forget everything else
Here, the poet expresses his belief that certain aspects of materialism, including “power and wealth” are taught to children through occurrences in society.
These are examples how hip-hop artists redefine the negative characteristic of being materialistic by showing examples of how this materialism is prevalent in the majority class, and often created within that class.
Sex
And the final debated stereotype of the hip-hop social class is that they are sexually promiscuous, often leading to disrespectful treatment towards women. The poets also attempt to redefine this stereotype by blaming the core of the problem on society.
In “Pussy Galore”, the Roots claim that the country’s obsession with sex is pushed by sexually-driven marketing campaigns:
Lookin' out the limo window up at the billboards
200 miles, she was the only thing I saw
Promotin' everything, from the liquor to the nicotine
Cell phones, anti-histamines, chicken wings
You gotta show a little skin to get them listening
For real yo, the world is a sex machine
In this example, the poet retells a personal experience in which he saw sex advertisements as “promotin’ everything.” And in order to “get them listening”, he claims, “you gotta show a little skin.”
In “Get By”, Talib Kweli blames this sexual obsession on what we view on television:
The TV got us reachin’ for stars
Not the ones between Venus and Mars,
The ones that be readin’ for parts
Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers
Here, the poet expresses his belief that television creates a misconception of what people should be sexually, and that contributes to the promiscuity that is being blamed on the hip-hop movement.
Hip-hop artists have used their lyrics and poetry to influence the rejection and reconstruction of the gangster identity that plagues their social class. This is accomplished through the redefining of negative characteristics assigned by the majority class. In most cases, these redefinitions include pointing to the majority class as the real holders of these negative characteristics. The redefining of these “gangster-like” images through hip-hop lyrics helps to reconstruct the gangster identity by questioning “gangster-like” behaviors and which social class actually has these behaviors. So the question presented is: Who exactly are the gangsters?
Works Cited / Discography
2 Pac. 2Pacalypse Now. Jive Records, 1991.
Black Star. Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star. Rawkus Records, 1998.
Coates, Jennifer. Women, Men and Language. Longman Publishing, New York: 1993.
Dr. Dre. The Chronic 2001. Interscope Records, 1999.
Eminem. The Marshall Mathers LP. Interscope Records, 2000.
