LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: The Deaf Musician

Johann van Beethoven (Father of Ludwig)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Beethoven was among the most famous classical and romantic music composers. He was born in December 1770, in a place known as Bonn, the capital of Electorate of Cologne and a part of Roman Empire. Ludwig was born in a family deeply involved in classical music. His first music teacher was his father Johan Van Beethoven.

By the age of 14, he started to work as an assistant organist in a court. While he was working for Christian Gottlob Neefe who was a member of Order of the Illuminati, Beethoven got influenced by the ideas of Freemasonry. A secret society criticized for working for devils and worshipping occults.

In 1787 Ludwig's mother got sick and then died, following which his father went deep into alcoholism. Having no one to care for his younger siblings he had to stay in Bonn for next five years. In 1792, Beethoven left Bonn for Vienna where he learned playing music from Joseph Haydn and Leopold Mozart.

In Vienna, Beethoven had to strive hard to conceive notable reputation in the musical industry. For the premiere of his first symphony, he hired the Burgtheater and presented his Septet, the First Symphony and Piano Concertos, along with some works of Haydn and Mozart. Soon after these achievements, Beethoven started to gain fame and eminence.

In 1799, when Beethoven was teaching music lessons to Hungarian Countess's daughters, he started an affair with the youngest daughter, Josephine. But as soon as the Countess Anna Brunswick discerned this, she married her daughter Josephine with Josef Deym. The love between them didn't diminish and was accentuated again after the sudden death of Deym.

Picture representing Ludwig van Beethoven in 1823
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Beethoven's hearing ability started to deteriorate by the age of 26, it is said that he suffered from a severe form of tinnitus, typhus or some sort of auto immune disorder. He was used to writing letters to his friends and doctors, in which he wrote about the pain and agony he was facing but nothing would help. His ability to hear gradually decreased until 1814 when he completely became deaf.

Although Beethoven had lost his hearing ability, he didn't quit playing music. One of the famous incidents is when he blatantly started to cry before the audience due to his inability to hear the applause after his ninth symphony. He continued to have public concerts until the 24th of May 1824 when the concert was attended by few and nothing went well.

Josephine had already married another commoner and Beethoven was left alone. After a long sickness and bed rest of two months, he died in March 1827. The autopsy revealed that he died of liver damage and auditory dilation due to excessive intake of alcohol. His name as one of the best classical music composers will never be forgotten in the world of classical music.

By Isabella Victoria Isabella Victoria is a professional writer and providing services on music composers, and on classical music. Article Source: EzineArticles

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NATIVE DRUMS - How to Tune Your Native Indian Drum

Tuning Native Drums

If your drum tone sounds flat and dull then it needs tuning, before we go into the "How to Tune" part, let's discuss factors that affect rawhide. Rawhide by its nature shrinks or expands depending on certain conditions. In cold, moist and humid weather or these types of environments rawhide expands. In hot and dry weather or when exposed to a heat source rawhide shrinks.

Photo   by Smithsonian Institution

Now, armed with this knowledge about rawhide we can use it to our advantage to tune our drum to that perfect tone we want. When your drum tone is flat and dull and the rawhide appears to be loose then you need to get the rawhide to tighten. We now know that exposing our drum to a heat source shrinks the rawhide.

Warning! Over exposing your drum to heat can lead to permanent damage. Please re-read that again, because whatever heat source you use it's important to know this. So don't place your drum in front or next to a heat source and walk away and forget about it. Ok, now that we have got that out of the way let us look at some different methods we can use to heat our drum which causes the rawhide to shrink and gives us a better tune/tone from our drum.

Methods to tune your Drum

• Hair dryer - the quickest and easiest way to tune a drum. Start in the centre of the drum and work your way towards the edges. Should only take a few minutes.
• Heat lamp - Place the drum in front of the heat lamp, once again should only take a few minutes. Periodically play your drum to test the tone.
• Heater or fire place- Using this method it's important not to place the drum too close to the heat. If it's too hot for your hand then you need to move the drum further away.
• Campfire - The preferred method of Native Indians to tune their drums. Most of us have seen the image of Native Indians dancing around the fire beating on their drums. Just make sure you do not place your drum too close to the naked flames.

Each of the above methods works well, just make sure you do not over do it. By that I mean, leave the drum in front or too close to the heat source for too long. If you do, over time the rawhide will become over stretched and eventually lose its natural elastic quality.

