Beginner OBOE - Choosing an Instrument

An oboe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For a beginner oboe player, the first step in the learning process is a rather obvious one, - to purchase an instrument to play on. There are a number of issues to consider in making the ideal choice. These could probably be divided into three main issues; - the type of instrument, the cost of the instrument and the make of instrument.

THE TYPE OF INSTRUMENT: There are two main fingering systems for the oboe. These are the "Thumb-Plate System" and the "Conservatoire System". Most of the fingerings are identical but there are just a few differences around the C & Bb fingerings in the middle of the instrument. I am not going to go into further detail over this here. Your best bet is to consult a player who will be able to demonstrate the two systems. In the UK the vast majority of players use the Thumb-plate system whereas on the Continent of Europe most use the Conservatoire. Each country tends to have its own 'school' of oboe playing which will focus on one or other of the systems. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter as both systems have their strengths and weaknesses. You will find that people who play on the Conservatoire system claim that it is the better one and those who play on the Thumb-plate make a similar claim. If you are having lessons with a teacher let he/she guide you.

Some of the popular professional oboes now have a combined system which incorporates both finger systems on the one instrument. If you are a beginner oboe player, you are highly unlikely to be playing on such an oboe.

There is also the issue of the instrument quality to take into consideration. Some of the pointers here will be covered by the sections below, but there are different levels of instrument, i.e. - student models, intermediate models and full professional models. The difference between the cheapest of these and the most expensive runs into thousands of pounds/dollars.

THE COST OF THE OBOE: This is a tricky one as the Oboe is significantly more expensive than either the flute or clarinet. Instruments in the UK range in price from around Pound 1000 for a good student instrument to about Pound 7000 for a professional instrument. Always go to a reputable oboe or woodwind specialist to purchase an instrument and not just go for the cheapest oboe you can find on eBay or you are likely to end up with an instrument of highly dubious quality. The oboe is demanding enough to play even when you have a good instrument. If your oboe is poorly made it will be a nightmare to play.

Many of the specialist retailers will have hire schemes of one kind or another which will allow you to try out an oboe for a trial period before making the final purchase. Until you start to play you can never be sure whether you will take to the instrument or not. There will also be financial arrangements to allow you to spread the cost. Schemes such as this will only usually be available through the 'good' specialist shops. These arrangements can be very helpful to a beginner oboe player.

THE MAKE OF INSTRUMENT:The makes of oboe you will find available will depend on where you are in the world. Here in the UK we have, Howarth of London, who manufacture a whole range of instruments from student to full professional. Their instruments are excellent. Other oboes readily available in the UK are Loree, Marigaux, Ward & Winterbourne, Buffet and Yamaha, all of which are quality instruments. If you live elsewhere investigate available instruments and check their relative merits.

A final word on the purchase of an oboe, if you don't know exactly what you need then ask someone who can give you informed and unbiased advice. For a beginner oboe player you simply must have a good instrument to start on or you will find the whole experience of learning very dispiriting.

By Robert Hinchliffe 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 helpful and would like to know more, please visit http://www.oboeplaying.co.uk. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Composers Corner - A Brief Biography of Wolfgang A MOZART

Drawing of Mozart in silverpoint
made by Dora Stock during
Mozart's visit to Dresden, April 1789
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [1756 - 1791] began his amazing but tragically brief musical career as a child prodigy, making appearances as an accomplished violinist and keyboard player from the age of five. He was born in Salzburg in what is now the country of Austria, and lived most of his life in that land (then known as the Holy Roman Empire), although he travelled extensively throughout Europe -- in the company of his family as a child, and later on his own so as to supervise premieres of the various musical works he composed.

Despite Mozart's relatively short life -- the cause of his death at age 35 has been attributed to various ailments down through the years, although it was most likely a recurrence of rheumatic fever -- he was incredibly prolific as a composer. His material clearly exemplified what is known as the Classical style, the period of music that immediately followed the Baroque. In addition to 41 symphonies and close to a dozen masses and other large choral works (including his Requiem, which was left unfinished at his death), Mozart composed hundreds of chamber music pieces for various solo instruments and ensembles. Despite his success as a composer, however, he struggled financially throughout most of his life.

The era in which Mozart lived was a financially perilous one for writers of music. Without wealthy patrons to sponsor their works, most composers ended up working for the church in various roles. This might include organist, concertmaster, choir director, or some combination of the three. In his late teens, Mozart was assistant concertmaster for the archbishop of Salzburg but tired of the drudgery of composing only liturgical music while working with a group of equally low-paid musicians. Through the influence of his father, Leopold, a more prestigious post as Salzburg court organist was arranged; this helped raise his profile with the monarchy, which was where the real money resided.

Following Wolfgang's marriage to Constanze Weber in 1782 -- the couple relocated to Vienna soon after they were wed -- and thanks to the successes he enjoyed from having his music (especially operas) proliferate throughout Europe, five years later Emperor Joseph II named Mozart to succeed Christoph Willibald Gluck as the court's official chamber composer. Despite the relative financial stability, this position afforded him, Mozart's extravagant lifestyle outstripped his ability to pay for it. In a way, though, the world of music is the beneficiary of this indebtedness. Because of all the money he borrowed to pay for a fashionable Viennese apartment, private schooling for the two children (out of six) who survived infancy, the years 1787 through 1791 were his most prolific by far.

