Music

Classical Guitar Playing – What Exactly Is It?

Classical guitar playing is what is participated in when using a classical guitar. This kind of guitar has no electronics and no pick-ups. In general it has six strings although there are some classical guitars which have twelve strings. The thinner strings known as the trebles are made from nylon and the bass strings are nylon with brass wire wrapped around them.

As far as construction is concerned the classical guitar is hollow and shaped like a pear. Its is made from wood, usually two or three different types, the cheap and nasty varieties being built with a plywood top, whilst those worth buying are made from woods such as rosewood.

The resonance produced by the classical guitar does not rely on an amplifier or any other sound effects. It comes direct from the hollow part of the instrument through the sound hole as the strings resound over it.

Most players of classical guitars remain seated whilst playing. The other main difference which sets this type of guitar apart from others is the kind of playing involved. Classical guitar playing can be characterized by the style of music played which is usually considered to be of value due to the length of time it has been around, compared to the many pop tunes which come and go in the blink of an eye.

The strings are usually plucked using the thumb and fingers of the right hand when learning to play this kind of instrument. This means you will have no use for a pick. Strumming of the classical guitar is only used as a special effect.

When learning to play a classical guitar you will probably practice sight reading sheet music along with discovering technical concepts and how they should be applied. Rather than trying to learn on your own, it’s best to have a classical guitar teacher and although it may take you quite some time to become skillful, you are sure to enjoy the learning process. It is important that you choose a teacher whose style suits your personality as many of them teach in different ways, some formal and some informal. Whatever style you choose to learn to play the classical guitar, you are certain to find this a worthwhile pastime until you have developed your talents to the full.

Classical guitar playing – what exactly is it?

Well one thing is for sure. It’s not about jumping around on a stage screaming out to your audience whilst thrashing away at your guitar. That’s electric guitar playing and brilliantly talented as it is, it’s a whole different story.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

How To Write A Great Live Set List For Your Band

You’re standing at the front of the crowd, the support act have long since left the stage, the roadies have finished setting up the equipment and you wait with anticipation for your favourite band to take the stage. When the house lights drop the crowd roars and the band step out confidently and launch straight into one of your favourite songs.

The next two hours seem to just get better and better and as the band leave the stage you’re left both satisfied and exhausted. Songs you’ve never really listened to suddenly seem amazing when seen live, each song has a big impact on the show and you’re left cheering for more.

When a band performs live a great deal of consideration needs to go into how the set list will flow. When you watch your favourite bands live you may not even notice how they’ve built their set list to give each song the maximum impact it can have but believe it or not there is a hidden art to choosing a great set list.

For this article I’ll assume that you’re in a band with your own material and you have a good grasp of what your ‘hits’ are and what generally gets crowds going, or quietens the mood. You’ll need to have a good grasp of how your songs will affect the audience and what emotions you want to convey with each of them. The reason for this will become clearer later on.

The most important parts of any set list and live show are the start and the end. First impressions are everything, and you want to leave on a high note to give everyone something to remember you by. With this in mind pick out what you feel are your best songs and reserve them for the beginning and the end of your show.

So, first things first. You’ll want to open your show with something from your most recent album/ep/recording. Generally when playing live, bands are promoting their most recent material and so you want to reinforce the new songs. You’ll want to pick one of your better songs so you make a great first impression and get people into your show. The song doesn’t really have to be your best song as such, but it most definitely needs to be one with a big start and a really catching intro. You need to show people just what your band is about during this song and bring up the energy of the show.

Remember that people are there to see you play, and if you disappoint them with the first song it is almost impossible to make up for it later in the show. A lot of bands will write songs with the specific idea of using it as an opening number when playing live, and it is something you may want to consider doing. The opening song can be considered the most important and so making a statement of intent is vital.

So after you’ve made your big entrance where do you go next? I would recommend carrying on with another new song and keep the energy going. Don’t pause between the first few songs as you want to keep the flow. In terms of how you structure your set from here it depends on how long you have to play. I would generally try to split your set into segments and then play enough songs for each segment to fill your set.

Once you’ve opened it is important to keep the momentum, so pick songs that are in a similar vein to your first one. For the third or fourth song I would play an old favourite and something that everyone will know. The reason for doing this is that after your big entrance you’ll need something to pick up the pace again and make it seem like your show is getting better as it goes along.

