Break Away II

We’ll look at three classical compsers/ piano players who heavily influenced classical music.

Ludwig Van Beethoven. Well known perhaps because of the fact that he went deaf in his early twenties and still continued to perform and compose through biting a rod connected to the piano to feel the vibrations. Beethoven was born in December 1770, his grandfather with the same name and his father both had worked in the court of the Elector of Cologne, as later he did. His move to study the violin and counterpoint in Vienna in 1792 was funded by the Elector. His loss of hearing started in 1796, and is believed to be the result of lead posioning, as lead was used alot in life back then before it was known as being posionous. The work of Beethoven has been put into three different setions: the early, middle and later periods. His early period work was said to be influenced by mozart (who we’ll get to in a minute) and went upto 1806. The middle period went from 1803-1814, and the later period went from 1815 up till his death.

Wolfgang Mozart. Mozart, born in 1756 is thought to be one of the greatest classical composers, with over six hundred pieces wrote and composed to his name. Mozart was considered a child prodigy, playing to royalty and composing from the age of five, and was employed as a court musician at seventeen in Salzburg. After visiting Vienna he deicded to stay on and this is they city where he acheived fame, but little fortune. Mozart died on December 1791, of what is believed to be rhuematic fever, and rumor goes that he dictatced the rest of his final piece from his deathbed.

Johann Bach. Born in 1865 in Germany, Bach helped to mature the classical subgenre of Baroque, being hugely influential on the genre. Bach was more famous as an organist rather than a composer during his lifetime, which his talent was only credited when he was rediscovered in the 19th century. Bach was an orphan at 10 years old and went to live with his brother, who was also a musician -most of Bach’s family were. It is from his brother that Bach received more instruction on playing, and became fluent on the Clavicord. Two of the seven Bach children from his first marriage were also great composers in their own right, helping to mould the style known as Rococo -Carl and Wilhem Bach. He was hired by Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen as his court’s director of music, during this time Bach lost his wife in 1720 and remarried a year later. In 1723, Bach was appointed Cantor of Thomasschule, a posistion he held until his death in 1750.

Inspired by grand pianos, and want to know where to buy pianos and electric guitars?

The dream of producing your own music is becoming ever more realizable and available as technology  moves on and the rising popularity of online social networking communities. You nonetheless need to start out somewhere and get past the technological lingo and learning curve – these 6 steps will place you in the right direction and help you in preparing a strategy to get where you want to go as rapidly as you can.

With simply your computer and net connection there’s now no need to try and get a record deal with some label as you can create, produce and advertise yourself independently online all the way. Be it merely for amusement and hobby or if you plan to go all the way and “fire your boss” when your music download sales are funding your life style and getting you acknowledged.

Step 1 – Decide to take some action every day, baby steps, don’t expect to learn it all at once. Attribute a slot of time every day to learn and utilize what you learn. Preferably do this before anything else – in other words don’t leave it until “if you’ve got time after all your other daily chores”. Position this action before anything else you do, even if it’s only for 15 minutes a day.

Step 2 – Center on the end result not the tools and methods to get you there. People make the error of trying to interpret how the engine functions when all they actually need to know is how to operate the machine. Keep your eye on the prize and let the remainder fall into place.  

Step 3 – Find a system, program, set of tutorials and stick to it. There is too much information overload out there that can bog you down and make you lose interest or even sadder give up. Find a  good simple system with practical applications to get you learning through doing.

Step 4 – Enjoy it, keep it fun and creative, if it ceases being fun do something else for a while and come back to it. There will be times when it grows a bit consuming, remember the baby steps and  take a step back if need be.

Step 5 – Get involved in the on-line music communities. There is an always evolving music community online. Jump in and get involved. Check out communities of other self-directed artists and players.  Add them to our Myspace/Facebook friends, follow them on Twitter, listen to their music for inspiration and ideas – talk to them on-line, pick their brains! They’ve been where you are now and can cut your learning curve substantially.

Step 6 – Take some action today to bring you nearer to making your own material that tons of people will download and enjoy. Even if it’s just joining a forum, signing up to Myspace or starting up some on-line tutorials targeted at total novices – do something today – why wait?

Dot-Funk.com is an online resource aimed at the complete beginner to make music online with tutorials, articles, resources and product reviews. The newcomer tutorials are specifically designed to get the total  beginner up and playing as rapidly and painlessly as possible while quickly beating the learning curve and technical lingo and learning curve.

People are always telling you that you have a great passion for music. As you sit in your basement or living room with your stereo blaring and channeling your inner DJ you try to figure out the way to go to create your own beats. When you start making beats you might think about sampling various beats. But you should realize that if this is the way you want to go you might get problems because of copyright infringement.