While his instrumental works remain the core of his legacy -- an expert once suggested that a Mozart composition is being performed somewhere in the world every second of every day -- it is his operas that seem to have enjoyed the greatest acclaim down through the years. Among his most famous pieces are works from his mature years, including Die Zauberflöte ("The Magic Flute"), The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte (roughly translated as "Women Are Like That"), the latter three collaborations with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. But some of his earlier operas continue to enjoy support on the world's stages, notably Abduction from the Seraglio [1782]. His final opera was La Clemenza di Tito, which premiered only three months before he died.

The video clip that accompanies this article is the final scene from "The Marriage of Figaro." The performers include Bryn Terfel [Figaro], Alison Hagley [Susanna], Rodney Gilfrey [Count Almaviva], and Hillevi Martinpelto [Countess Almaviva]. The conductor is John Eliot Gardiner.

By Paul Siegel - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Classic ROCK PERFORMERS Who Have Had A Lasting Influence On Music

Classic rock is a fundamental part of American history. Many of today's leading bands can trace their styles back to the influence of certain musicians. While every song made available to the world has had an impact on the music industry, there are certain performers who will eternally stand at the forefront of music.

From folk-rock to psychedelic rock, there have been many groundbreaking sounds and voices. Here are the top ten most influential classic rock bands in history.

Elvis Presley's bust.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Elvis Presley

While Elvis is not traditionally viewed in the classic rock genre, it is impossible to ignore his influence on the world of Rock-n-Roll. As the first to expose mainstream America to something other than traditional family music, he faced a tremendous amount of opposition from the mainstream.

Despite the extreme racism exhibited during the 1950's, Elvis never hesitated to give appropriate credit to his inspirations. Mainly African-American performers influenced Elvis' sound and style. Southern radio disc jockeys originally refused to play Elvis' singles, because they sounded "too Negro" for white stations to air.

It was not just Elvis' sound, but also his performance, that drew controversy. The movement of his hips in a suggestive manner sparked an entire decade of debate.

Despite the firestorm of criticism that surrounded Elvis' reign, his continuing popularity has ensured that Elvis' crown as the King of Rock and Roll would remain valid for decades, even decades after his death.

The Beatles

As the best-selling musical act of all-time, it is hard to deny the influence of the Beatles, not only on the musical culture of America but also on every aspect of human life. The Beatles included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, and George Harrison.

Their innovative style defined the music of the 1960s -- twice. They began their career in England, and when they came to America, they were already a huge success in the United States. In their early years, they had defined pop music for a new generation.

As the hippy days of the late 1960s began to take hold of America's young people, the Beatles redefined their music again, with another new style of music lauded by the masses. Their very loud stance on drug use and war made them a controversial group, but their popularity never wavered. Although the Beatles retained the loyalty and admiration of their late 1960's audiences until the group broke up, the touring days of the Beatles ended in 1966 when John Lennon proclaimed, "The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ."

Bob Dylan

Dylan has one of the most easily recognizable voices in the world. Raspy and full of passion, Bob Dylan's sound is distinctive. His songs are amazing and defined a generation obsessed with the themes of social unrest, an anti-war stance, and encouragement for the civil rights movement.

A traditional folk singer, Dylan's works transcended all genres and appealed to countless young Americans. His sincere lyrics spoke to many and made it possible to empathize with his many causes.

Jimi Hendrix performs for the Dutch television show
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jimi Hendrix

As the undisputed master of the electric guitar, Jimi Hendrix is a classic rock foundation. The self-taught guitar player refused to be limited by many of the conventional views of guitar players.

Prior to Jimi Hendrix's development as a guitar player, the electric guitar was considered to merely be a louder version of the acoustic guitar. Hendrix embraced the uniqueness of the electric guitar and showed his appreciation for it to the rest of the world.

Pink Floyd

Easily considered the greatest band of all time, Pink Floyd's unique style and showmanship defined psychedelic rock. Their concept albums were thematic masterpieces that appealed to countless audiences. The Dark Side Of The Moon, Animals, and The Wall each still stand out today as great Rock masterpieces.

The Who

Also known for their thematic records, The Who pioneered the idea of rock opera. Most famous for their collaborative efforts with every major musical figure of their time, Tommy The Rock Opera ensured the longevity of the band into the future.

Their success and fame were not limited to their unique approach to concept albums. Their musical skills are still highly regarded in both mainstream circles and in the entertainment industry. Their music is currently being used as the theme song for at least three of the most popular show on TV on the air today.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones have easily maintained their position as one of the longest-lasting bands in recording history. Like most popular rock bands of the age, they were an England-based band that was more than happy to take on America.

Their grungy unkempt image became so popular; many artists are still attempting to master it. Their unique sound and high-quality lyrics have kept them at the top of the charts for almost 40 years.

