OBOE MUSIC for Beginners (Part Two) - Review of easy pieces with piano parts

Deux musettes du "Cantigas de Santa Maria" (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In addition to the necessity of a good oboe tutor book, it is important that young oboists get the opportunity to play rewarding yet accessible pieces, preferably with a piano accompaniment. This second article on oboe music for beginners looks at pieces which fall into this category. To be able to stand up in a school assembly or school concert and perform a rewarding piece of music is a highly motivating experience for most young oboe players. Playing the oboe is not an easy skill so anything which inspires young oboists will make them feel that the effort is worthwhile.

There are a number of good publications around containing appropriate music for such occasions; some of the material is original and some of it is specially arranged. It is from this range of material that the exam boards draw their list A & B syllabus too. There are a number of books of oboe music for beginners which I have found particularly useful over the years and which are to be found on both the Associated Board and Trinity Guildhall exam syllabi.

“The First Book of Oboe Solos” In my early days of teaching, this was far and away the best book of early oboe pieces available. The mixture of original and arranged music is very well presented and the majority is interesting to young oboists. A couple of fairly easy pieces opens the book but it soon moves on to more advanced material of Grade 2 to 3 standard.

“The Second Book of Oboe Solos” This is a sequel to the above book and, therefore, not really appropriate for absolute beginner oboists. It takes the approximate standard up to about Grade 5.

“The Really Easy Oboe Book” This collection of 20 progressive pieces was written to meet the demand when, about 20 years ago, the introduction of Grades 1 & 2 for woodwind instruments created a need for new appropriate repertoire. The pieces are all original and in a mixture of styles. The piano accompaniments are all easy to play for ‘non-specialist’ pianists. This book is widely used by both the AB and Trinity Guildhall boards.

“Learn as you play oboe” & “Abracadabra Oboe” Both these books are actually tutors but contain accompanied pieces used by the exam boards. In “Learn as you play oboe” there are 3 sets of pieces for which piano parts are available. In “Abracadabra Oboe” there is a book of piano accompaniments available for all the material in the book. For users of these tutors, the accompaniments are a very useful addition.

“Three Elizabethan Pieces” This set of three short pieces is a gem. The pieces are all perfect for young oboists and it is not surprising that they have found themselves on to the syllabi of both exam boards.

“Nine Short Pieces from Three Centuries” & “Oboe Music to Enjoy”These are both very good collections of pieces nicely arranged and both are used by the exam boards.

“All Jazzed Up for Oboe” For those who like a more contemporary slant to their repertoire, this is an excellent book. It adds a valuable source of lighter music to the repertoire of oboe music for beginners. The problem with jazzy pieces is that the rhythm patterns are often a bit tricky but with many young oboists facing jazzy repertoire in woodwind ensembles and wind bands these days, learning the idiom fairly early on in their oboe playing career is very important.

The above repertoire of oboe music for beginners is material which I have found particularly helpful myself. As I said earlier in the article, good, interesting, well-written music is motivating for young oboe players and gives them a great feeling of achievement. To be able to stand up in public or in an exam room and perform enjoyable music with confidence is probably the most inspiring situation for any young oboist; it makes them want to go home and practise for the next opportunity.

Robert Hinchliffe is a professional oboist, composer, teacher, conductor and music director. This article is based upon over 35 years of both playing and teaching the oboe. If you have found this article interesting and would like to know more about the oboe, please visit http://www.oboeplaying.co.uk. Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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OBOE MUSIC for Beginners (Part One) – A review of Oboe Tutor Books

An oboe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I began to play the oboe back in the late 1950’s, my teacher started me off with Otto Langey’s book, The Oboe. Although not ideal oboe music for beginners it was all that was available. Since that time a number of alternatives have become available, - some are learning methods and some are books of pieces for young players.

As an experienced player and teacher of the oboe, I have used a variety of material in oboe lessons over the years; - some of it is still available and some not. In this article, I will review the books that I have found particularly helpful and which, to the best of my knowledge, are still available today.

“A Tune a Day for Oboe” When I first began to teach in about 1972 this was the book most widely used, indeed it was one of the very few books of oboe music for beginners around at the time. It is still available although not used as often as it used to be. It is a fairly comprehensive book made up of a part tutor, part study book, and part easy pieces. The order in which the notes are introduced is a little questionable in my view but there is a nice balance of exercises and tunes used for each new note or technique introduced. The tunes selected are a mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar which is good. Some of the tunes in the first half of the book are in duet form, with a second part for the teacher to play. Some of the later music is arranged in duet or trio form for a group of students to play. “A Tune a Day” does have quite a lot to commend it but I always found it a slightly dull book, both for student and teacher.