Also, if you over do it the rawhide can shrink too much and damage the timber frame of the drum. Regardless of the method you use, test the tune of the drum as you go through the process by playing the drum until you are happy with the tone. Providing it's done correctly you can repeatedly use these methods without affecting the life span of the drum.

So far we have talked about ways to tune your drum if it sounds flat and dull. What if you have the opposite problem? On a hot dry day the drum may sound very high pitched; in this case, the best way to get the rawhide to loosen is by spraying or sprinkling small amounts of water on the rawhide.

Start from the edges of the drum and work your way to the middle. Let it rest for a few minutes then test the tone of the drum. Keep repeating until you have the desired tone. Avoid wetting the timber frame of the drum and just like the heating method don't over do it. In fact, use this method if you do over heat your drum to loosen the rawhide.

Other factors that affect the tune and tone of Native American Drums.

Besides environmental conditions, there are other factors that affect the tone and pitch of Native Indian drums. They are:

• Size of the drum. Generally the larger the drum size, that includes the rawhide surface area, timber frame width and depth, the deeper the tone and more the tone resonates. Small drums tend to have a more sharp higher pitch. Although other factors come into effect which can affect the tune, tone and pitch, regardless of the size.
• Rawhide thickness. In my experience rawhide thickness has the biggest effect on the tone of drums, particularly "Hoop Drums". The thicker the hide the deeper the tone and pitch. Thinner hides have a higher sharp pitch. So you can have a large drum with a thin hide which produces a high sharp pitch tune or a smaller drum with a thick hide that producers a deep long tune.

These are all important factors you need to take into consideration when selecting your drum.

Native Drums in Australia

By Beatrice Polimeni Southwest Trading Post is the direct importers of authentic Native Drums into Australia. All our drums go through the appropriate quarantine procedures when entering the country. If you have any questions please contact us through our website http://www.southwesttraders.com.au/. Article Source: EzineArticles

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BAROQUE MUSIC

For me the baroque period music really has some of my favourite pieces in it, is usually bright and very positive in sound. From the wonderful sound of the oboe, to the really bright tones of the mandolin. There is something in this musical genre to lift anyone's spirits.

I do of course also like some of the sad and dark moments in the baroque music era as well, one that i love is didos lament (when i am laid in earth) from henry purcells opera dido and aeneas. This aria is really beautiful and very sad indeed, it cannot fail to move anyone almost to tears.

One really cannot do justice to the baroque period, which spans from about 1600 to 1750. With the wealth of composers contained within that timeframe, in just the brief context of this article. But we can list a few of the composers and some of my personal favourites.

ATomaso Albinoni (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

George Friderich Handel.

1/ Lascia Ch'io Pianga (let me lament my cruel fate) from

rinaldo.

2/ Ombra mai fo from his opera xerxses (known as his largo)

3/ The Sarabande (3 beat dance)

4/ Sound an Alarm from his oratorio Judas Maccabeus.

Johan Sebastian Bach.

1/ Double violin concerto

(The Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings and Continuo in D

Minor, BWV 1043)

2/ The bach Cello Suites.

Antonio Vivaldi.

1/ The Four Seasons (spring,summer,autumn,winter)

2/ The mandolin concertos

Tomaso Albinoni

1/ The Oboe Concerto,s

2/ Adagio for Strings.

Johan Pachelbel

1/ Pachelbel,s Cannon (Canon in D major )

Gregorio Allegri

1/ Miserere mei, Deus" (Latin: "Have mercy on me, O God").

This is a truly beautiful piece of music.

I really hope i have managed to give you an appetite, and you will now explore the diverse amount of music contained within the baroque period.

The baroque period contains some real jewels to listen to, i never tire of listening to the wonderful music contained within this timeframe. I also look forward to discovering some more gems as i continue exploring the genre.

By Steve Thorn Article Source: EzineArticles

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SAXOPHONES, Jazz Musicians, and the Influence of Inner Personal Conflicts

Saxophones, in comparison to many other instruments, do not have a very long history. The first one was designed around 1840 by a Belgian named Adolphe Sax in an attempt to improve the sound of the clarinet. Adolphe planned the saxophones as a family of instruments ranging in size from the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass, and sub-contrabass. Saxophones were first introduced into a musical score in 1844 by Jean-George Kastner. Saxophones were initially used in symphonies, military bands, and chamber music, then in big bands, and in the 1920's saxophones were incorporated into jazz music.