Cream

Cream, featuring guitarist Eric Clapton, was one of the most technically advanced music groups of their time. Their instrumental techniques became legendary and paved the way for other bands to focus on developing their instrument techniques, in addition to their lyrics.

The Doors

The Doors have always been one of the most controversial bands that had ever existed. Jim Morrison's wild behavior sets the tone for the countless musical bad boys that would follow in his footsteps.

The poetic lyrics of The Doors, as well as their outrageous behavior, made them a crowd favorite.

Led Zeppelin

The road to heavy metal was paved by Led Zeppelin. Their first album was pivotal in its inclusion of distorted amplification techniques. Over the years, their experimentation included mixing acoustic and electric sounds, with the addition of synthesized melodies. The success of Led Zeppelin helped establish a strong base for the development of metal music.

Few people of their generation or the current generation realize that like Elvis, Led Zeppelin took most of their inspiration from African-American performers. As a lifelong fan of Led Zeppelin, it is was oddly fascinating to listen to some of the not-so-famous African-American rhythm-and-blues performers of the 1930s, and to be able to hear the Led Zeppelin songs we have loved for years in a whole new way.

Final Thoughts

Clearly, these ten bands had a significant impact on the evolution of Rock-n-Roll music through the generations, but it is more difficult to put them into an ordered list of important groups. Let's just agree that most of us love all ten bands on this list.

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Mastering VIRTUAL DRUMS for the Live Beat Maker - BEATH THANG

Photo by BgPorter

Every music creator, regardless of his or her type or size, feels the urge to impress a screaming audience and become not only a music creator but a creator of amazing concerts as well. A showman or show woman, if you will. But if you’re more of a beatmaker than a music creator per se, chances are that you write music on software instruments like virtual drums.

The problem with writing music on virtual drums is that it doesn’t translate into live performance the same way more traditional music creators can warp their craft for such. So what is a beatmaker, a different animal than a pure music creator, to do?

Become a beatmaker on virtual drums that make the live performance as easy as possible, of course! Most virtual drum sequencers used by beatmakers require the navigation of a laptop while on stage, or the mental ability to use piano keys as drum pads.

Virtual drum studios like Beat Thang (this tool does a whole lot more than just drums, but more on that later) has a user interface with pads that can be converted for any noise and will make more visual sense to beatmakers using it for virtual drums than the interfaces mentioned above.

To get a little more specific, let’s take a look at exactly the things Beat Thang allows music creators to do on stage, virtual drums, or not. Aside from the familiarity of the above-mentioned keypad, Beat Thang most impressively offers real-time looping with virtually no load time. This means that beat makers and other music creators can make loops on the fly during a live set.

There will be no load time delay, which is especially important if you’re looping virtual drums. As any beatmaker knows, even the slightest mishap in a drum loop and the whole thing sounds off.

Beat Thang’s features were designed by professional musicians for all levels of musician, so it’s no surprise that they came up with this next feature for beatmakers: the ability to design your own effects (reverb, delay, chop & screw parameters, etc.) and program them in pre-sets to use when performing live.

Any music creator or beatmaker knows how great it can be to have a sound you designed in your back pocket to use when just the time is right during your set. If you tweaked every individual virtual drum kit sound, you could potentially create a set the likes of which have never been heard before, except only in your head!

Beat Thang also has patents pending for side-mounted pitch shift and modulation wheels, another feature music creators and beatmakers could use for every sound on Beat Thang. Even an instrument like virtual drums that are atonal would sound more interesting with the occasional pitch shift.

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FRIEDRICH HANDELS Oratorio "Israel in Egypt"

Georg Friedrich Händel (1733)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"Israel in Egypt" stands out among the oratorios composed by Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) with its rich use of the choir and extraordinary scope of tone painting.

Most oratorios by Handel differ from those of his predecessors and contemporaries in the musically and dramatically importance given to the choir, but with "Israel" this has reached an even higher level.

No doubt, this oratorio contains many excellent solo songs, but the overall impression of the composition is determined by the impressive choral scenes.

As these already are examples for the highest artistic creativity, the admiration still increases if you know the original material used by Handel for his composition and note the superior finesse with which he introduced parts that create dramatic tension.

Also, the strong, graphic character of Handel's work, his love for nature, the most important source of his inspiration, are nowhere more strongly expressed than in "Israel in Egypt". Using an elated tone painting, in particular, the representation of the Egyptian plagues offers an excellent motive for a naturalistic but never trivial representation.

"Israel in Egypt" is close to the very successful "Messiah", with the similar use of the figure of a narrator who links the historical images with short recitals, likewise the fact that the whole text is taken directly from the Bible.

Georg Friedrich Handel started composing "Israel in Egypt" on October 1st, 1738 and completed it on November 1st of the same year.

The first performance on April 4th, 1739, was unkindly received, as a large amount of parts for the choir, which were utilized to express the ideas and actions of the composition, was not understood. Händel, if the reports of different contemporaries can be believed, was deeply struck for the first time in his life and tried to meet the taste of the time by interposing solo songs and organ music in a new version.

Only in the 19-th century, the commitment of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) could lend certain popularity to Handel's oratorio.