“Learn as you play oboe” This book dates back to 1980 and quickly took over from “A Tune a Day” as the most used of the oboe tutor books. There were a few others which cropped up at about that time as I remember, but they quickly sank without trace. The approach of this book was fairly similar to “A Tune a Day” but with the addition of three sets of Concert Pieces for which piano accompaniments could be purchased. These pieces quickly found themselves on to the Associated Board syllabus at appropriate grades. This book was followed up by a book of First Repertoire Pieces (with piano accompaniments) which also found their way on to the exam boards. My assessment of this book is very similar to that of A Tune a Day in that it is rather dull and uninspiring. Also, the sequence in which the notes are taught is not entirely to my liking.

“Team Woodwind” I am not, and never have been a fan of any kind of band method. It is a concept which does not sit easily with me. I have included this book in my appraisal of oboe music for beginners as I know that some teachers like this particular approach or are pushed into it by circumstances. I have always believed that we begin by working in like-instrument groups (i.e. - with other oboes) before branching out when we are ready into woodwind ensembles and, later, bands and orchestras. Putting different woodwind instruments together too soon I feel is a mistake! “Team Woodwind” is a well-produced book with a reasonable collection of material but it is not for me.

“Abracadabra Oboe” When it came on the market back in 1990, Abracadabra Oboe was the book I had been waiting for since beginning to teach. The sequence in which the notes are taught is absolutely spot-on and the balance between learning material and tunes is excellent. There is also a very good balance between known tunes and the unfamiliar. The only shame is that this book did not materialize 20 years sooner. Material from this book has, not surprisingly, been adopted by the exam boards for the earlier grade exams too which makes it an ideal choice for beginner oboe players.

The three key issues in any oboe tutor must be:

1) The introduction of notes and techniques must be in a logical and helpful order.

2) The layout must be attractive to the eye of the beginner oboist.

3) Most important of all, the book must inspire and motivate young oboists to practice and, therefore, progress.

So, when assessing oboe music for beginners, in my personal opinion, based on many years of both playing and teaching, Abracadabra does all these three things in a way which no other oboe tutor does and provides an ideal starting point for anyone who wishes to learn to play the oboe.

Robert Hinchliffe is a professional oboist, composer, teacher, conductor, and music director. This article is based upon over 35 years of both playing and teaching the oboe. If you have found this article interesting and would like to know more about the oboe, please visit http://www.oboeplaying.co.uk.

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GEMEINHARDT FLUTES and the Historical Evolution of the FLUTE

Gemeinhardt is the world's largest exclusive maker of piccolos and flutes, making musical instruments for all level players from beginning students to professionals. Kurt Gemeinhardt was born in Germany and served as an apprentice to his father, also a flute maker. In fact, Kurt Gemeinhardt was a fourth generation flute maker. It is no wonder that Gemeinhardt has had a significant influence on the evolution of the flute in the 20th century.

In 1928 Kurt moved to Elkhart, Indiana, America's mid-20th century capital for musical instrument production. In 1948 he opened his own manufacturing plant called The Gemeinhardt Company. Gemeinhardt specialized in all-silver flutes, and in 1952 the plant had to be expanded to accommodate orders. Later, Gemeinhardt also made entry level flutes and other intermediate models.

In the late 1990s, Gemeinhardt acquired Roy Seaman Piccolo Company, which was famous for its handmade granadilla wood piccolos that are in demand from professionals the world over. Today, Gemeinhardt makes a range of flutes, including piccolos, student, intermediate, and professional flutes, bass flutes, and alto flutes.

The company is now part of a parent organization, Gemstone Musical Instruments, also based in Elkhart Indiana. Gemstone makes and distributes every level flute under a variety of names, including Gemeinhardt, which has a long reputation as a company that makes excellent flutes with beautiful intonation.

You can still occasionally find a hand-crafted Gemeinhardt flute from the 1960s - some of them made by Kurt Gemeinhardt himself. These are amazing instruments, many of which feature an open hole design, which allows for a richer, more lush tone. Anyone lucky enough to find a solid silver open hole flute from the 1960s will pay several thousand dollars for it, but in addition to its inherent quality and craftsmanship, it will have a long history to go with it, and might just have been held in the hands of the great Kurt Gemeinhardt himself.

By Lynn Bonzero Lynn loves to write about the Gemeinhardt Flute and the Gemeinhardt Piccolo. - Article Source: EzineArticles

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FLUGELHORN Tips - Make Good Music With a Quality FLUGELHORN

Rotary valves in a flugelhorn.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Originally used to summon army wings, the flugelhorn is at present an important instrument for creating jazz, popular, and brass band music. This brass wind instrument closely resembles a trumpet and saxophone, but its bore is wider and more conical. Likewise, while it shares the same B-flat pitch of most trumpets, the flugelhorn is more adapted for producing more mellow music as compared to the trumpet's bright and aggressive tone.

Flugelhorn tips for buyers

Depending on your level of expertise, you can choose from different types of flugelhorn of various quality and price ranges. In general, however, flugelhorns are more expensive than trumpets. New students are advised to first buy a trumpet to practice on before switching to a flugelhorn. This switch should be easy given the two instruments' similarities with regards to playing style. If money is not a problem though, beginners can opt for a student grade flugelhorn which can set them back by an average of $700.

