Songwriting - Getting Started With Chords

By Jim A. Byrne

As a songwriter, even if your focus and strength lie primarily in lyrics, having a working knowledge of a chordal instrument like keyboard or guitar can help you find the proper chords for your song - or at least help you guide your co-writer. Learn some of your favorite songs on piano or guitar to see the chord sequences used and to notice the moods being set. Songwriters start as fans of different writers and songs, and then as they learn those progressions, they start to adapt and modify them to their own style.
The most basic and useful thing to learn when studying chords is that each key has seven different notes. From each one of these notes, you can build a chord - one through seven. When you hear someone refer to a "1, 4, 5 progression," he's talking about the one chord, the four chord (four notes up in the scale from the first), and the five chord (five notes up in the scale from the first).
Knowing your scales in every key will be an enormous help for you as a songwriter. In every key, you have three major chords, three minor chords, and one diminished chord. In a major key, the chords built off of the first note, the fourth note, and the fifth note will give you a major chord. This is the 1, 4, 5 progression of so many great rock 'n' roll and blues tunes. The chords built off of the second note, the third note, and the sixth note will give you a minor chord (a 2, 3, 6 progression). And a chord built off of the seventh note will give you a diminished chord. As long as you know what key you're in and what notes are in that key, you can begin to base your major and minor triads (three-note chords starting with the root - or basic note - of the chord) off of each respective note. Technically, you can arrange them in any order (this is where personal taste and style come in) and they'll all sound reasonably good together, because they contain notes from that key that you've chosen.
Blues and blues-rock chords
Blues and most forms of rock 'n' roll use a premise of a major key for the most part, using the 1 chord (the root), the 4 chord (the fourth), and the 5 chord (the fifth), which are the major chords. If you are in the key of A, you'd have an A major, a D major, and an E major. What blues and some rock do is to make each chord a dominant (the namesake of the key - if you are in the key of E, then E is the dominant - also referred to as the root or tonic of the chord) seventh chord. Your A will become an A seventh - an A major chord with a G natural on the top of it to give it that grindy or bluesy sound. To the D, you'll also add a dominant seventh of a C natural on top. The E will be an E major chord with a D natural on the top. When you're adding sevenths to your chords, you're actually going outside the notes contained in the major scale of that key and dipping into the notes of the minor key. It's that minor sound on top of that major chord progression that gives you the bluesy sound.
The minor blues progression is also a popular form from which to base your song. In the key of A, your 1 chord is now an A minor (lowering the second note of the triad from C sharp to C natural) with a G on top making it an A minor seventh chord. The D or 4 chord becomes a D minor chord with a C on top to make it a D minor seventh. Theoretically, your 5 chord - the E in the key of A - should also be a minor chord in a minor key, but often writers will make it a major or even a seventh to give it a more definite resolution back to the 1 chord.
Chord progressions don't have to be complex in order to be powerful. In fact, often a simple two-chord sequence can sometimes be the most powerful of all. Listen to the two minor chords (E minor to B minor) of "Fallin'" (written and sung by Alicia Keys) as a good example.

Jim Byrne is a musician and songwriter; and has created songs with an Americana, Celtic, and bluesy folk feel to it. More songwriting tips, and a wealth of resources for beginner guitar players and songwriters are featured in his website. If you are into Americana and country music, download his latest single for free here => http://www.songsbyjimbyrne.com/freemp3music/index.html

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Music Interpretation: Emotion and Intellect

By James Andrew Nicholas

Music, one of the great joys in life and the conduit for love, hate, and everything in between. It inspires us to new heights and consoles us when we are at our lowest lows. It gets us hopping when we are out with friends and it comforts us when we are alone. Music tickles our emotions and provokes our thoughts. But how does it do this? What is it about the simple act of hearing a melody that conjures up all these sensations? Why is music so meaningful?
Why We Love Music
There are many reasons why we love music. Clinically, the propagation of sound waves travel through the external, middle, inner, and into the brain where it is processed and perceived by us. This process stimulates the hearing centre in our brains producing sensations ranging from euphoria to great sadness. Music, however, is more than complex chemistry. It evokes emotion through memory and association. A certain person, a certain occasion, a certain occasion with a certain person. The meaning of music is entirely up to the individual and how one perceives it. We are reminded of events of both joy and sadness experienced in life and this meaning is bonded to our heart.
How We Interpret Music
What we think is a result of how we interpret what we experience through our five senses. In terms of music, our ears perceive sound, our brains process the information presented, both musically and lyrically, and we form a judgement from this information. Our thoughts are provoked by some songs and dulled by others. The judgement is drawn from our own life experiences and becomes a reaction to our emotional, intellectual and spiritual interpretation of the music. Though music is a universal language that speaks to all of us through the same medium, interpretation is as widely varied as each listeners' personality.
How Music Evokes Emotion
Emotions, both powerful and mundane, are all conjured up from the same place within ourselves. Fear, anger, love, despair are all potent emotions unto themselves. But when our imagination takes hold and induces the genus planted from the tones, timbres, or lyrics of song, we can be inspired to great heights. Like the way our imagination fills in the blanks of a good book, making us personally invested in the narrative, a song alights emotions that makes our heart sink or soar.
It is our own emotional and intellectual interpretation through both biological and sociological means that makes music one of the great joys in life. It is us that gives music is meaning.

For an example of music at work, read the in-depth analysis of Radiohead's album 'OK Computer' here: The Meaning of OK Computer
James is a music lover and frequent scribe. For more articles by James visit: Jimformation

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The Evolution of the American Singer Songwriter