By Alex Kashevnikof - Article Source: EzineArticles

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MODERN JAZZ and its Restless Identity

Miles Davis 1984 in Bad Segeberg
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is an illusion brought about by the record store racks that discrete stylistic barriers separate the music we love into camps of the genre. Every music is a bastard at heart. While the contemporary apparatus for the consumption of music reinforces the notion of the genre (notable exception: the internet), with Top 40 radio stations, hip-hop magazines, and the segmented organization of the Grammys, listeners realize deep down that all this division is a lot of baloney. Music is music.

Yet, despite the intuitive understanding that the theory of genre doesn't stand up under scrutiny, it remains a powerful principle in our culture (or more accurately, our culture industry). Not only do genres define the radio station to which you tune in and instruct you what clubs to avoid on a Friday night, the genre is deeply interwoven with people's identities. High schools are the perfect laboratory for music-based social identity. The goths all seance together to the accompaniment of Manson and Ministry; Preppy kids rock the Dave Matthews while driving around in their parents' Hummers; skaters thrash to punk rock; and the weirdos gather around old jazz records, analyzing the theoretical arcana of the style and deciphering the liner notes as if they are gnomic texts. In short, the idea of genre, as much as we like to hate it, is a potent social and musical force in our culture.

But just as every individual understands that genre is a fluid concept, musicians are even more acutely aware of this fact. With very few exceptions globally, there isn't music out there that hasn't stolen ideas from other musical cultures around it. Purity simply doesn't exist, since every style is the result of a long and often contentious dialog between people, places, times, and cultures. Every genre, therefore, is the document of some deep dialectic process that continues to morph even as you look at it; every music is a Proteus of possibilities.

This is all a long-winded way of winding up to the topic at hand, the state of modern jazz. Like everything else, jazz came about through a very American sort of mixture: Delta blues met with Sousa marching bands; Debussy encountered Negro spirituals; hymn tunes and Creole culture collided. Perhaps it is no surprise then that a slew of modern jazz musicians is turning to another genre, rock, to find inspiration. Jazz, since its humble inception and by its very nature, borrows.

This is not the first time jazz has succumbed to the Siren's lure of electric guitar feedback and throbbing backbeats. Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, and a huge cast of early 1970s musicians incorporated these new sounds into their music, and the purists, predictably enough, wailed that "jazz is dead." Those guys were grabbing new sounds that they heard around them in an attempt to inject a little body and soul into a music that had gone a bit limp creatively at the time. The rock music entering jazz today, though, is of a different origin. To young jazzers today, the distorted guitar is not a fresh new sound at all - it is the sound they grew up listening to. I don't know a soul who spent their formative years of 13 to 18 listening to Miles and Shorter to the exclusion of Mudhoney and Soundgarden. To young Americans, rock (and hip-hop) is in our blood, and jazz is a transfusion we got later in life.

Brad Mehldau  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another point to mention: just as the erudite narrator in Kazantzakis's masterpiece envies Zorba's earthy, intuitive ways, so do the scholarly pursuits look upon the non-scholarly as a sort of pre-lapsarian Utopia of unmediated reality. The narrator questions his library of books just as a jazzer questions his arsenal of dense music theory. What is it about the intellectual character that looks longingly at the illiterate? I have a hunch that the ideal notion of purity has something to do with it, but more on this idea in another post perhaps; for now, let's return to the topic.

The generational shift and its mark on jazz aesthetics are becoming plain as day. Three recent records exemplify this shifting, more rocking self-identification. I don't want to labor them too extensively, so here's a brief description of a few rocking jazz picks from the last couple years:

The Bad Plus, Prog (2006)

This is piano trio music that strives for the sound of a power trio. I admit that I was a little skeptical when I heard that a "jazz" group covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit," but the Bad Plus's approach to hallowed standards of the rock world, from Queen to Black Sabbath to Bjork, is incredibly fresh. The pianist Ethan Iverson is classically trained and didn't start playing jazz until comparatively recently, and it shows (for the better): rather than playing all the standard jazz piano vocabulary, Iverson takes a neotonal, melodic approach to improvisation. It's as if Rachmaninoff sat down with a rhythm section. Stand-out songs on this most-recent collection include a crashing take on Rush's anthemic "Tom Sawyer," complete with Neil Peart's machine gun drum solo replicated in perfect detail. The original tune "Physical Cities" features a two minute long stop-and-go rhythmic interlude with completely irregular hits. It is probably the most baroque, complex passage I've heard on a jazz record in years.

Brad Mehldau Trio, Day is Done (2005)

Another piano trio album by the indefatigable Brad Mehldau, Day is Done is much more of a traditional jazz album than Prog; heads lead to solos and all the formal architecture of the style is there. However, the material is all over the map, from the Beatles to Nick Drake and Radiohead. The opening cut says it all: with a rattling menace in the drums and thick, gloopy double-stops on the bass, Radiohead's "Knives Out" signifies from the get-go that this isn't cocktail jazz. Mehldau has cultivated a uniquely idiosyncratic voice on the piano and has mastered the technique of playing counterpoint to himself. On Day is Done, one hand is playing jazz while the other is pounding power chords and flipping off the establishment. It's a tour de force of the nascent jazz aesthetic, at once fiercely urgent and sublimely graceful.