Saxophone Music - Photo  by  screen-box.de 

Jazz music began it's infiltration into American music in March 1917. The principal instruments used included the trumpet, cornet, slide trombone, valve trombone, French horn, baritone, clarinet, family of saxophones, percussion, string bass, and piano. When members of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band were recording their music in a New York studio, they were instructed to play faster in order to fit the whole song on a record. This exciting, lively, assertive, rowdy, and bold music is what caught the attention of everyone's listening ears. It was a time when America was hard at work and needed an outlet, a way to play. They grasped this new style with full force and made jazz a favorite pastime.

Although this seemed like new music, it was not totally new in the truest sense of the word. It involves taking apart an already established song and then putting it back together in a novel way. Jazz also involves, to a large extent, the component of improvisation in order to interpret the melody or harmony in a fresh way. Playing jazz involves elements of spontaneity, spirit, creativity, and rhythmic drive. As stated by Gary Giddins, "It's the ultimate in rugged individualism. It's going out there on that stage and saying: It doesn't matter how anybody else did it. This is the way I'm going to do it." Jazz allows the expression of a full range of emotions with whichever instrument the musician is using.

Clearly, one of the most expressive instruments in this type of music are saxophones with their ability to squeal, laugh, shriek, and whisper. Saxophones are able to release the inner voice, the feelings, the inner personality of the musician playing them. Not only is jazz music an outlet for those listening to it, but also for the musicians playing the music with their saxophones. Certainly what wasn't able to be said in words was often verbalized musically whether through a soulful lament or a happy energetic, playful sound, especially with the tenor, alto, or soprano saxophones.

This means of expression is portrayed in the music of not only the early innovators of swing, but also in bebop, hard bop, jazz, free jazz, and electric jazz/rock/funk. Some of the best and most renowned music came from those musicians with the most difficult inner personal conflicts. It seems though that those with the most troubled lives had the most inner drive to make their music as brilliant as possible.

This author is a saxophonist, novice pianist, and novice guitarist. In addition, she is an occupational therapist who works with a host of disabilities utilizing sensory integration and neurodevelopmental therapy in combination with music and a variety of other techniques to assist these persons in achieving the highest level of function and quality of life possible. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Biography - The Story of a Great Musician

Johann Sebastian Bach The Bach Museum,
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Johann Sebastian Bach biography is an interesting read. In Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685 Johann Sebastian Bach was born. He was the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elizabeth Lammerhirt Bach. His father was an organist in the church and many other family members were also musicians.

Members of the Bach family were skilled at playing many instruments including the clavichord, violin, organ and harpsichord. There were also singers in the family. Bach received training in all of these areas in the early years of his musical training.

Both of Bach's parents died when he was only nine years old. His father died first and his mom died just two months later. At age ten he went to live with his older brother Johann Christoph who was an organist at church and who became Bach's first music teacher. Bach had longed for a singing career and was a very talented singer. He was chosen to sing in the church choir.

In 1700 an opening came about at St. Michael's School in Luneburg and he was awarded a singing scholarship. His voice began to change and he started playing the violin. Bach graduated in 1702.

Exterior of St. Thomas Church, Leipzig,
with Bach statue
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By a church in Arnstad Germany Bach was hired in 1703 as an organist. This opportunity gave him ample time to practice his favorite instrument. In 1707 Bach became the organist for a church in Muhlhausen, Germany. He married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach later in that same year. This is also the year that Cantata No. 71, God Is My King was composed.

A year later Bach went to Weimar, Germany and became the court organist to Duke Wilhelm Ernst. From 1708 to 1710 Bach composed a large amount of original organ music. Prince Leopold of Cöthen, Germany offered Bach a position in 1716. A highlight of the Johann Sebastian Bach biography is that Bach produced his finest instrumental compositions during this period.

In 1720 Maria died. She left him a widower and with seven children. In 1921 Bach married Anna Magdalena Wulken who was a twenty-year-old singer. Over the next twenty years they had thirteen children together.

Bach was named the choir leader of Leipzig, Germany in 1723. His duties were to provide choral music to the churches St. Thomas and St. Nicholas. Bach also taught classes in music, gave private singing lessons, and taught Latin. It was while Bach was in Leipzig that he composed the majority of his choral music.