Regardless of the type of flugelhorn, you intend to buy, make sure that you try each one before making a purchase. This would help you get a good feel of the horn, especially if you are choosing between horns of different bore sizes. Flugelhorns with small bores play differently from those with larger bores and trying one of each would help you asses which one is better for you.

More flugelhorn tips

Aside from flugelhorn tips on buying a good instrument, it also pays to heed advice on how to play the horn. The best way to learn the instrument is to take classes from a professional player. Likewise, it is advisable to buy some CDs and other audio materials that feature the flugelhorn being played by renowned artists such as Frank Fezishin and Rachel Woolham.

Aside from listening to recorded albums, you must also try to watch live performances where the horn is played. You can attend jazz concerts or brass band recitals. The flugelhorn is also sometimes used for orchestra, so you can likewise check such productions.

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A Good MUSIC TUDOR Will Never Go Hungy!

If you are a musician, and interested in teaching, then you will never go hungry! There is always a want for tutors - people will always want to learn music and need the guidance of someone else... you!

Ask one hundred random people, and chances are that the large majority will have an interest in singing, or playing some sort of musical instrument. Whether they enjoy singing or playing, once you ask a little deeper you'll find that a large percentage of this number have at some stage sought the guidance of a tutor.

While the music industry booms, so will the need for tutors. Some people will always aspire to recreate the sounds that they love to hear, others enjoy the relaxation that playing can bring, and some even aim to write their own number one hit. Tutors will always be needed to help get wannabe musicians rocking.

There's another reason why savvy tutors will always find employment and a comfortable income. They know that the process of learning a musical instrument helps a growing child realize a few of life's lessons - practice really does make perfect, and like the date of a recital, a deadline always needs to be planed towards and constant action taken to complete the assignment well, and on time.

Mindful parents are also aware of this, and if they're not, they probably soon will be as the wise tutor advises about the positive benefits of learning the discipline to work at something. The instrument may be slightly irrelevant in the long run, but the lessons learned are completely transferable.

It is possible to earn a good living from doing something as enjoyable as teaching. And you'll find various articles and tips on achieving the best of this career on the net.

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Types Of DRUMS Based On Your Musical Genre

A standard drum set: Ride cymbal Floor tom Toms Bass drum Snare drum Hi-hat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The components of your drum kit may vary greatly from that of any other drummer based upon the genre in which you play as well as your personal preferences and financial resources. Transportation issues may also play a part since you need to have a vehicle large enough to transport the drum set, and the more equipment that you have, the more room it will need for transportation. The venues where you perform may also have a bearing on the components of your set. If you are continually playing small clubs, the stage may not be large enough to accommodate a large number of drum components, so in spite of your genre and personal preferences, you may need to reduce your drum kit out of necessity.

Throughout history, using two bass drums has been a normal part of the drums for jazz bands, but recently many drummers, especially those in the hard rock and heavy metal genres have used dual bass drums. Since the 1980s it has been commonplace for drummers to use electronic drums either individually or as part of a standard drum set. Sometimes cowbells, gongs, tambourines, and other percussion instruments are also utilized in drum kits. A drummer may also have his own personal preferences in spite of those dictated by his genre, and therefore, creating a sound that is slightly different from every other performer in that genre. Some drummers also choose both snares and toms, and though they may not use them on every song, they become part of the drum kit to be utilized whenever needed or desired.

Though genre sometimes indicates the type of drums that are included within a kit, there is no hard and fast rule on it, In fact, even hard and heavy metal bands sometimes tone down a few songs on a CD, and thus the need does not exist for the harder sounds. Even some rock and roll bands from the past who had hard-hitting drum sound occasionally slowed it down through the use of just a bass or snare, allowing the guitars to carry most of the musical sound. After all, when you're talking about a ballad, you may not want the hard-hitting drum sound, but just a slow beat and occasional cymbal sound is all that is necessary.

The key to knowing what you need in your drum kit is in the type of music you will play, the venues where you will be performing, your budget, and your transportation resources. Personalize your kit based upon what you can transport and the size of the stages where you will perform rather than what you feel you should have or what you want. Even if you can afford it, it's senseless to buy something you can't use except for practice.

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Types of BALLROOM DANCING

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With ballroom dancing growing in popularity, more and more people are choosing to learn how to dance. Until recently, ballroom dancing wasn't an ideal activity for everyone - it was mainly reserved for the older generations and the wealthy. When most people think of ballroom dancing, they tend to think of a gentle trot around the dance floor to slow, acoustic music. However, ballroom dancing involves so much more than a typical slow dance. There are several types of ballroom dancing, so let's take a look at the variations.

Believe it or not, the swing is actually a type of ballroom dance. This light-hearted dance involves concentrated footwork and lifting or twirling your partner. It became popular in the 1920's and was originally invented at the Savoy Ballroom in New York. A spin-off of the Lindy Hop, the swing dance combined fast twirls and steps to the beat of jazz music. Today, the swing dance is still performed in an old-fashioned manner using the exact same techniques developed decades ago.