By R Joseph Brenneman

In this article we will take a look at the evolution of the American Singer Songwriter from Robert Johnson to Woody Guthrie, to Dylan, to Townes Van Zandt, to Lucinda Williams, to the Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim and much in between. The Singer Songwriter has impacted virtually every American music genre because, after all, it begins with the song. Make no mistake, the singer songwriter, only armed with his or her instrument, provides the purest form of musical expression; poets whose rhythmic verse is put to music. It is music at its core; even with a band, the song is crafted utilizing more instruments.
For the purpose of this paper a Singer Songwriter is generally referred to as an artist who composes and performs their own music and may occasionally play in or lead bands. The singer songwriter genre itself includes both solo artists and bands who have an emphasis on lyrical content.
Gospel, Blues and Country
Gospel music was already present in the early 20th Century, The Fisk Jubilee Singers started in 1871 as an African-American a cappella ensemble to help provide monies for Fisk University and "toured" along the underground railroad. In the 1920's and 1930's the Dixie Hummingbirds and other "jubilee" or "hard gospel" quartets influenced all music of the time. Prior to the artists to the 1920's Vaudeville and "Race Records" had sold in excess of a million records. However, this genre is excluded as that music is not considered Singer Songwriter based music.
During the 1920's Blues was grown from African American spirituals, work songs and chants. Blind Lemon Jefferson, who is one of the earliest blues recording artists, wrote "See That My Grave is Kept Clean" in 1928. The rhythm is chant like and in the form of a call and response work song that echoed the hard life of the time.
Well, there's one kind of favor I'll ask of you
Well, there's one kind of favor I'll ask of you
There's just one kind of favor I'll ask of you
And the response:
You can see that my grave is kept clean
Also, during the 1920's and into the 1930's, A.P (Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter) of the Carter Family, the first family of Country Music, would travel to the small towns "finding" regional music of the South and re-creating that music for their radio show and records. One of their most popular recorded songs recorded in 1928, Keep on the Sunny Side of Life, has a quicker rhythm and provides a chorus in between the verses. Written in 1899 by Ada Blenkhorn; the music draws from Appalachia, Gospel, Folk.
The Fathers of Blues, Country and Folk
Robert Johnson's recordings between 1936 and 1937 combine singing, guitar and songwriting skills that have influenced generations of musicians since. The pitch in his voice conveyed the emotion of his songs. His music was not completely repetitive and included guitar "riffs" that advanced Blues music. Blues at the time was referred to as "Devil's Music" due in part to Robert Johnson's own admissions that he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads.
During the same time period Hank Williams was creating music that would influence songwriting and country music forever. Like Robert Johnson, Hank's personal and engaging lyrics and expressive voice drew in generations of fans.
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry... So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams
Woody Guthrie, best known as a "protest singer" who started the folk movement, was performing in the 30's and recorded in the early 1940's. With his guitar that boldly read "This Machine Kills Fascists" he sang traditional music and wrote of injustice. As a part of the Almanac Singers, who embraced communism at the time, their music was written to fight fascism, promote racial and religious inclusiveness and workers' rights. That collaboration included Pete Seeger, who to this day, is an iconic American Folk singer and activist.
Into the 1940's music had been recorded and broadcast over the radio since the 1920's. Musicians of the time have expressed personal pain, hardships and love. Music tapped into the social conscience, protesting against racism, labor and social injustices. Folk, Bluegrass, Jazz, Blues, and country music were becoming more defined as well as blending together to create more music genres.
In the 1940s the major strands of American music combined to form what would eventually be Rock and Roll. Blues artists from the south went north to work in auto factories and electric "Chicago" blues was being perfected by Muddy Waters. Jazz Bebop was made popular by Jazz greats like Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker. Ballads mostly depicting personal love and loss were performed by Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. The war effort impacted music and gospel music was in what is now considered its "Golden Age."
Rock and Roll
In 1951 Allan Freed, a disc jockey in Cleveland Ohio, broadcasts the phrase "Rock and Roll" to describe the multi-racial and multi-genre music of Blues, Country and Gospel. Lock up your daughters - Rock and Roll is here!
Remember, in the early 20th century it was considered sinful by many to play Blues music, Hank Williams was petitioned by twenty two preachers to never play "Two Faced Preacher" and much of the Folk music of the time was "Protest Music". In many ways these genre's produced dubious music. The racial tension of the time and the inter-racial aspect of Rock and Roll was hard to accept. Parents were fearful of and many prohibited their kids to listen to Rock and Roll.
Parents just didn't understand, the youth of the time embraced Rock and Roll and music was now big business. The 7" single was introduced in 1951, Rebel Without a Cause was released in 1955 and in 1956 Elvis was shot from the waste up on the Ed Sullivan show. Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were popular. Rockabilly, R& B and Pop emerged.
The Birth of Rock and Roll was only the catalyst for the 1960's, everything was about to change.
Dylan
In 1961 Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) visited his bed-ridden idol Woody Guthrie, vowing to be Guthrie's greatest disciple. As it turns out Dylan may be the greatest Singer Songwriter of all time.
By the 1960's a new generation began to openly question the status quo, values of the past were not necessarily the values of the future. The Civil Rights movement was gaining strength, the Vietnam War was televised to American households, families had bomb shelters and protest was in the air. There was a combined freedom and accessibility to information and documented history that had never existed before. Expression was more pronounced and experimental.
Dylan's music was markedly different than his predecessors and was part of the folk revival of the 1960's. His music contained political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. Some of Dylan's biggest influences were Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Allen Ginsberg and Nietzsche.
In 1963 a twenty two year old Dylan wrote Blowin' in the Wind.
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Songs had more meaning and affected people on more levels. Dylan's, A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall was interpreted by many at the time to be symbolic of the possible Nuclear Fallout from the Cuban Missile Crisis - a claim that Dylan refutes.
To many the Singer Songwriter era began with Dylan. However, due to the constraints of this article I need to somehow move on. So, to summarize, Dylan considers himself a poet first, never compromising or content to perform within a specific style of music Dylan dramatically went electric at the Newport Folk festival and embraced phases of both Country and Gospel through his career. At the time of this writing Dylan continues to be relevant and is still creating music.
With the experimentation of music and expression of the 60's new genres and styles of songwriting grew. The 60's gave birth to the British Invasion, which was heavily influenced by the earlier blues records of the 30's through the 60's, Psychedelic Music, Soul Music and endless collaborations of musical experiences and styles emerged.
Through the 60's the Singer Songwriter genre grew to include varying musical styles and forms of expression. Dylan's call was answered by a new generation of Songwriters. Neil Young from Canada introduced a unique and highly personalized style that was both melodic and course. The Grateful Dead utilized songwriters like Robert Hunter to create masterpieces of the time and expose listeners to bluegrass, folk and blues. Crosby Stills Nash and Young created songs with harmonies that emphasized their lyrics. Tom Rush, Joan Biaz, Chris Smithers, Greg Brown, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger continued the tradition of pure folk music. Jimmy and Janis brought new levels of writing, composition and performance while the Doors pushed the envelope - right into the 70's.
Townes
During the late 60's and into the early 70's one of the most prolific Singer songwriters of our time was creating hauntingly beautiful music in Texas. Townes Van Zandt devoted himself to the extremes he felt necessary to completely give himself to the music. Citing influences such as Lightening Hopkins, Dylan and Hank Williams; Townes created music that affected people on a highly personal level and was known for his songwriting above all else.
Mama don't you worry nights approachin'
Theres a hole in heaven where some sin slips through
Just close your eyes and dream real steady
Maybe just a little spill on you
Dark don't lie dreams come true
Could be a few will see you through............ Cowboy junkies lament - Townes van Zandt
Songs were now created from varying perspectives, influences and were told in different ways. In the beginning songs were literal and usually from a single perspective but over time perspectives (from where the song was speaking) changed. Abstract ideas and phrasings were used to convey meaning. The use of abstract lyrics in songwriting can be very powerful and personable as the listener can more readily personalize abstract idea or thought. A narrative writing style clearly defines; which, can either engage someone who is on that line of thought or disengage someone who sees or feels a different meaning from the lyrics.
70's, 80.s & 90's
During the 1970's lyrical content became more important and influenced almost all music genres. Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, Tom Paxton, Jackson Browne, John Prine, Tom Waits, Jim Croce, Steve Goodman, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Carol King, Elton John (w/ Bernie Taupin), Peter Frampton, Bruce Springsteen, Gordon Lightfoot and thousands of others famous, infamous or unknown strummed out old, borrowed and new ways to express themselves.
During the 1980's and 1990's many Singer Songwriters had been absorbed into the Soft Rock music genre. Artists such as: Billy Joel Stevie Wonder, Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, Tracey Chapman, K.D Lang, Kate Bush and Warren Zevon, Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Raitt and John Hiatt filled the airwaves with a more polished sound heavily influenced by the "album oriented" sound of the time. John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Cheryl Wheeler Gandalph Murphy, Richard Shindell, Richard Thompson, Joan Osborne, the Cowboy Junkies and others continued to redefine the genre.
Today
At the present time there is an abundance of established musical legends still performing and an emergence of new Singer Songwriters who have taken the genre to a completely new level. Artists such as Norah Jones, Mumford and Sons, Hank lll, the John Butler Trio, The Heartless Bastards, Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers and Langhorne Slim write and perform with an honesty which has created a heightened emotional connection with their fans.
It has been said that ever kind of song has been sung and maybe it has, but as the times change so do the words, the phrases and the music. Here's to finding your song!
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it
When nothing is old deserved or respected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone you're never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it...............
Head Full of Doubt- Road Full of Promise - the Avett Brothers

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Bach, the Guitar and the Meaning of Life