Ben Allison, Little Things Run the World (2008)

One of the young leaders of the downtown NY scene, bassist and composer Ben Allison has never been a slave to the genre. His previous albums blend psychedelia, avant-garde, and even Malian griot to create a totally idiosyncratic sound. On his most recent record from two weeks ago (with the band "Man-Sized Safe," named after Dick Cheney's sinister office safe that can fit a man in it), Allison dives into more rocking territory with a 4-piece ensemble complete with an overdriven electric guitar. The grooves are austere and stripped to the bare essentials of pulse, and the melodies are broach and spacious. It's a beautiful record, complete with Allison's signature Avant-jazz weirdness but toned down and kept simple.

These are just a few records that spring to mind that define this newly developing identity of jazz (and of jazz musicians). The Ben Darwish Trio similarly occupies the space between rock and jazz, free-style improv and tight song forms, hip-hop groove, and esoteric textures. From the perspective of a musician who has been playing and listening to the new jazz for years now, therefore, I can say that this sort of thing comes much more naturally than "Autumn Leaves" and "Solar." Rock is what young Americans grew up listening to, and the fact that jazz has been borrowing from it so heavily lately is a testament to the resilience and relevance of the style in 2008. 

For a great counter-example, see Sascha Frere-Jones's recent piece in the New Yorker, "A Paler Shade of White." Frere-Jones contends that contemporary indie rock ignores what earlier rock valued so much: musical miscegenation. Not borrowing from black music has created a sterile, rhythmically bland, "white" genre that appeals to - surprise! - white youth. It's a fascinating warning of what can become of music if it gets too pure. Of course, great jazz artists have always known this.

By Zach Wallmark - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Playing BASS GUITAR Solos

A Rickenbacker 4001 bass.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1965 British rock group, The Who released a song called My Generation. Apart from its claim to fame as a rock anthem it also contains the most instantly recognizable bass guitar solo in rock and roll. This iconic solo by John Entwistle is typical of the bass solo modeled on similar solo breaks played on double bass and bass guitar in jazz music. This type of bass guitar solo is in the form of a question and answer sequence often found in blues music. The Who's solo also imitates jazz bass solos in that it is played without other instruments behind it. In jazz, such solos are played unaccompanied because other instruments tend to drown out the bass.

There have been many bass solos included in rock, funk, and jazz but only in pop music has the bass guitar solo stood alone as a piece of music. The first pop musician in England to own and play an electric bass guitar was Jet Harris. He found fame and fortune with The Shadows, Cliff Richard's backing group who were trying to make their own way in pop music as a vocal and instrumental group. Harris played on the band's early instrumental hits featuring the lead guitar of Hank Marvin but decided to try to make it as a soloist like America's Duane Eddy. 

Jet Harris' first big hit as a solo guitarist was in 1962 with his rendition of the 1940 song Besame Mucho. The throbbing notes of the six-string bass turned a poignant love song into an instrumental work full of menace. Probably inspired by their former band member's success, The Shadows released another six-string bass solo called Stingray as a single in 1965.

Meanwhile in America in 1963 a young composer and arranger named Jack Nitzsche made a lush orchestral single called The Lonely Surfer. The orchestra was merely the backdrop for a simple melody played on the bass guitar. The Lonely Surfer never climbed higher than number thirty-nine on the charts, but that is pretty good for a bass guitar solo! 

These days the bass guitar is an important part of any band. It was actually born in the nineteen-thirties but met with very little success until it was adopted by the early rock and roll groups of the nineteen fifties. The bass guitar is of course descended from the double bass which has always been a solo instrument in orchestral music and was often used for solo work in jazz.

If you want to play bass guitar, you might want to consider learning to play a regular guitar first. It is not absolutely necessary to become a lead or rhythm guitarist before playing bass but it seems to be the way that bass guitar players come into the world. To begin your career as a bass guitarist you can try playing through the bass tabs available on the internet. There are also some lessons available for free plus you can view heaps of bass solos and bass guitar lessons on the various video sites.

Once you have some practice on the bass guitar under your belt there is a blinding variety of bass guitar techniques to try before you begin seriously to play solos. You can employ a wide range of plectrums or choose from the many techniques which involve plucking, popping and slapping the bass with the fingers. To some people, this might sound like hard work but hopefully, you will regard it as a labor of love.

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MUSICAL ACTIVITIES for Guaranteed Fun

Music has the power to calm, soothe, energize, and make everyone have fun! Try these ideas at your child's next playdate or sleepover for a guaranteed good time. 

1. Jamming Art: Turn on some music-upbeat or mellow-you decide. Without looking directly at the paper, draw pictures and designs to the beat of the music. Make several drawings from different types of music.
2. Animal Walk Parade: Play your favorite tunes on the radio and dance and walk the way your favorite animal would. Remember, the more friends you invite to play, the more fun your parade will be!
3. Music Maker Box: Fill a small trunk, box, or dresser drawer with musical instruments for when inspiration strikes. Purchase inexpensive instruments at garage sales, or make your own including tambourines, strands of jingle bells, and film canister maracas.
4. Dance Party: Invite your friends over for a dance party! Ask each guest to bring along a cassette tape or CD with his or her favorite music. Play a song or two from each CD and dance the night away. For super cool invitations, use a permanent marker to write the details of the party on those free Internet CDs that come in the mail.