A sad ending of the Johann Sebastian biography is that Bach began to slowly lose his eyesight in his final years and went completely blind in the last year of his life. On July 28, 1750 Bach died due to complications from a stroke and high fever.

Bach was a well-regarded composer and musician, but his works were not published until he was forty-one. And it was not until fifty years after his death that he became well-known outside of Germany. To this day Bach is widely remembered for his exceptional compositions.

By Wendy Pan Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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CHINESE OPERA

Beijing opera, more commonly known as Peking opera to westerners, is deemed the national opera of China. The accompanying music, singing and costumes are all fascinating and artistic. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents to the audience an encyclopedia of Chinese culture as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and acrobatic fighting. Since it enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province of China has more than one Beijing Opera troupe, who is called "piaoyou" in Chinese. This kind of opera is so popular among Chinese people, especially seniors, that even a "Beijing Opera Month" has been declared.

Beijing Opera - Photo  by  Ana Paula Hirama 

It has existed for over 200 years. It is widely regarded as the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It is known as one of the three main theatrical systems in the world. Artistically, Beijing Opera is perhaps the most refined form of opera in the world. It has deeply influenced the hearts of the Chinese people. Although it is called Beijing Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in the Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei. Beijing Opera got its two main melodies, Xi_Pi and Er_Huang, from Anhui and Hubei operas. It then absorbed music and arias from other operas and musical arts in China.

In the ancient times, Beijing Opera was performed mostly on open-air stages in markets, streets, teahouses or temple courtyards. The orchestra had to play loudly and the performers had to develop a piercing style of singing, in order to be heard over the crowds. The Beijing opera band mainly consists of orchestra band and percussion band. The former frequently accompanies peaceful scenes while the later often follows scenes of war and fighting. The commonly used percussion instruments include castanets, drums, bells and cymbals. One person usually plays the castanets and the drum simultaneously, which are the conductor of the whole band.

It is said that the facial painting art derived from the Chinese opera has different origins. But no matter what its origin is, the facial painting is worth appreciating for its artistic value. The paintings are presentations of the roles of the characters. For example, a red face usually depicts the role's bravery, uprightness and loyalty; a white face symbolizes a sinister role's treachery and guile; a green face describes surly stubbornness, impetuosity and lack of self-restraint. In addition, the pattern of the facial painting reveals the role's information too. In a word, the unique makeup in the opera allows the characters on the stage to reveal them voicelessly.

Liyuan Theater inside Qianmen Hotel in Beijing is an ideal place for you to enjoy some Beijing Opera.

About the Author: Jin Huang has an interest in Chinese Culture related subjects. Source: www.isnare.com - Permanent Link

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Canon in D by PACHELBEL - The Song Everybody Knows

The Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel is a composition well known throughout the world. It's a piece of music that is played in commercials, feature films, and shopping mall music systems. Its melody and harmony are such that, when heard, spur an "I know this song" reaction in listeners.

Johann Pachelbel

Pachelbel wrote this music around 1680. Its exact name is 'Canon and Gigue in D Major for three Violins and Basso Continuo'. It's now called, in regular parlance, the Canon in D (or D Major).

This canon was the only one that Pachelbel wrote. He wrote it as a piece of chamber music. Chamber music is a form of classical music originally intended for performance in a palace chamber. This type of music is for a small group of instrumentalists. One performer plays each separate part of the music.

Written for the bass and the violin and for small rooms, this song is not limited to that today. A wide variety of instruments in small and large musician groups perform this famous piece each year.

The term 'canon' in the title of the song refers to the type of music. A canon is a music of staggered singing or playing. In a canon, different instruments or singers start playing music. However, they do not start at the exact same time. They enter into the song one after another. The key to the canon is that they play the exact same sequence of notes. This results in intriguing variety and song complexity.

The note sequence in Canon in D Major is what catches one's ear. It is now a famous chord progression, which we recognize whenever and wherever we are. The song has a bass line-harmonic pattern, two bars long. This sequence repeats throughout the piece. The staggered singing or playing (the canon) plays over this repeating sequence of notes.

Johann Pachelbel was born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1653. He lived and worked during the Baroque period of classical music.

He was an organist, composer, and teacher in his life, who wrote much keyboard music for the organ. He wrote church music and secular music, holding jobs as a church organist throughout his career.