By Holroyd Hammond

"There's really nothing to it. All you have to do is touch the right keys at the right time, and the instrument will play itself." JS Bach
That statement above by Mr. Bach may have been uttered "tongue in cheek," but there is a lot of truth in it: not just for music, but for life. I got the idea for this paper as I was working on a piece by Bach; an arrangement for guitar of the 4th Cello Suite. At one point the music took over and I really heard and felt it - it was transcendental. I thought that surely God must be pleased with something like that and it seemed as if the music itself was a revelation of Truth. I haven't yet been able to get that feeling back; my clumsy technique keeps getting in the way. But, I know it's there, in the music. I'm still searching.
If you have never played Bach or studied the classical guitar or even if you have, you may reasonably ask, "What do Bach and the guitar have in common with the meaning of life?" In order for me to show any connection at all and to convince you of the rationality of it, I am sure that you would first require and expect that I should have discovered the meaning of life, and that I should be able to present a convincing argument in the support thereof, which argument, dear reader, if I did propose it, you would probably discount from the outset. But, allow me, nonetheless, to continue and you be the judge.
Many would describe "The Meaning of Life" as a search for Truth and the act of, having once found it, living within its prescribed limits. If you will allow me this, then we can continue. In any case, this search for Truth has, unquestionably, been the focus of the study of philosophers, thinkers and theologians throughout the ages. Plato argued that Truth could be understood, or defined, through Forms: Forms representing all objects and human concepts. In other words a table, for example, is a Form that embodies "tableness" or a quality that exists somewhere "out there" that is common to all tables. He was on the right track in a way, for he further described his Forms as unchangeable, eternal, intelligible and divine.
Other philosophers have struggled to intellectualize Truth in similar and other ways. Most (but not all) of them would agree that there is an ultimate Truth and a path to discovering it. That must be a given, else why would some men spend their whole lives in the pursuit? The problem with philosophy, and religion for that matter, is that both are searching for proof, whether it be of "Forms" on the one hand or of the existence of God on the other. There is no proof of either. The path of both is simply one of discovery and enlightenment and we're guided, for the most part, by what we hope to find at the end of it. Ultimately, then, our journey in search of Truth is a journey of faith and hope.
(I once, many years ago, attempted to define Truth when asked to by one of my philosophy professors. Being eager to demonstrate my refined intelligence and my sharp wit, I replied that Truth was birth, death, a bowel movement and a broken heart. I may have been closer to the mark than I realized at the time, at least in the sense that all of those things at least give us a glimpse of, as Plato would call it, "Truthness." But I digress.)
Now it gets slippery. I would argue that God is Truth and that there is no Truth without God. God defines Truth. God is the ultimate Form that Plato was looking for. It is important that I clarify at the outset who/what I mean when I say God. I don't mean a concept of God that we have intellectualized. The popular notion that God can be whoever or whatever we want Him to be - whatever makes us feel good - doesn't work in my argument. If we can create God in our image then we can create Truth as well. We can all have our own little god and our own little truth. It just doesn't work. (Look at the state of our society and government which seem to be ruled by this philosophy.) I submit that God Is, with or without our belief or consent. Now, when I speak of God I mean the Great I Am; God the Creator and Ruler; the God of Abraham, Jacob and Moses. You are offended or disappointed? Too simplistic? Sorry. But, isn't that the catch? Must we not, in order to find Truth (if you believe it exists), first allow for the existence of God? We can't create God any more than we can create Truth. Either they exist or they don't. The meaning of life, then, I choose to define as simply a search for God and through Him, Truth: a struggle to come into communion with Him; to be reconciled to Him; to be the prodigal son welcomed home. In the end, it is all a matter of faith and choice.
If you allow me, then, that the meaning of life is a search for God, I would further propose that the music of Bach and the study of the classical guitar (or any musical instrument, I suppose) can guide us in our search.
God is timeless, unchangeable, immutable, complete and a source of revelation, as is Bach's music. (Bach, by the way, was a very simple and devout man.) Nothing can be added or taken away from his music to make it more perfect. It transcends time and space and creates a perfect world of its own. When heard deeply, it gives you one WOW! moment after another. Its order, sanity, beauty, passion and simplicity can give us a glimpse into the mind of God. You can trust Bach as you do a good writer (or God, if you will): his tools are sharp and well-maintained and he won't lead you astray.
Bach worked within a particular and strict form. I mean by this, a form or style of music. At first thought this would seem to be restricting and confining. Far from it. Bach mastered the formal structure which ultimately freed him and his music from all forms: his music, then, transcended form. What we would see as a narrow way, Bach saw as a way to free himself from all restraints and achieve pure musical truth and beauty. Likewise, the path to God may seem at first restrictive and binding, but it is ultimately freeing.
Where does the study of the guitar fit into all of this? As the great classical guitarist David Russell has said (and I paraphrase), with every musical moment on the guitar there is only one right way. He's not speaking of interpretation here; he means technically: one way to "touch" the guitar that is the perfect way at that particular moment. It is that "perfect way" that we struggle to find and rejoice in when we do. This one way may seem restricting at first but once found and understood, it is ultimately freeing. It frees you from the technical and physical restraints and lets the music flow through the player and come to beautiful life.
I struggle every day with the guitar. It doesn't come naturally to me. There are rules that must be followed. I view every little breakthrough that I receive in my study of the guitar as a blessing from God. These breakthroughs come almost as little revelations. They are those little Wow! moments when everything suddenly becomes clear. These moments usually come, though, only after struggling with an issue for a while and approaching it with humility, reverence and respect. It is exciting and encouraging to realize that something so innocent and satisfying as the study of music can reveal a glimpse into the nature of God. Works for me.
I believe that God created and loves music and gave it to us for our enjoyment and as one way for us to get a glimpse into His heart, into His Truth. The way may seem narrow at first. We struggle as we try to work within the form, within the rules. But when we master the form and understand and apply the rules, the music comes alive - as does our relationship with God. The music of Bach and the study of the guitar reveal to me a truth that transcends the music and the instrument: the truth of the existence of God and of His infinite love.

If you're interested in music and the guitar, please visit my website at http://www.guitarskool.com

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The Hip Hop Life and Its Past

By Milo A Martinovich

The youth culture has a lot to do with the Hip Hop scene. It has been this way from the time when Rap was created. It has always been something that urban youth could relate their lives to. Beginning in Bronx, New York in 1974, the music has evolved into more than just a music genre. It has shaped a unique clothing style, a unique language full of slang, and its own inimitable portrayals of world issues. When it comes to music in general, this genre is most likely the most influential.
In the late 70s, Keith Wiggins said that the music genre was Hip Hop. He is accredited for naming the popular genre. He was a piece of the super group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. This group was one of the first, and most worthy, groups in in the early years. The Sugar Hill Gang and The Sequence are two other incredibly notable early Hip Hop groups.
DJ Kool Herc, or Clive Campbell, is almost certainly the most significant innovator in the game. Most people believe that he created the music genre. He decided to go against the common music at the time and formed his own genre. It was originally fashioned by DJ's who fashioned a fusion of funk, rock, and Latin percussion in the background. This led to the creation of a new musical genre. DJ's are responsible for the establishment of the music with their use of turntables. Creating longer breaks and mixing songs collectively opened the door for more break dancing, another notable part of the lifestyle. DJ's and B-Boys were the first in the scene. After they began to get more popular, Emcees began joining with the DJ's and rapped over the mixes. Emcees renovated the genre and made it the crucial point of the youth in the upcoming decades. Lyrics began to get more expressive that the inner-city people could relate to. Rapping became a kind of poetry that is spoken with a particular rhythm, which is dictated by the beat.
Since its establishment, Hip Hop has evolved into something that is barely associated to the old style. Graffiti, break dancing, and DJ's aren't as important as they once used to be. It has constantly distorted to go along with the lifestyle in the city. As there lives change, the music changes along with them. Some people believe that the music has strayed too far and lost the valuable roots of the music. Other people believe that it has to change to adapt with the ever changing lifestyle of urban youth today. No matter what you think concerning Hip Hop, you have to acknowledge that it has changed the world.

