Archive for December, 2009

The violin is so versatile because it is actually a very primitive instrument. You could call it a wooden box with a few strings on it, and you stroke it with a bow with horsehair.

That’s all you hold in your hands, the rest is up to you. You get nothing for free. For example, a keyboard makes it a lot easier for you. You press a key and it produces a clear tone that is always in tune.

But the violin is more stubborn. You have to move the bow a certain way and place your fingers on exactly the right places on the strings to get a great sound.

This is also the strength of the violin. Because there is nothing pre-programmed you can influence your music in unexpected ways. Just bow in a slightly different way, just move your fingers a bit and you get a totally different effect. Few musical instruments are so exciting.

It is really surprising that for such a long time the violin has almost exclusively been played by classical musicians. Only a few of the possible sound effects are actually being used. In classical music there is little room for creativity because it has to sound a certain way!

Pop music, rock and folk are better suited for an original violinist to explore other possibilities.

The violin is a pop or rock instrument par excellence! As a solo guitarist or keyboard player, for all effects (tone distortion, power chords, slide, wild vibrato) a lot of technique or equipment is needed.

The violin playing techniques are plenty and simple. Just imagine: you can easily sustain a tone and slowly change pitch on the fretless fingerboard.

The weirdest sound effects are possible without filters, pitch bend or a multi-effects unit. If you want you can easily plug in your violin for additional processing but it is not necessary.

Of course you can bow a pop arrangement in a classic way. But the real challenge lies in just using your own creativity and your own expression for building a strong rhythmic accompaniment or playing original riffs.

And of course the violin is a fantastic folk instrument. It is the leading instrument in the folk music of many countries: America, Ireland, Scandinavia, Scotland, Balkans, Morocco, to name but a few.

It allows you to swing and sing, to be joyful or mourn. You can easily play with others just by yourself because folk music is basically melody and the violin is still primarily a melody instrument.

People love to learn a new instrument or just an instrument in general. For the beginner who is looking at learning the piano, now is just the time for you. There are websites popping up all over the internet where people all over the world can begin to learn classical piano music or any type of music they want. Want to know something else? You can begin to learn for free. Okay so maybe you are not a beginner, maybe you already know the piano but you are tired of playing the same thing over and over again. Well guess what. You are also in luck. There are many websites available to you, to allow you to download sheet music from any of your favorite songs. Again this is for free as well. So nows your chance to print off sheet music and start playing some of your favorite artist’s songs.

Since there are websites that offer you the chance to learn how to play any type of piano you want too, and that’s including classical piano music, what are you waiting for? A lot of these websites will allow you to begin to teach you the basic chords and notes by just using your computer keyboard. A lot of these websites will also teach you how to read sheet music as well, so once you have that down and piano playing, those free sheet music websites will come in handy for you. A lot of people think this is a great idea, allowing people to begin to learn for free. One of the main reason’s being is that going out and purchasing a piano or a keyboard is not exactly cheap. So you can begin to learn at home and find out if this is truly the instrument you want to learn and after you have your basic chords and notes down you can then look at paying for lessons and purchasing equipment if you wish to do so.

A lot of people love to learn a new instrument just for the fact that when they have company over they can simply begin to play right then and there for them. One of the greatest feelings in the world, said by many people and artists is just having a group of people over and everyone begins to jam together for an afternoon or an evening.

People all around the world consider the piano to be one of the most diverse instruments ever. The sound that comes from it is beautiful and soothing, so what’s stopping you from learning to play classical piano music? Nows your chance, even if your free time is limited.

The guitar is one of the most popular instruments. Many people would like to learn how to play but lack the time, resources for professional lessons, or believe it would be too hard. However, learning to play the guitar doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it is easier than ever. Now there is a way for almost everyone to teach themselves to play the guitar anytime they want. What is the secret? It is printable guitar chords. These simple to use and easy to understand chords can be printed right from any computer.

You will be playing the guitar in no time with this simple but ingenious concept. The benefits include:

o Learn at your own pace
o No extra fees for instructors
o Easily accessible
o Inexpensive
o Easy to understand

For those would be musicians who just cannot find the time to learn the guitar, using printable guitar chords are just what you need to help you accomplish your goal. All you have to do is print the chords and then you can practice anytime you wish. Whether it is late at night, early in the morning or on your lunch break they are ready whenever you are because they are printed right from your home or office computer.

These guitar chords can also save you money. Guitar lessons can be expensive, especially if you are learning for a hobby. Therefore, if you decide to learn the guitar entirely on your own, by using these chords, you will not have to incur the extra costs of a professional instructor. Thus saving you hundreds of dollars.

However, if you decide that you want to be a little more serious about learning the guitar these chords can also be used as a supplement to instruction. Practice makes perfect and printable guitar chords can help achieve that perfection. If you forget the chords that you learned in your lesson all you have to do is print them out.

Guitar chord pages can be found by simply searching for them on the internet. Find the ones you need, print them out and you will be playing your favorite songs in no time. Many sites even offer them for free while others ask only a small fee for the service. The choice is yours.

Finally, the chords are very easy to understand. The simple grids clearly show finger placement for each chord. It is also common for the pages to show alternative ways to play the same chord if the first way is too awkward or hard for the player.

Now with printable guitar chords anybody can teach themselves to play the guitar at their own pace and in their own home. Then when people ask who taught you to play, you can say, “I taught myself.”

Blues guitar chords are not really different than the chords you would find in many styles of music. What make blues music and blues guitar different is the fact that most of the chords are of the dominant family instead of the major or the minor family. In this article I’ll explain the difference and point you in the right direction to learn more blues guitar chords and spice up your blues guitar playing.