In fact, he established himself as a musician of stature in Erfurt, Germany. Here he was church organist at the Protestant Predigerkirchie (Lutheran Preacher's Church) starting in the year 1678. Erfurt was the Bach family's land of ancestral roots. Pachelbel actually taught Johann Christoph Bach, who was Johann Sebastian Bach's older brother.

Pachelbel also worked as an organist in the Court at Stuggart and the Court at Gotha in Germany. In 1695, he became organist at the Church of St. Sebald in Nuremberg. He replaced his former teacher, the German organist, and composer, George Caspar Wecker here upon the latter's death.

Pachelbel wrote chorale variations for the keyboard. Written in his day for organ and harpsichord they receive treatment on modern pianos of today as well. In this type of music, the chorale melody is the theme, and then the performer plays variations of this theme.

Although famous for his Canon in D today, Pachelbel also wrote toccatas, fantasies, and fugues. One important and impressive work is the Hexachordum Apollinis, which is a set of six keyboard arias and their variations.

The Canon in D Major continues to inspire listeners, piano players, and musicians of all sorts today. It's a 'musical' canon of great power that has endured through the centuries.

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular online newsletter on piano chords, available free at Exciting Piano Chords and Chord Progressions!  Article Directory: EzineArticles

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How to ROSIN a VIOLIN Bow

Rosin is a resin collected from pine trees all around the world. It is drawn from the trees in a tapping process in the same way that maple syrup is collected. A small area of the tree's bark is removed and a drip channel and collection container is fitted, the tree is cut with V-shaped grooves which allow the resin to run out of the tree into the container. The resin is mixed with other tree saps and purified. It is then heated and melted and poured into molds. After the mixture is set it is smoothed and polished and packed into containers.

Various types of violin/viola/cello rosin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The purpose of rosin is to make the hair grip the strings of the violin and cause them to vibrate. Without out rosin, the hair would glide smoothly over the strings and no sound would be produced.

Before you can successfully rosin your violin bow you must know about the two kinds of rosin. The first kind is called dark rosin this is also known as winter rosin. Dark rosin is a softer stickier rosin and is suited to dry cool climates. Light rosin is harder than and not as sticky as dark rosin. Both will work fine on any violin you must experiment with different kinds until you find the type that is right for you.

Applying the rosin is very easy. Simply take the rosin and glide it several times up and down the bow. Remember to use the rosin sparingly most people use far too much this will cause the rosin to drip down of the strings and stain the violin.

You do not need to apply rosin every day once every four or five times is enough after you have been playing a while you will develop a feel for how much rosin you need.

By Eric B Hill Eric B. Hill is a professional violin player and teacher with over 20 years experience. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Composer Illustrated: Leonard Bernstein - 25. 8. 1918 - 14. 10. 1990

Leonard Bernstein - 25.8.1918 - 14.10.1990

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Masters of the Podium: A Brief Biography of LEONARD BERNSTEIN

American Leonard Bernstein [1918-1990] could just as easily fall into the category "Composers' Corner," since he was as much a giant with the pen as he was with the baton. He was known primarily as the face of the New York Philharmonic and was on the podium for the American premiere of many important musical works throughout his career, including Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes, plus the world premiere of Symphony No. 2 by Charles Ives. Bernstein's association with the New York Philharmonic ran from 1943 all the way until the late 1980s, and he was officially the ensemble's principal conductor from 1958 through 1969.

Leonard Bernstein seated at piano, making annotations to musical score Azərbaycan: Leonard Bernstein pianinoda oturub, partiturada yazır. Español: Leonard Bernstein sentado a la piano, anotando una partitura Esperanto: Leonard Bernstein sidas ĉe piano kaj prilaboras partituron.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. He learned to play the piano at the age of 10 and attended Boston Latin School, where he met his lifelong music mentor, Helen Coates. Thanks to her careful management of his educational opportunities, Bernstein studied composition and music theory at Harvard University, following that with a year of training as a conductor at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Due to his asthma, Bernstein was ineligible for WWII service and therefore benefited from the lack of stateside talent the draft had caused. As a result, this relatively untested young man-he was 25 in 1943-was named assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic. He led them semi-regularly while also conducting the New York City Center Orchestra, plus appearing as a guest conductor in the immediate post-war period with various ensembles throughout the United States and Western Europe, as well as in Israel.