If you would like to learn more, you should look at OH Hip Hop. OH Hip Hop features the Newest Hip Hop Music. It also features all the latest Hip Hop News And Rumors.

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3 Reasons Why Your Guitar Playing Sucks

By Stuart Vehr

Did you just start learning to play guitar? If so, you probably have noticed that there are bad days and good days. One day you can play all of chords with ease and nothing seems simpler. The other day you can hardly make a decent sound to come out. Why is that? Why do so many beginners face this nasty problem?
I definitely had struggles with my guitar skills when I first started out. In the beginning it was very hard, but in just one week of practicing guitar every day for fifteen minutes I started to sound pretty decent. Then the next week came along and I just couldn't play a decent note. Why? What went wrong? Why was it that last week I could play the same notes easily and now it sounded as if my guitar was being played by a two year old?
Well turns out it wasn't my fault. Well 99 percent at least. I learned a valuable lesson that second week of practicing guitar. What was the lesson? Actually there were three:
Lesson 1
Give time for muscle memory to build up.
When you're just starting out to play guitar your fingers are not used to being bent the way you bent them when playing guitar. So don't be surprised if by second week it seems as if you can't get your fingers to do anything right. Mine were shaking and refused to stay on the strings the way I needed them. The best thing to do when this happens is to take a break for a few minutes and start again.
Lesson 2
Trim your nails.
Have you noticed that sometimes your fingers are in proper places and you have no problem pressing the strings but the sound comes out a bit muffled? Most of the time that happens because your fingernails are too long to allow strings be pressed hard enough. If you noticed that the sound is a bit mute check your nails right away. You will be surprised how good you become as soon as you trim you nails.
Lesson 3
Make sure your guitar is properly tuned.
If everything else is under control but your guitar still sounds funky, chances are it's out of tune. You have no idea how many beginners get discouraged and quit, because they think they stink. When in reality their guitar was just out of tune that entire time.
That's it. Sound simple, doesn't it? So, next time when you are starting to sound bad remember to check three things. Are your nails short enough? Is your guitar tuned properly? Are you trying to learn new chords that you didn't develop muscle memory for?
Once you learn to play guitar you will be amazed at how much your life will change. You will never be bored. Your cool status will go way up. And it's a great escape from an everyday stresses of life. So keep on playing.

There is an easy way to learn How To Play Guitar. I get all of my lessons from Guitarzonline. They have a lot of helpful information like How To Hold Your Guitar, How Long Does It Take To Learn Guitar and even offer free lessons for beginners. If you're interested in learning guitar you should check their site out. You will be glad you did.

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Last Minute Concert Tickets - Online Ticket Exchanges

By Mason Matt Matthew

Concerts are a lot of fun to go to. When you buy music you can get it in several forms. You can buy your music through the internet or even on a good old fashioned CD. CD sales are down as more and more people are just buying the music online that they want. One good thing about buying music online is the fact that you can pick and choose what songs from the artists you actually want and just skip the rest. Thanks to high speed internet connections we can now easily download lots of music online. You don't have to run to the store any longer to get music.
Listening to music at home on your CD player or in the car while driving around is great. Nothing quite compares to hearing your favorite bands play live at a concert though. Most household CD players do not have that great of sound quality. You probably have a speaker system you picked up off the shelf a local store and the speakers are okay but nothing special. Even when you listen to the music in your car you likely do not have a great sound system in your car.
Even if you have great quality speakers nothing quite can compare to hearing and seeing your favorite band play live. Hearing is only half of the fun when it comes to music. Seeing your band play live is also a whole lot of fun. If you get the right seats in the concert you can get pretty close to your favorite bands. Sometimes even close enough for them to reach out and touch your hand as they walk across the stage singing.
You will not be able to experience any of this if you are just sitting at home listening to your music. That is what is so great about concerts. Seeing the band play and watching them have a good time playing music for everyone and hearing them play is great. The sound system you will hear at a concert is likely worth quite a few thousand dollars and is not something you will likely ever have in your home.
Before you can even experience all of this amazing stuff you have to first get tickets. Getting tickets can be easy and hard at times. Sometimes the stadiums cannot even hold the amount of people that want to go to hear the bands play. This means that if you do not get your tickets early then you will not get them at all. Buying them online if you can is the best way to get the tickets. This way as soon as they become available you can just purchase them and reserve your seats. Sometimes you want to go at the last minute and the concert is not full yet.
Luckily you can also get good deals on last minute tickets. The internet can help you out in many ways and allowing you to buy last minute tickets is just another thing it does for you.

I recently got concert tickets for a sold out concert
I wanted to go to. This sort of website is a safe way to do that and is called a ticket exchange.

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Setting the Mood With A Wedding DJ

By Melanie Libatique

Music sets the mood for any event. It also plays an important part during weddings because it somehow tells a story about the newlywed couple. A party without any music is no party at all. While hiring a live band may be a great idea, it has some cons; mainly, on your budget. As an alternative, receptions can still have good music with the help of a wedding DJ.
Live music from a wedding band costs differently depending on factors such as:
- Number of sets
- Number of members
- Popularity of the band
- Other fees (transportation, food, allowance)
The quality of music from a band is undeniably different than that from a wedding DJ but the truth is, they can both create the same ambience for your special day. It's just a matter of hiring the right disk jockeys. A 5-piece band in Tampa usually costs from $1200 to $2000. This should get you 3 hours of live music. Some bring their own equipment like amps, microphones, speakers, etc. but there are those who only bring instruments and the rest is up to you.
On the other hand, wedding DJs generally costs lower in Tampa. Maximum cost would be around $1000 to $1200 for a 4-hour set. If you come to think of it, there isn't that big of a gap in the cost but with today's economy, saving every last dollar counts. Furthermore, disk jockeys have a larger repertoire of music as compared to a band which may only stick to a couple of genres.
A good package from a wedding DJ in Tampa should consist of these services, at the least:
- 4 hours of music (pre-approved by the couple)
- A separate MC to segue to the different parts of the program during the reception
- Speakers and subwoofers
- Lighting package
- Consultation
- Turntable(s)
- Open to music requests during wedding reception
- Money back guarantee
- Back-up equipment
Standard payment scheme for disk jockeys is 25% down and then you pay the rest during D-day. Make sure you have written agreements with your transactions to avoid mishaps. Professional DJ services should be able to provide you with the necessary receipts and contract for your arrangement.
Like wedding bands, you should also give time to watch the performance of the disk jockey you plan to hire. You can either arrange a private audition or attend an event they're playing in. Having an idea of what to expect is always a good thing because there are DJs that aren't meant to play for weddings. Credentials are crucial. How long have they been doing it? Have they done weddings? Do they provide any form of proof of liability? These are some of the questions one should ask before saying yes to a wedding DJ.