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GUITAR Greats

Jimi Hendrix  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No two guitar aficionados will be able to agree on the list of guitar greats, but like so many lists, it can be fun to try to make. What each considers greatness will vary too - is it technical ability or some hard-to-define quality like 'soul'?

The blues guitarist Robert Johnson features on many lists. He has the added attraction of a shadowy legend all his own. The story goes that he was a pretty average, even bad guitarist, but in just one year he became phenomenal... Where had this new talent come from? Nobody wanted to believe it was just practice and hard work, so the tale started that Johnson had made a pact with the Devil. 

The deal had been done, so the story goes, at a crossroads somewhere in the Deep South. Johnson himself immortalized the meetings, probably ironically, in songs like Crossroad Blues and Me And The Devil Blues. These were some of the few tracks he was able to record before his death in 1938 at the tender age of 27. To this day no one knows if he was stabbed or poisoned or if the devil himself came to claim what he was owed. 

Tragically young death isn't essential to become a guitar great, but another man who makes most lists also died aged only 28. Jimi Hendrix took guitar playing to an entirely new level of showmanship. But sometimes people remember the antics - playing solos behind his back or with his teeth, setting his guitar on fire (an idea which owes a lot to Jerry Lee Lewis) - and forget how fantastic he was as a musician. 

Hendrix was an all-round musician, equally adept at blues, rock, and jazz. Believe it or not, he only had a bassist and drummer in his live concerts. He was a great exponent of playing guitar and very innovative as well. Being left-handed, he restrung his guitar upside down. 

All legends have lots of controversies associated with them and Hendrix was no exception. He has been blamed for covering other band's songs in concert and on record. Once he did the Beatles 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club It is believed that he could play a song after listening to it for just once. He is also a credit to have pleased the stubborn Miles Davis with his music. 

Guitar players rule the roost in many forms of music. People do not view them only as rock or bluesman. That is why Django Rheinhardt, John Williams, and Paco de Lucia are considered universally great. No doubt complete agreement on guitar legends cannot be achieved.

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Great Classical Composers - Franz SCHUBERT

Franz Schubert Lithograph (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Of all the great classical composers Schubert is probably the most humble. During the course of his short life he really had no idea of his importance or of his future place in the archives of great composers. He did not try to impress you with his composition but rather it tells you a story in a simple way. Along with Mozart, we have here a completely natural musical genius.

Schubert lived in Vienna in the same period as Beethoven, in fact, Schubert knew of the great master and would see him in the local taverns but never had the courage to introduce himself, such was his shyness and humility. He was lucky enough to be born into a musical family and received a musical education from early childhood.

The great musical facility Schubert possessed was for melody and in particular for songs for which he wrote a great deal, actually, he composed music every day of his life usually all morning until 2 in the afternoon. Frequently in the afternoons he would take walks in the woods or spend time with his friends, an activity he enjoyed immensely.

Schubert's music was perfect for a small and intimate audience and often his cultured friends would organise musical evenings in which he would sit at the piano and entertain the small group with his compositions. Schubert was never able to secure employment in music and relied instead on the support of this friends and from his music lessons to pupils. It was really only his close circle of friends which appreciated him and his musical abilities.

He died at the early age of 31 having composed a great amount of musical beauty, many of them now considered masterpieces.

By Payo W Perry - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Learn to Play the FLUTE While Not Playing the FLUTE

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Flute listening can help you become a fine flautist nearly as much as the practising you do on the flute yourself.

Why?

Flute listening helps you...

1. Learn the flute repertoire.  The more familiar you are with what has been composed for the flute, the broader your flute knowledge becomes.
2. Learn pieces faster. Knowing how a piece sound should make the learning process go faster. Get those rhythms correct the first time, play ornaments correctly, and incorporate dynamics from the beginning.
3. Incorporate flute techniques into your own playing, including developing a good tone, vibrato, breathing, and phrasing.
4. Learn to play various styles appropriately.  Mozart is played differently than Prokofiev, and sometimes just listening is easier to absorb the style than having a teacher talk to you about it for an hour.

Flute listening is inspirational! Just imagine yourself playing that fabulous piece you've fallen in love with and you're halfway toward being able to actually play it! Even if you never play anywhere but your living room, it makes it much more fun!

There is so much wasted time in our days that we could turn into valuable listening time...

• Driving
• Standing in a line
• Waiting in the doctor's office or for other appointments

Using an iPod or other MP3 player allows you to listen to flute music anywhere, anytime.  Every flautist needs to have one of these devices as part of their equipment, along with a metronome, digital tuner, and music stand.  An iPod is so compact that you can easily pack it in a flute bag or purse. It's even more convenient than a small CD player.

Start listening and become a better flautist!