All chords in music are divided into 3 families: major, minor, and dominant. Altered chords usually get lumped in with the dominant chords also. All chords are built from the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the major scale. As the chords get bigger, we can start to add in the 7th tone as well, and even notes from the second octave of the scale. This would mean the 9th is really the same as the 2nd, the 11th is the same as the 4th, and the 13th is the same as the 6th. An interesting side note is that a 13th chord actually has every single note in the scale.

Triads are the building blocks of all chords. A triad is a chord that contains the requisite 1st, 3rd, and 5th and nothing more. The major triad has the 1st 3rd and 5th with no alterations. A minor triad has the 1st and 5th, but the 3rd note is flatted. To flat a note means to lower it by 1/2 step. B would become Bb for example, and C# would become a C.

The major chord family is notated by the word “major” in the name of the chord. A major7th chord has a 1,3,5, and 7 from the major scale. A major9 chord has a 1,3,5,7, and 9 (same as 2 but up an octave.) Major11 adds an 11, and major13 adds the 13 on top of that.

The minor chord family has the word “minor” in the name of the chord. These chords all have 1,b3, and 5 from the minor triad. A minor7 chord has a flatted 7 as well. Minor9 adds a 9 (not flatted), minor11 adds an 11, and minor13 adds a 13. Only the 3rd and 7th are flatted in all cases.

The dominant family is the most common in blues music. The dominant family is the default case. So C7 is really C dominant 7 even though it’s usually not notated that way. These chords all have a 1,3,5, and a flatted 7th. The 9th chord adds a 9, the 11th an 11, and the 13th a 13. In all cases the 7th is the only flatted note.

The most common blues guitar chords are the 7th chord and the 9th chord. The 7th can be used for hundreds of songs. The 9th is a great substitution for the 7th chord and can add quite a bit of spice to your playing. The 11th and 13th chords can take a bit of getting used to.

Obviously, on the guitar, we have to leave some notes out to play an 11th or 13th chord because we can’t play 6 or 7 notes at a time. Even most common chords that have all 6 strings have some duplicate notes to make them playable. Getting used to playing all of the 7th chord and 9th chord shapes will get you well on your way to great blues guitar playing.

The piano has come a long way since it’s invention 500 years ago. The original version has now been replicated and improved countless times, resulting in a large number of different piano styles and with the latest technology, digital pianos have cropped up and become a popular alternative. But which one is right for you? That depends greatly on what you intend to do with your piano playing and what your budget is. However, there are many pros and cons for both sides.

Acoustic Piano

The acoustic piano is a complicated structure. Touching the keys results in a hammer hitting a string, which then vibrates and the sound produced is amplified by the piano`s soundboard. This provides a rich, true piano sound, which is quite valued at concerts and recitals. However, an acoustic piano requires a lot of space, upkeep and money.

Things to Consider When Choosing an Acoustic Piano

o Acoustic pianos need regular tuning, particularly if there are changes in the weather or if the piano is moved.

o Nothing compares to the full-bodied sound provided by an acoustic piano.

o These pianos allow the artist to play softly or loudly, depending on the mood of the piece . . . the piano responds to the touch of the pianist.

o Acoustic pianos are large, weighing between 450 and 1,000 pounds and take up a large part of a room.

o Affordable acoustic pianos are usually wrought with flaws and not worth buying . . . but for many, a true, good quality one is simply beyond their budget.

Digital Piano

A digital piano is one that is a replica of an acoustic piano. Rather than contain the strings and mechanisms to produce the sound, digital pianos just use recorded notes from a real piano. There are definite advantages to using one of these instruments and they are often used by bands who need an easily portable instrument, but there are definite down sides, as well.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Digital Piano

o Digital pianos are considerably cheaper than acoustic.

o There is very little sensitivity in the digital key, meaning that true interpretation of many piano pieces is simply not possible.

o Some piano teachers will not teach students who only have access to a digital piano.

o These instruments are quite light and portable, some even come in their own carry bag.

o A high end digital piano offers a wide range of styles and features, including drum tracks and recorded notes from a variety of other instruments and types of pianos.

o Digital pianos don’t need to be tuned, making them very useful in humid areas or where the weather changes drastically.

The debate of traditional acoustic pianos vs. digital ones has been around as long as digital pianos. Classical piano students insist that an acoustic piano is the best and to be honest, the digital piano is only an imitation, albeit a very good one these days. Even with the best technology, digital pianos are simply not able to live up to the original acoustic.

However, this doesn’t rule out digital pianos completely. They are still extremely useful for the piano student on a budget or for anyone who has little space in their home for a large acoustic piano. Bands also find the more portable version to be easier to use, since it doesn’t require tuning and can easily be packed up and moved to the next gig. In the end, it depends on your intent, as well as a few other factors, such as budget and space, as to whether or not you will go with an acoustic or a digital piano.

So many people would love to learn how to play the guitar, and now with the technology of the internet it can be fast, fun and affordable. How? Printable guitar chord charts… Now there is an easy way to teach yourself guitar from the comfort of your own living room.

Printable guitar chord charts provide you with an easy visual way to learn at your own pace. The charts are set up with easy to read grids and take zero time to learn how to read them. Many printable chord charts have actual pictures of real guitar teacher demonstrating how to make the shape.

Another cool tool is an online guitar chord generator. There are many to choose from and work a little different since it is software. You simple pick from a list of guitar chords and there you go, the chord shows up right on the screen and now you can make your custom printed guitar chord charts as you need them.

The great thing about these charts is that if you forget how to make the chord shape you have a fast and handy reference to look at. To take a step further if you are really serious about learning how to play the guitar would be to join an online guitar school and access professional lessons and chord charts.

It’s so easy now to learn something new from home with the internet being so readily available. So many would be guitar players are now given the resources to learn at their own pace.