The jive is a very popular form of ballroom dance that is closely related to the swing. It involves several of the same steps and techniques, but is more fast-paced and involves more movements of the arms rather than the legs and feet. Although considered to be a Latin dance, the jive became very popular in America during the 1950's "rock and roll" era. The basic concept of the jive involves changing the weight from one foot to another and is best performed to classical and upbeat music, such as oldies or jazz.

The pasodoble is a Spanish dance that has become a favorite among ballroom dancing. This particular dance probably contains the most meaning and sentimental value among all ballroom dances. In the pasodoble, the male represents the bullfighter while the female represents the cape of the matador. The dance is a symbolic representation of the bravery of bullfighters and their ability to tame the wild beast. It is dramatic in nature and the steps are quick, concise, and forceful.

The Rumba is a dance that demonstrates the unique love and attractions between a man and woman. It is based around the concept of a lady's pursuit of the man, with the steps representing the woman's charm. Often, the woman dances around the man and has quick and withdrawn steps, as the man pursues her. This is a Latin-based danced and is considered to be a very sensual performance in ballroom dancing.

The waltz is a dance that originated in Germany in the 17th century and is a familiar favorite among dances in the ballroom. The dance moves are smooth and precise as the couple dances in a side to side motion, usually in a circular pattern. The waltz is a very popular dance in weddings and special events and is considered to be one of the most romantic dances.

Last but not least, the tango is a dance performed which demonstrates the history behind Argentinean cowboys and their dance partners from centuries ago. Often the cowboys would attend nightclubs after a day of riding their horses and would not shower, which compelled the women to embrace them in the crook of the cowboy's right arm. This dance hold became a popular dance and soon developed into a favorite in ballroom dance. The dance moves are very sharp with quick head turns.

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PENTATONIC SCALES

Major Pentatonic

The major pentatonic is similar to the minor pentatonic: The intervals for a major pentatonic are 1 2 3 5 6 1. The C major scale includes C D E G A C. The difference between the major and minor scale is the minor scale has a flatten 3rd interval. The following is the most common generic box shape for the pentatonic major scale:

The major pentatonic sounds happier and are not used as extensively in rock and blues as the minor version of the scale. They sound good over major chords and power chords. Sometimes the minor and major scales are used in the same song, with the major scale used for the chorus, and the minor for the verse.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to scales and soloing. Its a matter of style and personal choice, as long as it sounds good, go for it. But you will find that if you use these simple scale forms in conjunction with an appropriate chord progression this will sound good more often.

A chord progression based on the A minor chord will sound good with A minor pentatonic and a C major chord will sound good with C major scale. 

Minor Pentatonic

Minor pentatonic scales are used extensively in modern and classic rock. A strong understanding of how pentatonic scales work and can be used for soloing and creating riffs is extremely important. They are also the easiest and generally the first scales most people learn.

I assume you know how to read basic TAB format for this lesson. If you have not been exposed to TAB then you should review our lesson on reading guitar TAB before moving on.

The Minor Pentatonic scale consists of the following intervals: 1 b3 4 5 b7 1. In the key of A, the intervals would be the notes of A C D E G A. There are 5 scale shapes in box patterns for the pentatonic scales.

The 5 is the fifth fret and is the root note, thus the name of the key and scale is A, the intervals determine the type Minor or Major. This scale shape above is the most scale and is used in rock, blues and most styles of music. If you move this entire shape up to positions on the guitar and play the same shape you will have a B minor pentatonic. Likewise, if you slide the entire shape down two potions you have a G minor pentatonic.

Practice this scale shape several times a day, moving it into different positions or keys, for variety. Many of rocks most famous licks are derived from this shape. If you are going to play guitar learning this one basic shape is mandatory.

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Composers of FILM MUSIC You Should Recognize

Maurice Jarre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When an audience watches a movie at the theater much of the attention is on the characters playing the parts, on the storyline, and on the movie set. Many times the music that accompanies the actions on the screen is heard but does not command the attention as the movie's visual elements do. Yet cinematic music composers make valuable contributions to the overall cathartic feeling movies generate. A movie's music is one of the things a viewer will remember long after the movie is over. If you do not believe that, try humming the theme to "The Pink Panther" or "Star Wars".

An early film music composer from the Golden Age of Hollywood was Victor Young. The great movie director Cecil B. DeMille utilized Young's scores in many of his movies including "The Greatest Show on Earth". It was Young's score for the 1956 movie "Around the World in Eighty Days" that won a posthumous Oscar for him.

In the late 50's and early 60's, movie theme music gained popularity and the names of cinematic music composers became widely known. Ernest Gold wrote the music for the 1961 movie "Exodus", and the theme ascended the music charts that year. Henry Mancini wrote the theme for "The Pink Panther", a score nominated for an Academy Award in 1964. He also wrote the Academy award-winning score for 1961's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" from which the song "Moon River" came.