Bernstein's fame grew exponentially thanks to broadcasts of the series Young People's Concerts on the CBS television network. American viewers were treated to entertaining discussions of classical music, with Bernstein either at the piano or leading his orchestra through such masterpieces as Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Gustav Holst's The Planets. In all, Bernstein recorded 53 such programs that aired from 1962 to 1972 and enjoyed syndication in no fewer than 40 foreign countries. This series not only proved to be the most popular music appreciation program ever, but it gave rise to the modern-day equivalent where conductors routinely offer pre- or post-concert lectures for audience members. Bernstein was also known for making some of the first stereo records of important classical music. He led the Philharmonic in recording all nine complete Mahler symphonies, and later conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in complete sets of symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, and Schumann.

No article on Bernstein would be complete without mentioning his compositions, which remain extremely popular and an important part of late 20th century American music. While his best-known work is the Broadway musical West Side Story [1957] (with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim), he wrote a great deal of other material for the stage that includes the musicals On the Town [1944] and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue [1976], the ballet Dybbuk [1975], the one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti [1952] and its three-act sequel A Quiet Place [1983], and the operetta Candide [1956]. He composed numerous orchestral works, including three symphonies, several orchestral suites, and a Concerto for Orchestra, subtitled Jubilee Games [1989]. His most popular choral work is Chichester Psalms [1965], a Hebrew text set to music for boy soprano, chorus and orchestra. He also composed several chamber pieces, including a piano trio and a sonata for clarinet and piano.

Bernstein enjoyed the acclaim of his peers and the music world in general. The London Symphony Orchestra named him its honorary president in 1987. He won 11 Emmy Awards throughout his career, as well as a Tony Award in 1969. He was given a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1985 and Kennedy Center Honors in 1980. He was an inaugural supporter of Amnesty International and, in keeping with his lifetime interest in music as a force for peace in the world, memorably led concerts on both sides of the dismantled Berlin Wall in late 1989, titled the "Berlin Celebration Concerts."

By Paul Siegel The video clip that accompanies this article is Part 1 of "What is Classical Music" from his Young People's Concerts series. The original air date of this television program was January 24, 1959. Article Source: EzineArticles

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The Correct Way to Have a Good VIOLIN BOW Hold

The way the violin bow works is that the player holds it on the string and they pull it across the strings of the violin. This, in turn, creates vibrations and creates the resonating sound. It is an incredibly important part of learning how to play the violin, as it can cause bad consequences if a person develops a poor bow hold. So it should be one of the first things a violin player learns.

For many violin players, their downfall is holding the violin bow correctly. It is because it is so difficult to hold so precisely. The violin bow hold seems quite easy in principle, but holding some fingers in some unusual places may take a while to get used to.

Violin Bow - Photo  by BotheredByBees 

So here is some advice on how to hold the violin bow correctly:

1. Make sure the bow isn't too tight - the fiddlestick at its thinnest part between the wood and horsehair should be thin enough just to be able to scrape through a small finger.
2. Place the index finger around the side of the bow and place the end of the finger on the side of it
3. Move the middle and ring fingers over to the other side of the bow - roughly placing the ring finger on the circle on the other side.  
4. Finally, place the little finger on its tip toward the back of the violin bow, but not on the metal screwing part.
5. Be calm, as holding or tensing the bow a lot will make it harder to pull the bow over the string and make a better quality sound. So try to loosely put the fingers in place.
6. Try various holdings - look at what happens when you place more pressure on the bow; pressing harder should create a louder noise for example. This way, you can see if your fingers stay in the same correct places when doing different things.

So if you hold the violin bow correctly, then you shall create a much better sound and a smoother action which will help improve other difficult violin playing techniques in the future.

So learning how to play the violin with the correct bow hold shall make a massive difference in the life that you have of playing the stringed instrument.

Jake Jones has played the violin for many years and has created a website where people can Learn how to play the violin in detail. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Enter the WORLD OF MUSIC

Technology has made our lives simpler and with the new developments in technology not only is life getting simpler but technology is continuing to make more differences in our lives by contributing to various spheres of our lives like entertainment. With the internet, all this has now come to our very doorstep at just the click of the mouse.

Earlier for the purpose of listening to a song at least a visit to your local music store was required and seeing a video meant watching the band perform at one of their concerts or then getting a music video from the music store. Now anytime you wish to listen to some great music or watch a music video just log on and you can watch your favourite songs or watch free music videos and watch music videos in the comfort of your home. There is just no need anymore to venture out, technology has brought everything you desire right into your home or workplace.