Diamond Events
5470 E Busch Blvd Ste 113
Tampa, FL 33617
http://www.deventsinc.com/
(813) 263-0726

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The Bodhran Offers Really Distinctive Music

By Douglas L Etri

The bodhran Celtic drum is typically known as a percussion musical instrument which is traditionally used in Irish music. Its level of popularity is hugely credited into the distinct, tuned-percussive beat that it yields which has been a popular alternative for Irish composers and also performers. Previously, this one-sided level drum was put to use in splitting chaff from the grain. Generally, it is made of an extended goatskin or artificial plastic-type head over a low, wooden round shape that helps make a special type of sound. So as to play the drum, a stick which is referred to as tapper is employed to strike its surface to produce a sound.
Obtaining much information about the cultural instrument can help you understand its significance to music. Generally, this small, hand held percussion musical instrument is available in different sizes that vary from 10 to 26 inches having the majority of versions falling into the 14 to 18 inch dimension. This kind of drum can be a fantastic music instrument for performers of virtually any ages. The smaller measurements are actually suitable for young children or maybe people who seem to feel having the bigger measurement uneasy. Playing the instrument could be really pleasurable and also calming to your feelings once you choose the most appropriate one which suits your own type. The task of searching for the ideal one is very easy for any person who understands basic principles of high quality drum design.
Identifying what kind of bodhran you would like to have might help you get the perfect one. The tunable types are noticed to have the heads fixed using metallic equipment and may be fine-tuned like tightening up and loosening in order to change the beat quality. In contrast, the tacked version is not really changeable mainly because its head is attached with tacks. It is important to examine the differences involving the sound from the drum made from natural skin as well as the man-made. The drum having goatskin is actually capable of presenting deeper beat however it might require to be greased frequently and is also more susceptible to be damaged by moisture compared to the artificial. Remember to settle on the drum that could fulfill your needs regarding sound quality.
A different factor that you need to think about to obtain the perfect bodhran Celtic drum would be the standard of the structure. It is essential to be careful in examining the frame of this instrument in which the solid wood should have sleek finish and also free of breaks, warping or knots. The two edges of the wood have to be totally attached together without any kind of breaks. Furthermore, the drum surface has to be blemish-free with no scuff marks, openings, gouges, tears or nicks whether you go with the organic skin or maybe synthetic. The real reason for this is the point that all of the problems can impact the sound generated by the musical instrument.
Understanding how you can have fun with the bodhran will often take some time and also practice. When you get hold of the best suited drum and then practice really hard to master the strategies in actively playing, it is very possible for yourself to generate beautiful tunes. It is best to stretch your arms as well as hands and get warmed up before you start enjoying the drum. This may remove the likelihood of acquiring cramps on your own glenohumeral joint, wrists and also fists. Practice handling the beater along with applying emphasis in the first styles to generate an exclusive beat. The most crucial point to consider is to completely get pleasure from playing the musical instrument and relish the tempo which it creates.

The bodhran is among the most spectacular and unique musical devices in the planet. Learn more about the extraordinary instrument and other Celtic Instruments at Your World Instruments, an online source that features a diverse range of international music devices, which may be found at http://www.yourworldinstruments.com/.

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How to Choose the Perfect iTunes Artwork Finder

By A T Matadeen

The thing that most of all brings out the life in your iPod is not the games, but rather the iTunes artwork that accompanies your music while it is playing. It is always fun to watch the picture of your favorite track on the screen of your iPod or even on the monitor of your computer as the music plays. This is the unique feature that the latest version of iTunes offers. This feature is only compatible with the new generation of the iPod such as the iPod nano, Classic and the IPod Touch. With the iTunes artwork, you can be sure that all the music in your store will have a graphical display instead of the dull grey squares that move on the screen as the music plays.
To get the latest iTunes artwork for all the music in your store, you should do a search of the music against the iTunes store. By doing this search all your music in your computer will be automatically accorded with a corresponding iTunes artwork image that will from that point be displayed as the image for that particular piece of music. The Advanced tab on the iTunes application can greatly help you out when you are searching for iTunes artwork but this is only limited to the songs that are in the iTunes store. There must be thousands of albums that are not indexed in the iTunes store, so do not expect all the music in your computer to get an album artwork.
However, do not despair, there are ingenious people who have gone to all kinds of trouble to try and find a solution for this problem. The solution comes in the form of an album artwork finder that is compatible with your iTunes. This art finder will go through the many known music archives and try and find the album artwork that is a precise match to the music that is in your computer. The artwork finder is your best companion because it does all the work on autopilot and all you have to do is click on a tab that sends the program to scour through millions of files and get you the most relevant album artwork for your iPod. This beats manually searching for the album artwork for iTunes, which is something of an impossible task.
However when you are choosing a finder application for album artwork for iTunes, you need to make sure that the program is safe to use. There are many applications that pose as genuine programs but they are actually designed to harm your computer. Therefore make sure that the finder application for album artwork for iTunes comes from a reputable source and if possible, the program has a lot of user reviews. Through this, you can be sure that other people have used the program and actually found it useful when it comes to getting album artwork for iTunes. After the artwork has been successfully installed in your iTunes application, you can now sync your iPod so as to have the iTunes album art displayed when your music plays and also to enable you to use the Cover Album mode to select your music.

A T Matadeen is the author of this article on iTunes album artwork.
Find more information on iTunes artwork here.

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Elvis Is Back in the Building

By Gary Dobbs

Incredible that it's been 34 years since Elvis Presley died - and he's still as popular as ever, more so in fact and although much of the Elvis industry is tacky there is no disputing the importance of Elvis as a performer and a truly innovative one at that.
"Before Elvis there was nothing." John Lennon
As a kid I used to think Elvis was the epitome of cool and would even watch those movies which were always playing on TV during the school holidays, but as I grew older and discovered other forms of music I turned away from the music of Elvis Presley, considering it trite, mediocre - and a great deal of it was. Those costumes he wore on stage made him look like a strutting peacock and every time he was featured on the news he seemed to have gained yet another chin. The world had moved on and Elvis, it seemed, had been unable to move with it and now well into middle age he was still belting out those songs that had sounded fresh coming from a slightly raw kid, but seemed like parody coming from the middle aged fat man.
I remember the first record player I ever owned - it was a Dansette which was shaped like a suitcase, carrying handle included on the side. I got this for Christmas when I was ten years old and I had two LP records with it - Elvis's Christmas Album and a tribute to the Beatles. I didn't really like the Beatles one at the time, as it wasn't the real Beatles but some tribute band, and besides all I knew of the Beatles when I was ten was that it was some group my Dad would mention from time to time. But the Elvis one was played to death.
Then in 1977 Elvis Presley died, but I was twelve years old at the time, just discovering punk music and Elvis had long ceased to matter to me. Why should I, a snobby nosed kid from the black Welsh Valleys, give a shit about a middle of the road American icon?
It was only in later years that I began to rediscover Elvis and although there is still a large ratio of trash amongst his canon, there is much that is as important as any music ever recorded by anyone. Almost all of his tracks for Sun are indispensable, as are his first two RCA albums. Elvis is Back, his first album after leaving the army, is also excellent and showed a maturity both in choice of songs and the performance itself. It all went wrong shortly afterwards with Elvis becoming a star in a string of bad movies with inane soundtrack albums. The Elvis that came back from military service was not the hip cat who first put on the uniform. Indeed the few Elvis movies that can be considered classic came from the first period of fame before he was drafted into the army. The military it seemed did something to Elvis - tamed him,perhaps.
There were though later triumphs - the excellent 68 comeback special and a string of albums such as Elvis in Memphis, Elvis Country, Back in Memphis and That's The Way It Is spring to mind.
It's not surprising really that Elvis in his afterlife has become even more of a product than he was when alive. He was used as a commodity throughout the movie years and even beyond with the gruelling Vegas shows. And that's a shame because it often obscures the fact that Elvis was a truly great artist, as important in the development of popular music as anyone. In life he became wrapped up in his own myth and lost himself beneath all the trappings of showbusiness and in death the real Elvis is buried deeper still. It's not about the flashy suits and saccharine ballads, but about those first few years, back when the world was black and white, when the young man revolutionised music and changed the world. He truly did, you know.
These days I know I was wrong to discount Elvis and am a born again fan and so in honour of the King, on this anniversary of his death, here are my choice of five essential Elvis albums.
Elvis Prelsey (1956) This is the first album for RCA Records. As famous for it's pink and green lettering and its cover design, as for the music itself. This is punky rockabilly Elvis with not a bad track among the set. Listen to Elv's take on Ray Chares's I got A Woman and prepare to be rocked.
Elvie (1956) The second RCA album was more polished that the previous volume and much of the rawness taken away. But mawkish Old Shep aside this is still a great record.
Elvis Sunrise (1975) This compilation contains all of the tracks the young Elvis laid down for Sam Phillips and Sun records. And it's absolutely excellent - this is Elvis at his best. Raw, bluesy and magnificent.
Elvis is Back (1960) Elvis launched himself into recording this album directly after leaving the army, acting as producer and having free reign on the choice of tracks. The work shows a more rounded side of Elvis with the singer flirting with jazz as well as the more usual blues and rockabilly. After this master-work came the soundtrack to GI Blues and the real Elvis seemed lost forever.
From Elvis in Memphis (1969) Perhaps the last truly great album Elvis would ever make. Producer Chips Moran pushed Elvis every step of the way and this resuled in some of the greatest emotion ever heard in that remarkable voice. Excellent.