Other notable composers of movie music from that time include Maurice Jarre, Elmer Bernstein, Miklos Rozsa, Ennio Morricone, and Dimitri Tiomkin. The movies to which they contributed, were nominated, and won awards for are impressive. Titles like "Doctor Zhivago", "Lawrence of Arabia" (Jarre), "The Man With the Golden Arm", "The Magnificent Seven" (Bernstein), "Ben Hur", "El Cid" (Rozsa), "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", "The Untouchables" (Morricone), "High Noon", and "The Guns of Navarone" (Tiomkin).

John Williams. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If the names of modern cinematic music composers are fairly well known, their music is even more so. One of the best knowns of these composers is John Williams. His amazing career in music includes five Oscars, twenty Grammys, and four Golden Globes among other awards. You may have heard some of his music. His film scores include "Fiddler on the Roof", "Jaws", the "Star Wars" movies, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", the "Indiana Jones" series, "Jurassic Park", "Superman", "Home Alone", "Schindler's List", "Saving Private Ryan", the "Harry Potter" series, "Memoirs of a Geisha", and "Munich", among many others.

James Newton Howard may not be a household name like John Williams but his film music credits are notable. He penned the scores for "The Prince of Tides", "The Fugitive", "King Kong", "The Village", "Batman Begins", and "The Dark Knight". The two Batman scores were co-written with Hans Zimmer, another cinematic music composer with many credits including the "Pirates of the Caribbean" scores, "The Prince of Egypt", and "The Lion King".

The next time you watch a movie and find yourself remembering the music long afterward, take note of the composer.

By Wendy Pan - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Band Instrument Repair - FLUTE - The Foot Joint

Photo  by Khairil Zhafri 

The foot joint of the flute consists of 3 keys on a C flute and 4 keys if there is a low B on the foot. The foot joint keys are the property of the baby finger of the right hand. The keys are made in such a way as to be pushed in different combinations by the baby finger.

One of the weakest points on the flute is where the foot joint joins the body. This is called the lower tenon and can be easily damaged. The foot joint can become loose and cause air leakage and loss of sound or become to tight and be very difficult to remove or put on. This can lead to numerous problems. The fact is that the foot joint is long, almost 6 inches in some cases, and the tendon that supports its weight is only half an inch long. Supporting that much weight and length as well as being constantly put under the pressure of the keys being pushed down can tend to take it's toll if not maintained.

Like the body of the flute, the foot joint keys, springs and pads have to be maintained. Replacing, leveling, and seating all have to be done in order to have the keys seal correctly and thus allow the lower notes to play.

Almost all of the keys of the flute work in conjunction with one or more other keys. This means that when you press down on one key it may also cause one or more other keys to be pressed down at the same time. These keys have to be regulated so that when it is required that two or more keys close at the same time, it has to be the same time or you will have loss of sound and the flute won't play. Regulating the keys so that they work in this fashion is probably the most vital repair of the instrument. It requires a delicate balance of bending and leveling the keys as well as seating the pads better and adjusting spring tensions.

The final result of all of this should be a flute that is solid feeling, with no rattles or excessive key noise. No sticky pads or loose feeling keys. When you press the keys it should be very light pressure with a big sound and minimal effort. The last thing you want when you are playing the flute or any instrument really is to be fighting with the physicalness of it instead of just enjoying the artistic and creative nature of it.

To sum it up, you need to have respect for the instrument you are playing and give it the attention it needs. Care and maintenance mean that it will always perform the way it is intended to play and you will enjoy your creativity uninterrupted by physical glitches.

By Darrell Hare - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Proper Way To Care For Your DRUMS

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Your drums are not just instruments that you set on a stage and play and then take home again for practice without ever touching them for maintenance or cleaning. The truth is, if you don't want to take the time to clean them and keep them properly tuned, you are not true to your trade. Depending on the type of drums that you have, their way is variations on the maintenance that the manufacturer recommends. How you care for your set depends also on the material from which it is made.

So, if there isn't a rule regarding drum care, what do you do? As with your clothing, you follow the recommendations of the manufacturer. When you buy a new outfit, you check the label for laundering instructions – or you should – and the same is true of your drum set. Cymbals, for the most part, can be cleaned with a window cleaner, but how you clean your drums needs to depend upon a variety of factors including material of the skins and of the outside. Steel is not recommended, though sometimes used, and there will be a different method than other material, which is usually simply soap and water or even glass cleaner for a shine.

As a drummer, you should be proud of your skins and want to keep them clean in between performances. It doesn't take more than perhaps a half hour a day to keep your set looking in top condition, but you want to make sure that you know exactly what you need to do before you even take the set home. If you order your drum set online, be sure you read all of the instructions regarding care and maintenance before you ever set up the kit, because some kits require oiling before you ever use the drums for the first time. Failing to do that when required can result in your drums sounding out of tune or not blending in with the rest of the musical instruments in the band.