There is good news for all music lovers. Now with internet technology, music fans can not only listen to their favourite artists but also watch free lyrics.  All the songs are available at just a click sitting in the comfort of your home. Not only can you now watch songs but also song lyrics and hear and enjoy the music and even sing along with the lyrics and all available to you.

The Internet is a world of choices for all music lovers and provides you all the information and the latest happenings in the music world. You can be up to date on all music news and the current hits on the US top 20 or the singles charts. The music site offers you the flexibility of watching your favourite stars totally uninterrupted(free from all the hosts). The music site is a legal way to watch music unlike using pirated versions.

It not only the music enthusiasts but also the music companies that have realized the potential of the internet as a great marketing tool for promoting their music.  You can not only watch music videos but also rate music videos. This would be useful to the other members in making a decision on their watches and also provides a good feedback to the music companies about the choices or preferences of the fans.

The music site thus provides you access into a whole world of music and music alone where you are the King. You can decide as to what you want and bring it home with just a click. You can then listen to the music of your choice or watch music videos at your own convenience and even rewind and see your favourite music videos over and over again. The world of music is now waiting for you to explore and soak in all that you can. Just log on and at the click, you can venture into this beautiful melodious world and be lost in the tunes and rhythms of your favourite stars.

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Everything You Need to Know About Violin From A-Z - PAGANINI

Hello, today I will be carrying on with my series everything you need to know about violin from A-Z. Today we are on P for Paganini. Paganini is one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of all time.

During his life, e advanced violin technique by leaps and bounds and created many of the techniques that are taken for granted today.

Niccolò Paganini (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He was born in Genoa Italy and was the third of six children. At the age of five, Paganini started learning mandolin from his father and moved to the violin at the age of seven. During his childhood, he displayed extraordinary musical talent and earned many musical scholarships.

He studied under many local violinists but quickly outshone his teachers who would refer him to their teachers who he would outstrip who would refer him to their teachers and so on. By the age of 18, he had become famous and wealthy from performing freelance concerts and had developed a major reputation as a gambler and womanizer.

Paganini took to the road performing throughout Europe and his fame soon spread with highly successful concerts in Vienna, London, and Paris. His technical ability and willingness to display it earned him much acclaim.

Paganini's health deteriorated due to mercury poisoning used by the medicine that was at that time used to treat syphilis. He became unable to play the violin and was forced to retire eventually dying of throat cancer. He refused the last rites believing that he had longer to live and died before a priest could perform them. Because of this, he was refused a Christian funeral and his body languished for months before it was finally laid to rest of hallowed ground.

By Eric B Hill Eric B. Hill is an professional violin player and teacher with over 20 years experience. Article Source: EzineArticles

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COUNTRY MUSIC Oldies

Willie Nelson became one of the most popular
country music artists during the 1970s.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Country music has many new artists but also plenty of older ones that still hold the world in awe. Country music oldies still pull at the heart strings of people and take them back to earlier times. There are many great songs out there that have stood the test of time. They have continued to reach out to old and new audiences for decades. These types of country music oldies can really help to bridge the generation gap that seems to always be a barrier in our society.

Just about everyone knows the words to I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline. It is a song that we can all relate to as we have all suffered from a broken heart. This is the top country music oldie by female artists that have ever been recorded. Next is Coal Miners Daughter from Loretta Lynn. The story tells about her life growing up poor but also growing up with plenty of love.

George Jones has a country music oldie with the tune He Stopped Loving Her Today. It tells the story of a man that loved a woman so much he continued to do so until the day he died. It is a very touching love song that can still bring a tear to my eye when I hear it. 

Johnny Cash has many great songs that people remember. Two that are oldies people always listen to are I Walk the Line and Ring of Fire. 

If you haven’t taken the time to listen to some country music oldies for a while, you should. It can lift your spirits and take you back to some fond memories of your past. The songs may take on a new meaning from what they once did long ago. You can find complete CDs of country music oldies for your home and your car. You can also download your favorite songs onto your iPod. 

If you have satellite radio, you will be happy to know they dedicate a few channels to country music oldies as well. Much regular radio station understands how many people still yearn for the oldies to be played. They may throw a few into the mix for their listeners on a regular basis. Some of them also have blocks of time dedicated to oldies as well. 