After the opening salvo of songs you’ll want to start thinking about playing something different. Remember that there is only so long that people can listen to rock and it still have impact as being fast and heavy. You’ll need to change it up to keep the show interesting. Play a quieter, more laid back song in this slot. Doesn’t have to be really mellow just yet, but certainly something a little different. You’ll need to give the audience a break from the energy of your opening salvo and give time for a breather. It’s important to do this as it will give your songs more impact when you pick up the pace again in the middle of the set.

By playing something quieter you’ll give your audience something slightly different to listen to and you’ll affect them differently. Have you ever watched a band play a set and every song was fast and heavy. After an hour you’ve had enough and by the time they’ve finished you’re glad they’re gone, make sure you avoid this and change it up when playing your sets.

After resetting and chilling out for a song or two it’s time to build back up for the middle of your set. Here you can do anything you like really and how long this section lasts is entirely dependent on how long you’re playing for. You’ll want to sprinkle in your hits and new songs together here, remember not to play your best couple of songs just yet, you’ll want to save those for the end.

The middle of the set is a good place to plan some audience interaction, maybe introduce the band and have a chat, that kind of thing. It is also the best place for experimentation in my experience. Remember to keep the energy flowing and keep the gaps between songs down to a minimum.

After you’ve passed the bulk of your set I always find it best if you ‘reset’ the show again. Heading into the last section head back to something quieter, maybe an acoustic song to change the mood again. However here I would concentrate on ramping it up constantly to reach the big finale. Starting quiet you’ll want songs that will build over time back into the full force of your opener. Songs that start quiet and end heavy are perfect to put in here.

After resetting and building back up you’ll want to play out your best songs to finish the set. This is the last memory that people have of you so make sure it counts. Every band I’ve seen always reserves their biggest crowd pleasers for the end, it makes people stay to see the whole show and most importantly, leaves people wanting more.

You can use these points as a general guideline when writing sets for your band, but bear in mind that rules are always there to be broken, especially in music. The start of the show is probably where you have most creative freedom, and I’ve seen some bands do really interesting things with the start of the show. Remember that if your audience is expecting a big overblown entrance then sometimes something more low key can have more impact. The Smashing Pumpkins and Steve Vai are great at doing this and every show I’ve seen from them has had a really memorable opener.

Good luck writing your sets and playing live, it certainly isn’t as easy as it looks as I’m sure you’ll find out.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Stansted Airport Parking, Stansted Airport Hotels.

How To Write A Great Live Set List For Your Band

You’re standing at the front of the crowd, the support act have long since left the stage, the roadies have finished setting up the equipment and you wait with anticipation for your favourite band to take the stage. When the house lights drop the crowd roars and the band step out confidently and launch straight into one of your favourite songs.

The next two hours seem to just get better and better and as the band leave the stage you’re left both satisfied and exhausted. Songs you’ve never really listened to suddenly seem amazing when seen live, each song has a big impact on the show and you’re left cheering for more.

When a band performs live a great deal of consideration needs to go into how the set list will flow. When you watch your favourite bands live you may not even notice how they’ve built their set list to give each song the maximum impact it can have but believe it or not there is a hidden art to choosing a great set list.

For this article I’ll assume that you’re in a band with your own material and you have a good grasp of what your ‘hits’ are and what generally gets crowds going, or quietens the mood. You’ll need to have a good grasp of how your songs will affect the audience and what emotions you want to convey with each of them. The reason for this will become clearer later on.

The most important parts of any set list and live show are the start and the end. First impressions are everything, and you want to leave on a high note to give everyone something to remember you by. With this in mind pick out what you feel are your best songs and reserve them for the beginning and the end of your show.

So, first things first. You’ll want to open your show with something from your most recent album/ep/recording. Generally when playing live, bands are promoting their most recent material and so you want to reinforce the new songs. You’ll want to pick one of your better songs so you make a great first impression and get people into your show. The song doesn’t really have to be your best song as such, but it most definitely needs to be one with a big start and a really catching intro. You need to show people just what your band is about during this song and bring up the energy of the show.

Remember that people are there to see you play, and if you disappoint them with the first song it is almost impossible to make up for it later in the show. A lot of bands will write songs with the specific idea of using it as an opening number when playing live, and it is something you may want to consider doing. The opening song can be considered the most important and so making a statement of intent is vital.

So after you’ve made your big entrance where do you go next? I would recommend carrying on with another new song and keep the energy going. Don’t pause between the first few songs as you want to keep the flow. In terms of how you structure your set from here it depends on how long you have to play. I would generally try to split your set into segments and then play enough songs for each segment to fill your set.