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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How to Play VIOLIN QUARTET Music

Wilma Norman-Neruda as a first violin of the string quartet at The Monday Popular Concerts in St James’s Hall, London; also pictured Louis Ries (violin 2), Ludwig Straus (viola) and Alfredo Piatti (cello).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While violin quartet music can sometimes be a daunting task, especially for beginners who are looking to improve their skills, there are a number of simple, fast tips and strategies that can make your life a lot easier when it comes to improving your violin quartet abilities. The key is to understand the violin's role in the quartet, which depending on which violin you are playing, can vary. Sometimes a violin is used for melody whereas other times you play the role of harmony or rhythm. Here are three simple tips you can use to make figuring out your role in violin quartet music easier and more enjoyable.

First off, treat each voice in the quartet as though it were an orchestra. The structure of a quartet imitates that of a chamber string orchestra with two violins, a viola and a cello, so you should approach anything you play with the same mindset as in a chamber string orchestra. Violin quartet music usually involves a duet between two violins alternating a melody against each other while the viola and cello are used as rhythm and harmony, but know your role accordingly just as you would in a chamber orchestra.

Next, understand whether you are playing harmony or melody. Melodic lines are clear and open and should be played with intensity, whereas harmony should see itself as a support for the structure of the melody. If you are the first violin, you will primarily want to focus on being the singer of the group, whereas a second violin playing violin quartet music functions more as a backup singer most of the time. Know which role you have and how it changes your function in the violin quartet music.

Finally, tune it up and keep the rhythm tight when playing violin quartet music. When you practice on your own, you work with the technique of fingering and hand position to refine your own sound, but in a rehearsal or performance, you need to listen to your intonation and rhythm with relation to the other players. This is a key difference and cannot be overlooked. You cannot play an instrument effectively without listening to the sounds around you, and if you play violin quartet music without hearing your relative tempo, rhythm and intonation with the other players, you are overlooking the purpose of a rehearsal and treating it more like your own practice room. Keep rehearsals productive by focusing on group intonation and rhythm when playing in a group.

If you are still struggling to learn proper violin technique for violin quartet music or any other kind of music, I highly recommend visiting my website at howtoplayviolinforbeginners.net. You will find a ton of free information, articles and products for those struggling with simple problems such as intonation, scales, rhythm and posture as well as an amazing system that allows you to be taught by a syndicated violinist and member of the Manhattan String Quartet. To visit my site and see for yourself, click the resource box link below.

Eric Conklin - Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Inuit DRUM DANCING Of The Arctic

Dancer at Drum Dance Festival, Gjoa Haven, Nunavut
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like many other aboriginal cultures around the world, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic have made use of drums in some of their traditional music for centuries.  Inuit drum dancing played a part in many special occasions such as births, marriages, an Inuit boy's first hunt, changing of seasons, greetings for visitors, or to honor someone who had passed away.  News of these special events was spread by word of mouth and many Inuit traveled great distances to attend.  

The Inuit drum called a qilaut was traditionally made from caribou skin with seal or walrus skin around the handle. Before, Inuit drum dancing was most commonly done by men but eventually, both men and women performed it.  There were various Inuit songs called ajaaja that were sung while drum dancing.  In the past, many individuals had their own ajaaja songs that were unique to them and about their own personal life experiences. There were also many songs that were passed down through many generations of Inuit.  

Like Inuit throat singing, the practice of Inuit drum dancing was banned by Christian missionaries for many years.  Eventually, the Inuit regained their right to perform their drum dances.  However, Inuit drum dancing is not as important today to Inuit life as it once was since western lifestyles have become such a big part of the northern Arctic.  

Inuit drum dancing is still sometimes performed at symbolic celebrations such as opening ceremonies for conferences, festivals, graduations, and shows for tourists.  Watching an Inuit drum dancer perform his or her music can be almost hypnotic and is one of the special treats from Inuit culture to be enjoyed by all.  Inuit drum dancers are a common subject for Inuit art carvings and drawings.  Inuit artists have even outfitted some of their animal subjects with Inuit drums.

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STICK CONTROL - The Book Every Beginner Drummer Needs to Have!

A snare drum.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The book "Stick Control: For the Snare Drummer" is one of the best books anyone can by for a beginner drummer to start out drumming with. This is the one book above everything else that I recommend to all of my students, friends, everybody! Without stick control and technique, a person can never learn to properly play any kind of percussion instrument, especially when they are playing on a snare drum or a complete drum kit. If left uncorrected, the poor stick technique can seriously injure a person and cause him to be able to play drums any longer!

"Stick Control: For the Snare Drummer" will teach you proper stick technique so you can become a faster and more controlled drummer. The only way to eventually play as fast as Travis Barker is to master your technique and control.

You will also learn drum rudiments, paradiddles, and other stick variations to increase your control far beyond what many beginner drummers ever come close to reaching!

This book does not just help drummers with their hand technique, but it also can be adapted to help improve your foot technique as well! Double-bass rhythms will become much easier to play and you will improve at a much faster rate than someone who is not using this book in their daily routine.