The internet is loaded with beats and people are gathering reputations for some of the work they are doing creating beats that are getting used in the music industry. Whether you are looking to make beats for others to use, or if you are just looking for a way to make your own beats for your own entertainment you will still need the computer software necessary to create quality beats. Of course, you could pay for it, but there are various places where you can get free beat maker software.

As you examine the various downloadable beat machines trying to decide which ones offer the best beat maker software, you should definitely make it a careful and well thought out process. If you see beat maker software that is free take into account the old saying if it’s too good to be true it probably is. Supposed free beat maker software can be the costliest in terms of dealing with viruses and adware among other potential problems. One problem with free beat maker software is that million of people are using the same software and you might end up having the same beats. When it comes to quality software you will have to pay out some money but you’ll appreciate it in the long run.

When you decide which beat maker you should get, make sure that it is one that is suitable for newbies and pros alike. A program that is limited to how many platforms it can be used on is definitely one to avoid at all cost. Remember this should be a program that is fun to enjoy either alone or sharing it with others. Reading user comments for each program you read over is always helpful in terms of finding out if it is in line with what you are looking for.

If after you’ve tried all the above and still are unable to find what you are looking for the ultimate website for beat making is HowTo Make Music Online.

To download an incredible cutting edge music sequencer with mp3 export capability and for comprehensive music production tutorials with different keyboards go to Make Music Online

karaoke party

When discussing karaoke music, we have to look at two different aspects. On one hand, you’ll need to choose the right karaoke hits for your collection to ensure everyone’s satisfied and your karaoke party doesn’t turn into an awkward “So, who is going next” scenario. On the other hand, you will need to consider where and how to buy these songs, either on CD, DVD, CD G or mp3. Perhaps you may not even want to buy them at all, instead opting for getting your fix of karaoke online.

Girls and guys have their favorite karaoke hits that have withstood the test of time, so be sure to add the following favorites to your karaoke song collection. Girls like empowering songs of survival, enduring sexuality and sass. To appease these spunky vixens include such tunes as “These Boots Were Made For Walkin’” (Nancy Sinatra), “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor) “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” (Pat Benatar), “Venus” (Bananarama), “I Love Rock N Roll” (Joan Jett), “I’m Just A Girl” (No Doubt/Gwen Stefani), “Like A Virgin” (Madonna), “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” (Cyndi Lauper), “Feel Like A Woman” (Shania Twain), “You’re So Vain” (Carly Simon), “She Works Hard For The Money” (Donna Summer), “Respect” (Aretha Franklin), “Sweet Dreams” (Eurythmics), “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (Whitney Houston), “Listen To Your Heart” (Roxette) and “Black Velvet” (Alannah Myles).

Guys like karaoke music that is easy-to-sing, fun-natured and includes choruses to showcase their manliness. For guys, don’t forget the following most-requested karaoke songs. “Piano Man” (Billy Joel), “Drift Away” (Uncle Kracker), “New York New York” (Frank Sinatra), “Livin On A Prayer” (Bon Jovi), “Lean On Me” (Bill Withers), “Old Time Rock N’ Roll” (Bob Seger), “Tainted Love” (Soft Cell), “Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison), “Baby Got Back” (Sir Mix-a-lot), “Margaritaville” (Jimmy Buffet), “Dust In The Wind” (Kansas),”Don’t Stop Believin’” (Journey), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Queen), “Knockin On Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan), “Pour Some Sugar On Me” (Def Leppard), “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (Twisted Sister), “Beat It” (Michael Jackson), “Here I Go Again” (Whitesnake), “Addicted To Love” (Robert Palmer), “Girls Girls Girls” (Motley Crue) and “Paradise City” (Guns N’ Roses).

When it comes to karaoke music, there are just some songs that are must-haves for your collection. Even though you may not belt out Neil Diamond’s cheesy “Sweet Caroline” as you’re getting ready in the morning, you’d be crazy not to have it at your next karaoke party. Everyone will be chorusing the “bah bah bah’s” to make the karaoke party even more fun. Another famous group sing-a-long is Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” with everyone from 15-50 shouting out “whoaaaaa-ohhhhh, livin on a prayer” like an eighties rocker. Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin” is so corny it’s perfect for your next karaoke get together and don’t think you’ll get through the night without someone choosing Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” where all participants sing “sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-lad-di-da.”

I don’t know about you but I’m not too crazy about those cheesy free beat machine downloads they have sprinkled all over the internet. Especially since they are not free of charge. These are free demo’s. Yes that’s right you can demo them for free but if you want to own them then you have to pay for a license.

This software is commonly termed shareware or freeware. If this type of software is new to you it generally depicts a limited use trial period. Now this generally is a way of telling you that you don’t get the full use of the software. Most of these freeware or shareware downloads do not allow you save your music.

Most of the beat machine software is rather high priced. Well with some of these online beat machines you need a college degree just to get it to work. I like things that are priced reasonably and are easy enough to use right out of the box so to speak.