Bear in mind that your drums are a major investment, and if you want them to last you for years to come, you have to take the time to take care of them from the day you first own them. You do not simply leave them to collect dust when you are not using them nor do you only take them in for maintenance when they don't sound as good as they did when they were new. Regular cleaning and routine maintenance will be your drum kit looking and sounding new for many years to come. It is unnecessary to buy a new set every few years if you take care of what you have from the start.

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A.K.A. DUOS In POP MUSIC

Pop music in the 1960's produced several top recording duos dotting the music charts and influencing future songwriters and groups to this day.  Let’s explore a  few successful duos from the 60's that also recorded as lesser known names before they hit it big as the names they are known as today.

An early release by the duo that called themselves Tom & Jerry in 1957 did not fare well, although the duo did manage to crack the top 100 on the music charts.   But subsequent releases proved to be very substantial, not only for pop rock but for folk-rock as well.  After minimal success as Tom & Jerry and reuniting together in the mid 60's as Simon and Garfunkel, the duo forged a path through pop and folk music that is iconic.

With a barrage of finely crafted pop and folk arrangements, Simon and Garfunkel amassed many pop hits such as “Homeward Bound, ““Sound’s Of Silence,” “I Am A Rock,” “Mrs. Robinson” (from the movie “The Graduate”), “The Boxer” and the Garfunkel-led ballad “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” among others.  After they split up, Garfunkel went on to record several well-received albums, but Paul Simon became known as one of the most prolific and vital songwriters of the pop music era.

After the split from Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon scored top ten pop hits with “Mother And Child Reunion,” “Kodachrome,” “Loves Me Like A Rock” as well as “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.”  But Simon broke new ground musically and personally in 1986 with the album “Graceland,” which he adeptly mixed a collage of musical genres and political statements into one of the most remarkable solo albums of all time.  Somewhat controversial, it remains the benchmark for all solo artists who want to experiment with their musical background and add a mix of different cultures to the album to capture not only their already existing fan base but create a new one as well. 

Although popular for their 1959 hit “Baby Talk,” Jan Berry and Dean Torrence rode the waves of the Beach Boys-led surf music sound in the early 1960's.  Previously known as Jan and Arnie, their infectious hit “Surf City,” (the duo’s only number one hit) was co-written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, who also provided backup vocals.  Jan Berry returned the favor in1966 by singing lead on the Beach Boy’s hit “Barbara Ann.”  Jan and Dean had other chart hits such as “Drag City,” the prophetic “Dead Man’s Curve” and the whimsical “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena.”  The duo’s success was cut short in April of 1966 when Jan was critically injured in an automobile accident.

The husband and wife team of Caesar and Cleo did not secure fame until they changed their name to Sonny and Cher and went on to pop mega-stardom, not only in music but in television as well.  Their breakthrough hit “I Got You Babe” reached number one status and held that position for three weeks in 1965.  While still together as Sonny and Cher, each scored hits recording separately, Sonny with “Laugh At Me” and Cher with “All I Really Want To Do” and “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).”  Their magical musical combination and wisecracking repartee spawned a highly successful CBS-TV variety series that ran from1971 through 1974.  As a duo, Sonny and Cher secured top ten hits such as “Baby Don’t Go,” “ The Beat Goes On,” “All I Ever Need Is You” and “A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done.”  Unfortunately, the marriage ended in divorce in 1973, but the story of Sonny and Cher does not.

They were briefly reunited in 1975 and Cher continued on to a brilliant solo career and Sonny entered politics.  Sonny Bono was elected mayor of Palm Springs, California and then elected to Congress in 1994 until his tragic death from a skiing accident in 1998.  Cher continued in music and also added a first-rate acting career to her repertoire.  

As a solo artist in the 1970's, Cher scored hits with songs like “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves,” “The Way Of Love,” “Half-Breed” and “Dark Lady” among others.  Cher was also an accomplished actress, with starring roles in the acclaimed motion pictures “Silkwood” and “The Witches Of Eastwick.”  In 1987, Cher won an Oscar for her role in the movie “Moonstruck.”  She revived her musical career in 1989 scoring a top ten hit called “After All,” a duet with Peter Cetera from the motion picture “Chances Are” and the intense reflective “If I Could Turn Back Time.”  Remarkably, ten years later Cher was again in the Top 40 with her number one hit “Believe,” which spent four weeks as the top pop song and remained on the charts for twenty-five weeks.  To this day Cher remains peerless and is one of the most celebrated female singers and her trademark voice will be heard for decades to come.

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The Influence Of BLUES GUITAR On Modern Music

El considerado rey del Blues con su inseparable Lucille.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anybody interested in modern music sooner or later asks the question, "Where did it begin?" Well, if you leave blues guitar music out, you will not have much of an answer. So let us look at where the blues came from, where it went and who it met on the way. We will also take a look at the "blues guitar sound" and how it has its unique effect on our feelings.