Overall, if you want to become a better drummer faster than other beginner drummers, "Stick Control: For the Snare Drummer" is where you start. Once you have it, you will use it until the day you die to warm-up before gigs, concerts, recitals, anytime you play. This book is a must!

Brent Hagy - Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Album Cover Art - Part Two

Album cover art software allows you to explore this pop phenomenon

The Rolling Stones' "Tongue and Lip Design"
logo designed by John Pasche in 1971
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the last article, we discussed some of the elements of album cover art and I would like to continue the discussion with some more details and an album cover finder that is a must for any fan of album cover art.

As I stated previously, many famous artists have been commissioned to design and produce album covers. For example, the Rolling Stones and pop artist Andy Warhol are famous for the cover art on the Stones’ album “Sticky Fingers.” As the story goes, at a party in 1969, Andy Warhol casually mentioned to Mick Jagger that it would be amusing to have a real zipper on an album cover. A year later, Jagger proposed the idea for “Sticky Fingers.” But, there was a flaw in the shipping process, the zipper would press onto the album stacked on top of it, causing damage to the vinyl record. The solution? The zipper had to be pulled down before the album was shipped, then it would only dent the album covers. However, they never figured out how to keep the zipper from scratching the other album covers. Additionally, some department stores refused to display the album, feeling it was risque and not family-oriented because of the model’s snug jeans and the zipper display. But this album is historic because it broke new ground and also saw the debut of the now-famous Stones logo: a caricature of Jagger’s lips and tongue.

The Very Best of The Doors
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are a Janis Joplin fan, then you would probably know that the famed cartoonist Robert Crumb designed the cover for Joplin’s album “Cheap Thrills.” This revered, yet misunderstood artist, drew the cover as a favor to Joplin, who he befriended in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where they both resided. He was paid $600 for his work by Columbia Records, which later sold the artwork. Crumb was asked to do a cover for the Rolling Stones but refused because he did not like their music. Crumb is also the artist for the “Keep On Truckin’” poster and “Fritz The Cat,” and has more than seventy covers to his credit.

The Internet is full of sites related to album cover art and is just too numerous to list. There are sites devoted to fan favorites, the weird and unusual, particular decades, and so on. Many users have turned to ebay to find lost art treasures from their childhood. But I want to share a website and album cover artwork finder that is not only convenient but a must-have for any art lover.

I recently spoke with Richard Nicol, the program designer, and owner of “Album Cover Finder.” (http://www.albumcoverfinder.com) The program has been available for more than two years and is a godsend for anyone interested in album cover art.

Jj n° 2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Album Cover Finder” allows the user to not only find specific searches for interesting album cover art but also allows the user to download selected songs from the release. I asked Richard about his fascination with album cover art.

“I’ve always been interested and loved album cover art and wanted to create a database where the users could not only look at album cover art but experience it as well. The program allows the user to browse through the cover art of a particular band and also lets the user download particular songs through iTunes as well. The main feature is convenience, you can utilize iTunes and not only get more of an experience for the music, but the great artwork involved with the music and artists.”

But “Album Cover Finder” is more than just iTunes and album cover art. The program allows users to look at different artwork from different countries as well. Some of the artwork involved in a US release may be different from that of a UK release or German release, only adding to the experience. The program also allows users to review artist biographies, read reviews of a particular release, and add the artwork to their iTunes library and an iPod. “Album Cover Finder” also allows users to find additional cover art from a particular artist or band, copy the artwork to a clipboard, and have artist videos and applicable tour information. “Album Cover Finder” is a fully functional way to search for album artwork and includes free updates for registered users and is available at http://www.albumcoverfinder.com.

Now, I have only had the program about a week, but I have to admit spending literally many, many hours looking at historic artwork and listening to the songs associated with the acts. This software gets a hardy “thumbs-up” and is a “must-have,” affordable program for album cover art connoisseurs and anyone with a fascination with art and music.

Needless to say, there can be a lot more written about album cover art and the impact it has had on music and pop culture and cannot be summarized in a couple of articles. There are countless books, (I actually own one that talks about and illustrates naked vinyl and the images used to try and sell albums!) that detail album covers and the impact upon pop culture and music.

Additionally, there are so many web sites and blogs associated with album cover art, they are too numerous to list. Why there are even web sites devoted to preserving this treasured art and frame it for display.

Furthermore, did you know that June 1, 2007, marked the 40th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ “Sgt? Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?” Not only is the release one of the most influential albums of all time musically, but the cover art itself is also iconic as well.

Cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I spoke with Gary Freiberg, owner, and operator of http://www.rockartpictureshow.com about “Sgt. Pepper” who related to me that the album “broke new ground and challenged the industry.” Gary and I talked about album cover art and the influences it has had on our culture. He also told me of a recent poll conducted by http://www.vinylrecordday.org that voted the “Sgt. Pepper” album cover the favorite album cover of all time. Gary is world-renowned for his work in the album cover art industry with his patented record album frame and his work has been cited and used by the Smithsonian, Home & Garden TV, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and thousands of satisfied Internet customers. And if you interested in getting your great album art framed, you may visit http://www.rockartpictureshow.com and tell Gary you heard about him from an article posted at http://www.isnare.com

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