I found this great little beat machine that has mp3 export capability and features tutorials that not only teach you how to use the beat machine but also how to use it with different instruments. They have a great site and yes they too have a free trial and their very own beat machine downloads. You can also use them on a Mac, PC and other platforms. If they can’t answer your questions in their FAQ section they have an online staff available as well. Very cool. So easy to use even a 7 year old can do it. This software is incredibly priced much less than others.

Beat machines are pretty popular right now whether it be for rap or R&B everyone wants one. Look around to find the right software for your use. If you do your due diligence you will find the one that is right for you. But if you can’t wait and don’t want to go to all the different sites then try this link for a some really good beat machine downloads

How do you groove? What is the reason you want to get better?

Regardless of your intentions – whether to get started playing acoustic electric guitar, learn a few licks of your favorite tunes, or want to expand your repertoire to include blues, funk, or rock and roll music, on your way to recording yourself, there are resources out there that can help you.

Some solutions you can consider to help you better understand your guitar playing are listed here.

Guitar videos
Getting acoustic guitar lessons on DVD for at home or computer that take you through finger exercises, rhythm and timing lessons, strumming techniques and hand position while illustrating various types of songs it best. You can mimic what you are watching on screen and reproduce what you see and the lessons become essentially a mirror for you in learning to play guitar. If you are a visual learner who likes to learn on their own, then this is the way to go but it takes determination and commitment.

Guitar Instruction
Community colleges in your area have acoustic electric guitar tutors or you can find a private instructor to work with you. When you consider working with an instructor you will want to also consider the types of students they work with the best, their success stories, the flexibility of your schedule, their expertise and of course their fees. In pursing guitar lessons, you can either do one on one or group – both have their pluses and minuses but either can work for you.

Playing with partners
There is someone around your local area that plays, find them. You can ask at your local guitar shop for private lessons or post on something like Craigslist to find a teacher. The purpose is to have the accountable of practicing weekly with someone who is better than you and develop a friendship with them. What you can provide is the commitment to meet up with them weekly and practice. In return, you can learn from their techniques or methods what works. Of course, you always need to be aware of learning bad habits in situations like these, which is why it’s important to have a foundation in guitar technique before starting.

The Theory of Guitar
Related to guitar technique is developing a basis in guitar theory. Chord patterns, minor and major chord progressions, note scales, and overlap with piano and percussion instruments can all give you a basic structure upon which to layer in the knowledge and technique you gain in your guitar playing.

A wonderful expression of your creative talent and musical ability is playing guitar. Playing guitar can provide you with a lifetime of enjoyment for yourself and your friends and family with a commitment to constant improvement.

You Think You Want to Learn Guitar?

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Now that you’ve played Guitar Hero, you might be thinking you’d like to play a real guitar? The guitar hero game is fun, but it doesn’t teach you to play the guitar. Maybe you’ve been thinking that playing the guitar and performing for others would be something you’d like to do.

Ironically, it takes “work” to “play” at guitar – but as you get better, it feels more like “play” than “work”. When you learn a song, it gets more and more fun – when you learn two songs, it’s double the fun. I know because that is how it was for me when I was ten years old and I started taking guitar lessons! I first learned three basic chords that could be used to play a variety of easy guitar songs. Those basics will help you feel you’ve accomplished something and you can build on those things as you learn more. For example, if you learn these chords: C, G, and D. There are so many songs you can play on the guitar with just those three basic chords.

Look up good information online about guitars (learn what the parts are called, learn about tuning and putting strings on a guitar). There are beginner lessons on videos that can teach about guitar chords.

Is it hard to learn a guitar song?

When I learned to play guitar, I had a guitar teacher and used some guitar chord books. But that was before the Internet (I know – a long time ago) and today there are so many other options to find guitar lessons for beginners. I know that the online lessons are good. But this has not changed: a quick way to learn is to learn one song. After that, learning the second and third song will be much easier!

What kind of guitar should you have?

Most often, beginning guitar lessons are taken with acoustic guitars or sometimes a classical guitar.  A basic difference between those two types of guitars is the kind of strings – acoustic guitars have steel strings and classical (or folk) guitars have nylon strings. Believe me, the nylon strings are much easier to start out with because they don’t hurt your fingers as much!

Either kind of guitar is great to learn to play with. Students who are definitely planning to play rock and roll usually start with electric guitar lessons. Getting the best guitar for the type of music you want to learn is important.

So, go get a guitar, but don’t get a really cheap one. Make sure you hear the guitar played first. Even if you have to ask someone to play the guitar right there in the store, go ahead – you need to hear it played. Or take a friend with you that knows about guitars. Then, start learning your first song. You can go from a game player to a real guitar player – and a true guitar hero!