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Purchasing West End Theatre Tickets for the Best London Shows

By Leah Williams

West End Theatre Tickets can be purchased from a variety of sources, and in variety of ways. The shows you can purchase for include Phantom of the Opera, The Moustrap and War horse respectively.
Phantom of the Opera Tickets and War Horse Tickets on Sale Now
The tickets for Phantom of the Opera can either be bought from the box office of Her Majesty's Theatre which is just of the Legendary Pall Mall in the Centre of London. The best way to get to the Theatre is to take the London Underground to Piccadilly Circus and walk from there. Coming out of the station you turn Left down Regent Street (or if you are on Haymarket street turn right) and walk to Charles II street (the Theatre is on that street).
Another way is to simply book online and download the information with performances and transport from the website.
War Horse Tickets
The tickets for War Horse can also be bought from the box office of the theatre it's on at. This play is on at the "New London Theatre" in Drury lane in the heart of the West End. Here you would have a choice of underground stations, you can either take the "Tube" (as the underground is lovingly called by Londoners) to Covent Garden or to Holborn. Probably the best is Covent Garden and turn right onto Long Acre Street as you come out of the station. Drury lane is about one hundred metres up and crosses the street. Take a left and the Theatre is just up on the right.
Actually the best way here is probably to also book on line as then you can get details of how to get to the theatre from your hotel.
The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap is showing at St Martins theatre on St Martins Street in the West End. The nearest "Tube" station is Leicester square. Just walk out of the station and turn left. Head up the road and the theatre is on the left at the Litchfield street intersection.
Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot is on at the Victoria Palace which is over the bridge on the south bank of the Thames. The Theatre is just outside the famous Victoria Station which is the one of the eight main rail stations in London and serves the South East of England.
Conclusion
Probably the best way to book for west end theatre tickets is through the web. You can go to the ticket office of the theatre if you are in the area on the day, but the fact is that many of the shows "sell out" on a daily basis and if you leave it until turning up that night you might just find that there are no seats left. Or at least you end up with seats you didn't want!
Booking via the website is the best option simply because you get the information there and then as to whether the seats you want are available, whether it's Phantom of the Opera tickets, War Horse tickets or any other show you are after.
Using the London underground is by far the easiest way to get around, the service runs from 6am to 12 midnight every day with trains running every two minutes at peak times. Miss your train and no problem, another will be along in two or three minutes making sure you are never late for that opening you've looked forward to.
To enjoy a show in London's West End is on the list of things "to do" of many people. The best way to make sure it really happens and you get the seats you want is to book in advance, the most convenient way of doing that is to do it via the web. That way you make sure to get what you pay for.

Leah Williams writes articles for London Tickets, who take the effort out of searching and finding the best price and availability for west end theatre tickets. In London's West End, many classic and modern performances can be seen every day. So if you're searching for Phantom of the Opera, the classic by Andrew Lloyd Webber, or war horse tickets and seat availability, visit London Tickets to search and find availability for your favourite performance.

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Why Trying To Learn Guitar Tabs Can Be So Frustrating

By Justin Arnold

For many people the need to learn guitar tabs comes at a later stage in their guitar playing career. The real difficulty lies in trying to cope with the transition from a casual, self taught player to one who is able to adequately and competently read guitar sheet music. This difficulty is further compounded by the fact that guitar tabs are written in a way that is quite unlike standard notation.
This means that even if you are reasonably accomplished at reading standard sheet music for, say, the piano, you'll find that it's a whole different ball game trying to learn guitar tabs. At first glance it looks as though both guitar tabs and standard notation use the same form of stave, until you realise that what you're actually looking at is not so much a stave as a diagram showing the six strings on the guitar. The top line refers to the first string and the bottom line the sixth string on the guitar, so effectively you're not looking at a stave, but the strings of the guitar.
The next challenge when trying to learn guitar tabs is identifying the difference between the normal notes you would expect to see on a musical stave with the numbers and symbols on guitar tabs. Most of what you will see in guitar sheet music will just be numbers, and these identify which fret you should hold down. So for example, if you see a number 3 on the second line down, this means that you should hold the third fret down and play the second string.
If you're going to play a chord then you'll find a stack of numbers all in a single vertical line, and this shows you which fret to hold down for each string. This form of musical notation is not only very difficult to learn compared to standard notation, but it very hard indeed to sight read. With a whole heap of small numbers stacked up in one small bunch it takes quite a while to learn how to glance at this and interpret it into finger positions quickly. In some cases you will find that if it's a popular chord the letter will be written either above or below the numbers, and once you've learned the chord you can play this in the way you normally would.
This all takes a very great deal of time and effort to learn, and is often very off putting. If you were going to learn to play piano or flute then you would expect right from the word go to have to learn musical notation, and you would pick this up as you became more accomplished with playing the instrument. With a guitar it's quite different because it is perfectly possible to get away for some time with just knowing a few of the most popular chords and strumming to these with friends. But if you're going to move on to play in a band or perform more demanding pieces then you will need to learn guitar tabs.
The fact that this process is so much harder and more longwinded, and can largely be seen as irrelevant since you can already get away with playing the guitar at a basic level, means that many people don't bother. One of the best ways to help learn guitar tabs and become more accomplished as a guitar player is to take advantage of guitar video tutorials online, Here professional, experienced and accomplished guitarists can teach you the tricks of their trade, show you how they achieve the standards of play they do, and can help you along the way of learning guitar tabs in a way that's more enjoyable, and helps move you forwards with more momentum.

For help with trying to learn guitar tabs or for advice on playing some of the most popular songs visit Allaxess.com where you can find a library of free guitar video tutorials.

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Over Ear Headphones

By Tyler D Judd

If you are looking for the perfect headphones for a superior listening experience, your best option would be Over the Ear Headphones. These headphones are also known as ear cup headphones, full sized headphones, and they're usually the largest headphones available for purchase. If worn, over the ear, the headphone cups over the ears to fully enclose them, hence the term over the ear. This is the main difference between open headphones or ear buds, which are used inside of the ear instead of over the ear.
Depending on the model and the brand, these headphones have the potential to give the best quality of sound. This really equates to a superior listening experience because you'll be able to discern the bass and the loudness, as well as block the noise from the outside.
Over ear headphones work by effectively cupping your ears so that you won't get all the unnecessary noise and sounds from your surroundings. These are full-sized headphones with large, padded ear cups, so there's no doubt that all the goodness of the sound that you are listening to will be all yours. This acoustic isolation offered by these headphones is perfect for watching high definition movies with excellent sound quality. With these headphones, the sound quality that you'll obtain is on par with high-end sound systems that you usually get with an expensive home theater set, and are by far the most comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
On the downside, these headphones are rather large, so it's not really portable (unless you have a carrying bag or case for it). Some of the larger headphones can be uncomfortable because of their weight, and if worn on a hot day, can make your head and ears rather warm.
On the other hand in ear headphones are generally used for a more casual listening experience. They are small in size and very easy to carry. They are preferred for running, or other fast paced activities. Within this type of headphones there are also many types and models, and the sound quality is generally not as good as a full sized pair of headphones.
The full sized headphones are great for all kinds of situations. If you are in a noisy place, and want to drown out the outside noise. Perfect for noisy cities, airplanes, clubs, and offices. You can find a variety of noise canceling earphones that will make your listening experience more isolated. There are also open ear types of headphones that are not noise canceling, but will let the sound out of the headphone. These types of headphones are often used in recording studios to get a true feel for how an artist or performer sounds.
It's a good idea would be to own both types of earphones since they offer different experiences for different circumstances. While over ear headphones will give you the best sound, in ear headphones will be great for other active situations. In the end, the final user should decide what type of headphones to use, and for what activity.