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TRUMPET CARE - The Care and Feeding of a Trumpet

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a band director, I've come to realize that most trumpet players don't clean their instruments often enough. I've actually seen trumpets that were almost totally clogged with crud. That is the "technical term" for the greenish, grayish, brownish sludge that forms inside an instrument over time. If it's been awhile since you cleaned your trumpet, prepare yourself for what will come out of it, but your trumpet will play better after it's clean.

Trumpets are fairly simple things. They are basically just 4 1/2 feet of brass tubing with valves and slides. It's the careful manufacturing and hand work that make it into a trumpet that plays well. A well-cared-for trumpet of good quality will last minimally 10-20 years with a lot of playing. A trumpet cared for poorly will be trash in a short time.

Although this article makes it sound like cleaning a trumpet is a long and involved process, once you have done it a couple times, it will only take you 15-20 minutes to complete, and it will make your instrument last much longer.

Unlike woodwind instruments (flutes, clarinets, saxophones, etc.), trumpets can be given baths to clean them. In fact, it's the only good way to truly clean them. You could take them to a music repair shop for an "acid bath", but that's really not necessary if given baths once a month or so. Once you get the accumulation of minerals in the horn, it will take an acid bath to remove them, but if you give the horn a bath often, your trumpet usually won't get mineral deposits.

You'll need a flexible cleaning brush or a cleaning snake, a valve casing brush, and a mouthpiece brush. You'll also need silver polish or a silver polishing cloth if it's silver plated, valve oil, and slide grease. I have always used liquid dishwashing soap in lukewarm water to clean my trumpets, but some manufacturers don't recommend the soap. Check with your product information or your manufacturer's website to make sure before you use it.

You'll also need a high-quality valve oil and slide grease if you want to make your trumpet last. Just like a car, the valves of a trumpet need a film of oil on them to work well. I've become sort of fanatical about how my trumpet valves work. I've tried just about every available brand of oil on the market, and I've decided that synthetic oils are the only oils to use. They last longer, and they minimize wear on the valves.

You also need a heavy grease for the main tuning slide and second valve slide. If you don't grease these slides, they will wear, and you'll start to see your slide moving when you least expect it throwing you out of tune...usually at the most inopportune times. They can also stick badly enough that it requires a trip to the repair shop to pull them. If you use a heavy grease, it will last until your next cleaning.

First, fill a bathtub with enough lukewarm water to cover the instrument. Hot water can damage the finish, so it's best avoided. Disassemble all of the instrument, but don't remove the water keys (spit valves), remove any triggers if so equipped, or disassemble the valves. If you have a trigger on the first or third valve slides, you'll need to remove the screw that holds the slide on, but don't remove any of the other parts of the trigger. Trust me, you don't want to try to put a trigger or water key spring back on without the necessary tool.

After it's disassembled, place all of the parts except the valves into the lukewarm water, and let them soak for a few minutes. After the soaking, run the snake through all of the tubings. Don't force it through any of the tight bends. Just go as far as you can. Then scrub the inside of the valve casings with the valve casing brush. After that, run clean water through all the tubing until the water runs clear.

Next, using a soft cloth clean between all the outer tubing to remove any dirt or tarnish. You might need to use silver polish to remove the tarnish on a silver trumpet. Never use silver or brass polish on the outside of a lacquered or "brass" looking trumpet. There is a clear lacquer protecting the finish, and polish can remove it. Next, clean the inside of the bottom valve caps with a paper towel. A lot of the crud settles in these caps.

After all, the tubing on the horn is clean, and the outer surface of the trumpet is clean, it's time to pay attention to the valves. I use one end of the cleaning snake to clean the ports of the valves and rinse them off with soap and water. Be careful inside the ports, You don't want to damage the metal with the end of the brush.

After all that, it's time to reassemble the horn, oil the valves and 1st and 3rd valve slides, and grease the main tuning slide and second valve slide. No, grease does not belong on the third valve slide. it will move too slowly. Oil is all you need. I know that seems like a long process, but it actually takes longer to type it than to do it, and your horn will last longer and play better afterward.

By Harry Richardson Harry Richardson has been a band director for 14 years with college degrees in trumpet performance and music education. For more information on selecting and purchasing trumpets and accessories, please visit http://www.trumpetfinder.com Article Source: EzineArticles

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