The blues as a musical phenomenon began around 1911 when W.C. Handy published popular songs, notably "Memphis Blues" and "St Louis Blues", which affected the hearts and souls of the black people. By the nineteen twenties the general population was beginning to hear this new music through its influence on jazz. Early blues singers like Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday sang with jazz bands while others played with "jug bands" accompanied by fiddle, kazoo and washboard.

Of course to people like W. C. Handy who were brought up singing in church, the piano was the natural instrumental accompaniment to their songs. But the guitar is portable and always was popular so it had to have a place in blues and jazz. Blues guitar players like twelve-string guitarist Leadbelly and future electric guitar player B.B. King were making sure the guitar would be an integral part of the blues. Other blues guitarists made their living in smoky saloons playing slide guitar using a bottleneck or the blade of a knife to fret the notes.

After the Second World War young artists like Elvis Presley and Bill Haley were wrapping the blues in a new package called "rock'n'roll" and the players of the electric blues guitar like B.B. King were heralding the arrival of the lead guitar, soon to be a great attraction for both musicians and audiences. Throughout the evolution of the blues the guitar had always taken its turn for solos in jazz bands but now it competed with the singer for the attention of the audience.

Blues guitar can be played in any key that takes your fancy and comes in three basic forms: eight bars, for example, "Heartbreak Hotel", sixteen bars like "Saint James Infirmary" and twelve bars like  "St. Louis Blues". For some reason, the twelve-bar blues form is way more singer-friendly and popular with audiences than the other two, and it is the basis of many great songs outside the blues idiom.

If you go poking around the internet you will find that the blues scales are just your garden variety major and minor scales except that the third, fifth and seventh notes are played flat. However, you may be astonished to learn that blues players managed for centuries without knowing about European musical theory. They learned to sing and play from their families and friends just as many of the young white blues players of the nineteen sixties learned from imitating the artists they heard on records.

And this is where the blues takes another direction. After years of imitating their idols, something odd happened to the white blues guitar players in Britain and the USA. They developed their own authentic, original styles. The older blues players even began using the new arrangements of classic songs and adopting some of the unbluesy musical innovations introduced by young white guitarists like Eric Clapton. So the beat goes on. A foreign culture influences American popular music and in turn gets fresh input from a new generation of guitar players from all over the world.

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How To SING Higher Notes

The ability to sing high notes and increasing the vocal range is an aspiration of most singers. However, most singers find it very difficult to increase their vocal range so that they can hit and sustain those high notes effortlessly and effectively.

So how can you own a powerful singing voice and hit those high notes without straining your vocal cords or even damaging them?

Glottal cycle, falsetto register (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Although expanding your vocal range is an elusive issue, the good news is that it is not all that difficult. Once you understand it, you will be surprised that it can be so simple after all.

Now, for the bad news, it is somewhat like learning how to swim. You cannot possibly learn to swim by reading an article or even a zillion articles without getting into the pool and start practicing your swimming strokes. The problem is that many singers are doing just that when learning how to sing.

It is the same when you want to increase your vocal range to hit those high notes. You can possibly learn the theory from an article such as this one but would be most unlikely that you can master the skill because it involves the coordination of muscles moving and correct breathing techniques when you are singing.

The precise coordination of these singing muscles and breathing techniques can only be learned by listening and repeating vocal exercises and then in actual singing.

People will think that you are crazy if you go around asking, "Can you provide me with some helpful tips on becoming a proficient surgeon in time for an open heart operation next week?", but no one will give you a second look when you ask "Give me some singing tips on how to sing high notes."

Having said that the correct vocal exercises are crucial for you to expand your vocal range, here are some singing tips for you to sing the high notes.

In order to increase your singing vocal range, you must learn to get the wrong muscles out of the way, so try this experiment.

Begin by gently placing your hand over your throat so that your chin is cradled between your thumb and your forefinger. Pretend that you are trying to hide your throat from view but just barely touching it so that you can feel its movement.

Once your hands are in place, just swallow. Can you feel things moving inside your throat? Of course, you do. What just happened is that more than 30 muscle groups working just to ensure that you swallow properly!

These muscle movements are to make sure food goes down your gullet and not into your windpipe. They are also designed to work for about as long as a swallow lasts, then they go back to their original position.

Unfortunately, these muscles are also activated when you are singing and especially so when you are singing the higher notes.

I said "unfortunately" because the muscles actually do nothing to help you to sing higher notes but are using up energy and increasing the tension around the muscles that are needed for you to sing higher.

Do remember that the swallowing muscles are designed to work for just a second or two when you swallow and they then go back to their original position, but when you begin to sing, you are more likely to feel them engaged and stay engaged until they wear the singer out. Therefore the singer must educate the actual singing muscles not to over-exert themselves when singing higher and higher notes.

Your most natural sounding voice is the voice you use when you are speaking. When you sing in a "normal" tone, you will start in this voice. It very likely is your "chest" voice. It is called "chest voice" because most of the resonating or vibrating to create sound is happening in your chest.

In your most natural sounding voice, you have learned to make a nice, strong sound by letting the tone vibrate mostly in your chest. You didn't even need to think about it and that is why it is natural. It is a very open, rich and full sound. It sounds "firm" and not "mushy" at all.