Love Listening to your music? Check out the best sound here at Over Ear Headphones! Check out our selection today!
www.Over-EarHeadphones.com

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A Couple Fresh Ways To Expand Your Cultural Scope

By Seth Frank

Maybe we don't always realize it, but all around us are ways to turn into a more culturally aware person. There is more than just local movie theaters, sports games, and group restaurants in your neighborhood.
One of the easiest approaches to experience a foreign sort of culture is through music. Sorts of music particularly belong to each era and are forgotten by most of the age group that comes after. By buying classic vinyl records or CDs from your community record location, you can understand the previous age group yourself. The way of listening to music will be unlike anything being experienced today. Being transported to a different era can be as easy as setting on a Rolling Stones vinyl record.
Galleries and museums are packed with the art culture you may be really lacking. Every museum has its specialty and its own compilation of unique art, so you can go to every museum and gallery in the area and never get bored. Your art encounter can be bettered by taking part in one of many tours and seeing exhibits in a museum.
You can pick from many Pulitzer Prize winning books to read. This prize is given to the very best literary works, so it's doubtful that you won't enjoy the time you spend with the book. Nearly every genre you can think of-fiction, non-fiction, journalism, poetry, drama, history, or biography-gets presented a Pulitzer Prize, so you can usually find something to read.
Experience local theater for yourself. See something very fresh instead of a presentation of a show that you are already accustomed to. You get double cultural points if you choose to see a community program that was written by a local personality put on by a small theater group.
Go to a restaurant that you are completely unaccustomed to. Trying a new ethnic restaurant is sure to be more exciting than going to the tried and true chain restaurant. A restaurant that is out of the mainstream may also be an exciting use of your night. Tasty, unfamiliar restaurants may be listed in the local newspaper. Starting there is definitely going to get you some fantastic results.
No matter what you decide to do, whether it is to listen to your classic vinyl record from the comfort of your residence or to go take in the art scene, at least you are constantly striving to be a more well-rounded person. And that is more than most people can state.

SoundStage Direct, LLC is an online independent store based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. SSD has the largest selection of Rolling Stones vinyl online. You don't want to miss amazing closeout deals available at our LP outlet! We have classic vinyl for everyone and a variety of genres and formats available and ready to be shipped at your doorstep.

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Music On Vinyl: Shopping Tips

By Seth Frank

They are flimsy, break easily and are ancient, but these vinyl record albums continue to be desired items by music enthusiasts. Music enthusiasts often like vinyl records because they say vinyl albums give better sound quality than their digital counterparts, but also vinyl records remind a collector of a different time. While vinyl records may be old and easily broken, that doesn't stop music enthusiasts from searching online record and brick-and-mortar stores for albums. Before you run off and search for your missing Rolling Stones album to finalize your collection, you might want to consider these tips.
Looking For Original Album Cover
A vinyl album without its original album artwork is not a record- it's half an album. Albums often have higher resale values with their original album cover intact; however, some online stores do not always provide you with the original artwork. If you call yourself a record nut, you'll also want to have your record preserved with its original album cover. The value of the vinyl is dictated by both the condition of the album cover and the vinyl record itself.
When looking for an album and album cover, remember to look for a cover that is in mint or perfect condition. Albums tend to get the best resale value if both the album cover and record are in mint condition; however, if the record is sealed, the estimated value of the album sky-rockets and can yield a few hundred or even thousand dollars depending on the rarity of the album.
When Shopping Online
Compared to shopping at a brick-and-mortar store, an online store does not allow you the benefit of inspecting the item and looking at the album cover and record. When shopping online, images and item accounts are necessary in finding the perfect record. Web pages that have vague album descriptions of products or blurry images or album covers are not the best pages to do your shopping on. Websites that provide you with detailed information about the item, from the condition of the record to information about the artist, are often the best.
You may not want to shop for vinyl records on auction websites. An auction web page auctioning sealed Beatles vinyl albums may not always be telling the truth. What often happens is that the individual vendor who is selling the product may fabricate details about the product, describing false state of the record and album cover. However, not all individual vendors are lying, but before you choose to bid, be certain the vendor provides several pictures of the product and detailed information about the album.
Brick-and-Mortar Shopping
What's important to remember when shopping at an actual store is you have the opportunity to check the album for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Still, just because you can see and examine the product yourself does not automatically mean the record will be better. It's always good to look over the records before selecting them, because if you don't, you may end up paying more for a less valuable record.

SoundStage Direct, LLC is an online independent store based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. SSD has the largest selection of Beatles vinyl online. You don't want to miss amazing closeout deals available at our LP outlet! We have record albums for everyone and a variety of genres and formats available and ready to be shipped at your doorstep.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Seth_Frank

U2's No Line on the Horizon Album Review

By Toto N

Prior to U2's 2009 'No Line on the Horizon' album release, many U2 fans and music critics felt that the band needed a more experimental album. U2's two previous albums, 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' and 2000's 'All that You can't Leave Behind' were solid modern rock albums that were heavily influenced by U2's 'The Joshua Tree' and 'The Unforgettable Fire' eras. Many critics felt that the band were playing it safe and didn't experiment enough. 'No Line on the Horizon' is a much different album to the previous two in that it dares to experiment.
There is no doubt 'No Line on the Horizon' is a rock album. However, U2 manages to improvise with both musically and stylistically. For the first time ever we hear Bono rap in the song 'Breathe'. The song 'Fez: Being Born' is no doubt influenced by electronic and Techno, similar to how many songs on U2's 'Zooropa' album were. Ironically though, the best track is the most conservative one- the song 'Magnificent'. 'Magnificent' is full U2's trademark anthemic lyrics and 'ringing' guitar sounds. 'Magnificent' is indeed, magnificent.
The album's other highlights include the beautiful and eloquent, 'Moment of Surrender' and 'Unknown Caller', which has become a classic U2 track. Despite all of this, 'No Line on the Horizon' has its weaknesses. The album fades quite badly towards the end, mainly due to tracks that drag on longer than they should, and ballads that aren't particularly interesting. These include the bland, 'Cedars of Lebanon' and the equally uninteresting, 'White as Snow'.
In evaluating 'No Line on the Horizon's' merits we should give U2 marks for attempting to be creative and making a more experimental album. There is no doubt that musically this is a good U2 album. All four band members play admirably and sound as good as they ever have. So you may ask the question: Is this a great U2 album? In my opinion 'No Line on the Horizon' falls short of that status, but only by a small margin. The reason for this is that, while this album sounds great and manages to offer something different, it isn't an inspiring album. Ultimately, 'No Line on the horizon' sounds very much forced, rather than inspired. U2 have tried to force creatively rather than let it come naturally, but of course for a band like U2 who have been around for over 20 years, this is a very difficult ask.

Visit our site to read a song by song review of No Line on the Horizon. Visit our U2 album reviews website.

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Before You Learn Guitar Tabs, Make Sure You're Prepared

By Justin Arnold

If you're planning on trying to learn guitar tabs then you probably need to be advised that it's not going to be quite as straightforward as you first imagined. Perhaps like many people you've watched accomplished guitarists dance around on stage, joking with the fellow band members and basically looking very much as though the very last thing on their mind was playing the guitar. Somehow the tunes still come rocking out pitch perfect and right on time, almost without the guitarist seeming to do very much at all.
Of course, we'll overlook the small number who may well be miming, but look at the vast majority who really do make it look as though there's almost nothing at all to playing the guitar. Having said that, playing the guitar is much like anything really, in that the more you play and practise the easier it gets. But for anyone looking to learn guitar tabs and start performing having watched their favourite guitarists thumping out a great tune without even trying, the reality can be something of a shock.
In fact there are probably at least two shocks waiting in store. The first problem is that the guitar itself will at first feel about three and a half times bigger than it looks. As you try to hold the guitar you will begin to realise that your hand may not as easily reach round the frets as you thought it would, and this itself is something that requires practise. After this you'll quickly realise that in addition to having to stretch your wrists and get them used to holding positions that aren't brilliantly comfortable for quite long times, your fingertips will start to feel sore from holding down the strings so firmly.
The best thing to do to overcome these problems is simply to limit your practise to a few minutes at a time, several times a day. Don't try to start playing the guitar by setting aside an hour or more in a single slot each day. You'll quickly feel you have to give up through sheer discomfort after just a few days, and it's likely to be a very disheartening experience. It needn't be, because frankly playing the guitar is a great experience, but it does pay to approach it in the right way.
But once this first shock has been dealt with you then face the second surprise as far as trying to learn guitar tabs is concerned. Because whilst it is fairly easy to pick up a few basic chords and strum a few popular tunes, the moment you try to improve your playing by using sheet music you'll realise just how different playing a guitar is from any other instrument. Yes, it might look easy when you see guitarists on stage, but what you don't see are the years of practise and hard work that went into making it look so easy and effortless.
Guitar tabs are not written down in the same way as standard musical notation, which can be a bit of a surprise to many. If you've started to learn the guitar having learned another instrument already then you may feel that you'll have an advantage as far as understanding how guitar tabs are written. The truth is that far from having an advantage you may be at something of a disadvantage, since there's barely any resemblance at all between how guitar tabs are written and how standard musical notation is written.
There are no notes, no indications of beat or pace or length of note or timing. Instead you have a drawing representing six strings, and numbers representing your fingers. But don't let this put you off. Because whilst learning the guitar is harder than you might at first imagine there are ways to help improve the process and make it a good deal easier and more effective. With a wealth of high quality professional online video guitar lessons it pays to learn from those more experienced. Who better to show you how to learn guitar tabs the most effective way than those who first inspired you to pick up a guitar in the first place?

If you'd like to learn guitar tabs then visit Allaxess.com where you can browse a growing library of free online video guitar lessons.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Arnold

Why Celebrity Lawyers Make The Big Bucks

By Brigitte Yuille

What you often hear about celebrity lawyers is the extraordinary compensation they receive to represent high-profile or celebrity clients facing tough legal battles. In high-profile cases, lawyers face unique challenges compared to defending the average Joe. They have to whittle through their clients' entourage of public relations reps, agents, managers and assistants to cut down on manipulation, and attempt to control the misinformation from some entertainment programs and internet blogs scrutinizing their clients and posting inaccurate reports.
IN PICTURES: 6 Biggest Millionaire Flops
Here we look at handful of the most well-known, high-powered attorneys and the cases that helped them achieve celebrity status of their own. (Find out what factors to consider before hiring an attorney, in How To Pick The Right Lawyer.)

Gloria AllredGloria Allred is the media-savvy civil rights lawyer who doesn't back down from tough cases. Allred recently represented Tiger Woods alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel, and helped Melanie Brown of the all-girl music group the Spice Girls legally establish actor Eddie Murphy as the father of her baby girl.
Allred is a founder of the Law Firm of Allred Maroko and Goldberg which had awarded more than $100 million dollars to its clients in the past five years, according to its website. She has been involved in many landmark cases, such as one involving soap opera star Hunter Tylo, who was fired from "Melrose Place" after becoming pregnant. Allred also represented Scott Peterson's mistress Amber Frey, acted on behalf of the family of Nicole Brown-Simpson, the murdered ex-wife of former football star O.J. Simpson, and helped Paula Jones in the sexual harassment case involving Bill Clinton.
According to her website, Allred has won hundreds of millions of dollars for her clients. (Learn about the Wall Street scandals Eliot Spitzer prosecuted before perpetrating his own, in Eliot Spitzer - Man Of A Thousand Scandals.)

Leslie Abramson
Famed criminal defense attorney Leslie Abramson  rose to fame for her legal defense of Lyle and Erik Menendez in 1993. The brothers were accused of killing their wealthy parents, then going on a spending spree. Abramson reportedly earned $750,000 for representing the brothers, although the evidence was against them and they received life sentences.
Abramson was also hired by music producer Phil Spector when he was charged with the fatal shooting of actress Lana Clarkson.

Alan Dershowitz
U.S. appellate attorney and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has reportedly has represented hotel magnate Leona Helmsley, who was convicted of tax evasion. He also represented former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson on rape charges reportedly receiving a six-figure fee for conducting Tyson's appeal.
Dershowitz has won more than 100 cases over a 35-year career. Half of his cases are pro bono; the other half are very high fees, he told the Boston Globe in 2006. He also helped obtain the highest fee thus far for lawyers against the cigarette industry.

Martin Garbus
Leading trail lawyer Martin Garbus' clients have included actors Richard Gere, Michael Caine, Al Pacino and Spike Lee. He recently represented music DJ Samantha Ronson, who hired him for $750 per hour in a defamation lawsuit against Perez Hilton. Garbus has represented countless other high-profile authors, actors and artists as well as political dissidents such as Nelson Mandela. (While Madoff's victims hope he dies in jail, other notorious fraudsters still have future careers ahead of them. Learn more in Notorious White Collar Criminals: Where Are They Now?)

Mark Geragos
In 2002, the Los Angeles City Council spent an initial $75,000 to hire defense attorney Mark Geragos to represent Councilman Nate Holden against allegations that he forced a staffer to work on his political campaign on city time, according to the L.A. Times. Geragos represented pop icon Michael Jackson in the early stages of his molestation trial.
He was also hired by actress Winona Ryder who was charged with stealing more than $5,000 in merchandise from a store in Beverly Hills, Calif. in 2003. He recently assisted pop star Chris Brown for his assault of singer Rihanna.

Allen Grubman
Allen Grubman is known as the "king of music entertainment law," representing pop and business icons Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Elton John, Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger and Vera Wang. A founder of the Grubman Indursky and Schindler law firm, his earnings have been estimated at as much as $10 million.

Robert Shapiro
Robert Shapiro was the first lawyer to represent music producer Phil Spector after his 2003 arrest. But Spector fired and sued Shapiro, claiming that Shapiro refused to return a $1 million retainer fee paid for legal services. Shapiro served as co-counsel for O.J. Simpson's legal defense team, assembling the lawyers and scientific experts. He has authored the book "Misconception" (2001) and is a co-founder of the online legal document preparation service, Legal Zoom. (Bad behavior is all too common in the workplace, but it can't match the drama of these celebrities' stunts. Check out Stars Behaving Badly: Disastrous Celebrity Hirings.)
The Bottom Line
Many lawyers conduct their work behind-the-scenes, yet intriguing scandals and complex cases may thrust them into the spotlight. Another breed of lawyers are seduced by controversy and challenge welcome the spotlight and have honed their skills at achieving unlikely outcomes and for raking in millions of dollars not only for themselves but also for their clients, thus becoming legends.
Still feeling uninformed? Check out last week's Water Cooler Finance to see what's been happening in financial news.

Read more: http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0310/Why-Celebrity-Lawyers-Make-The-Big-Bucks.aspx#ixzz1VbCjx18l