Your little tiny noise-making muscles which are your vocal cords are generally vibrating along their entire length when you are singing in your chest voice. Your vocal cords are amazing muscles. They perform tricks and some of those tricks are used to easily take your voice over three or even more octaves.

Your vocal cords change the notes along the bottom of your range by contracting. The tighter they contract, the higher the rate of vibration as air passes between them from your lungs.

Just like any muscles, they will reach a limit as to how tight they can contract without injuring themselves. At that critical point, they will do one of these two things:-

a) They protect themselves while maintaining their ability to sing higher than that critical point by suddenly dumping tension by swinging apart slightly, and producing an airy false voice usually referred to as the falsetto voice. I called the falsetto "false" because it sounds so unlike that rich chest tone you were producing just a few notes lower. Get the picture?

When your singing voice goes into a falsetto, you will experience a physical relief since you went from a high tension state to almost no tension at all. Your singing will go from struggling for the next note to easily reach the next higher note.

However, you will probably not be comfortable with the fact that your voice tone changed so drastically and losing the power in your singing. It is really an emotional a let-down. It makes you feel like writing emails to people asking "How can I sing higher notes?".

If you are properly trained, your vocal cords will do the next two tricks and can easily shift into the next gear rather than flip into a falsetto voice when singing higher notes.

Your vocal cords will begin to thin out as you go higher and changing their mass so that they vibrate at a higher rate of vibration and therefore they do not tighten more. It is just like changing to a thinner guitar string but keeping the tension exactly the same.

So your voice is unlike going into a falsetto as they don't pull apart so that the tone produced will still have that firm sound rather than that airy false sound.

You will eventually enter into what is called the "head voice" because the resonance moves from your chest cavity to the cavities in your head and face.

If you are practicing with the correct vocal exercises, your body will learn to fade more resonance into the head cavities and out of the chest cavity producing what is called a "mixed voice". When you listen to a singer who has a wide, powerful voice range, this is exactly what that singer is doing.

Once your vocal cords have taken you as high as they can go by thinning out, they will actually close off a portion of their length which is not unlike fretting a guitar string. This will result in even higher notes like the whistle tones of Mariah Carey because the length of the vibrating surface has been shortened.

So do you want to be able to sing high notes effectively? Don't let anyone tell that you can't.

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MUSICAL FEUDS

There are many famous instances of immortal musicians being insulted by other famous musicians.

Johann Sebastian Bach, like most musicians of the day, worked as a church musician. He was anything but docile and was known to rankle easily.

He was once reproved for playing "strange harmonies" during a church service. Bach's answer was to play even stranger harmonies the next Sunday, and this from the greatest composer of religious music the world has ever seen, the composer of the St. Matthew Passion.

Still steaming, the elders complained again to Bach and added the insult that the music was at some points "too long."

The next Sunday, of course, the music was much too short.

Beethoven also had his feuds, especially in the early years when he was establishing himself as a great pianist.

A worthless popinjay named Steibelt had made it known that he thought Beethoven a terrible pianist, and in essence challenged Beethoven to a musical duel, a common occurrence in those days. Beethoven despised Steibelt, for he was in truth a talentless oaf that foolishly dared to challenge a great master.

At a party the next week, Beethoven heard Steibelt playing one of his own compositions, an insipid Trio for piano, violin, and cello. It was the type of horrid, elaborately ornamented fluff that Beethoven reviled, but he watched calmly as Steibelt finished the piece and took his bows.

A hush fell over the crowd as Beethoven appeared out of the shadows and walked toward the piano. Everyone was aware of the grudge between Steibelt and Beethoven and the air was thick with apprehension.

Steibelt, startled by the angry look on the master's face, stepped away from the piano.

As Beethoven walked past the cello's music stand, he snidely grabbed the cello's sheet music.

Carefully showing the astounded crowd the page of sheet music, Beethoven sat at the piano and then put the music, upside down, onto the piano music stand.

As Steibelt and the hushed crowd watched, Beethoven plunked out the notes of the upside down cello part, forcefully jabbing with his pointed and angry index finger, not taking his eyes off Steibelt.

Then Ludwig began to improvise like a madman on Steibelt's upside down cello part theme. The crowd was carried away with Beethoven's angered showmanship.

And it was magnificent, one of those legendary Beethoven improvisations that have gone down in history, a passionate outpouring of ideas and bravura, until at last the piece was over with a furious ending and crash.

Curiously, Steibelt was never heard from again.

By John Aschenbrenner - Copyright 2000 Walden Pond Press. Visit http://www.pianoiseasy.com to see the fun PIANO BY NUMBER method for kids. John Aschenbrenner is a leading children's music educator and book publisher, and the author of numerous fun piano method books in the series PIANO BY NUMBER for kids. You can see the PIANO BY NUMBER series of books at http://www.pianoiseasy.com Article Source: EzineArticles

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