Once you’ve opened it is important to keep the momentum, so pick songs that are in a similar vein to your first one. For the third or fourth song I would play an old favourite and something that everyone will know. The reason for doing this is that after your big entrance you’ll need something to pick up the pace again and make it seem like your show is getting better as it goes along.

After the opening salvo of songs you’ll want to start thinking about playing something different. Remember that there is only so long that people can listen to rock and it still have impact as being fast and heavy. You’ll need to change it up to keep the show interesting. Play a quieter, more laid back song in this slot. Doesn’t have to be really mellow just yet, but certainly something a little different. You’ll need to give the audience a break from the energy of your opening salvo and give time for a breather. It’s important to do this as it will give your songs more impact when you pick up the pace again in the middle of the set.

By playing something quieter you’ll give your audience something slightly different to listen to and you’ll affect them differently. Have you ever watched a band play a set and every song was fast and heavy. After an hour you’ve had enough and by the time they’ve finished you’re glad they’re gone, make sure you avoid this and change it up when playing your sets.

After resetting and chilling out for a song or two it’s time to build back up for the middle of your set. Here you can do anything you like really and how long this section lasts is entirely dependent on how long you’re playing for. You’ll want to sprinkle in your hits and new songs together here, remember not to play your best couple of songs just yet, you’ll want to save those for the end.

The middle of the set is a good place to plan some audience interaction, maybe introduce the band and have a chat, that kind of thing. It is also the best place for experimentation in my experience. Remember to keep the energy flowing and keep the gaps between songs down to a minimum.

After you’ve passed the bulk of your set I always find it best if you ‘reset’ the show again. Heading into the last section head back to something quieter, maybe an acoustic song to change the mood again. However here I would concentrate on ramping it up constantly to reach the big finale. Starting quiet you’ll want songs that will build over time back into the full force of your opener. Songs that start quiet and end heavy are perfect to put in here.

After resetting and building back up you’ll want to play out your best songs to finish the set. This is the last memory that people have of you so make sure it counts. Every band I’ve seen always reserves their biggest crowd pleasers for the end, it makes people stay to see the whole show and most importantly, leaves people wanting more.

You can use these points as a general guideline when writing sets for your band, but bear in mind that rules are always there to be broken, especially in music. The start of the show is probably where you have most creative freedom, and I’ve seen some bands do really interesting things with the start of the show. Remember that if your audience is expecting a big overblown entrance then sometimes something more low key can have more impact. The Smashing Pumpkins and Steve Vai are great at doing this and every show I’ve seen from them has had a really memorable opener.

Good luck writing your sets and playing live, it certainly isn’t as easy as it looks as I’m sure you’ll find out.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Stansted Airport Parking, Stansted Airport Hotels.

Piano Software Courses Vs Piano Tuition Books (Part 2)

Piano software courses have become very popular in recent years, due in no small part to the simplicity of the idea, that being that you can learn in your own home with a virtual teacher on your computer. They are certainly more user friendly than tuition books, but what else do piano software courses offer.

The benefits of piano software courses

The immediate benefit is that you can get it so fast. If you find a piano course you want and it’s located on the other side of the world in another country, no problem, you can download it to your computer in a matter of seconds.

Piano courses include audio and video files which can explain, as a piano teacher would, the things that on you own, you might not quite grasp and you can get a video file to explain things to you as many times as you wish until you understand it. It’s like having your own personal piano teacher with you all the time.

There are also many audio files for you to listen to and copy. When playing a new piece of music or a new music phrase, it is very useful to listen to that phrase before playing it yourself. A big part of piano software’s success is the listen and copy and also the see and copy approach to learning to play the piano, which is the closest thing to having a real teacher.

The drawbacks of piano software courses

It’s difficult to find any drawback with these courses. I could say the cost, because they are more expensive than tuition books, but most, if not all of them have a money back guarantee. I suppose the only drawback is that initially you need a computer to download the course and to play the audio and video files and obviously a printer to print out your songs to play on your keyboard or piano.

Conclusion

If cost is an issue then tuition books are a good option, but you must learn the basics first. Software, in my opinion the absolute best way to go, with help from audio and video files your more likely to succeed. Whatever method you choose enjoy your piano playing. As soon as you have played your first song, you will get greedy for it. There really is nothing like sitting down at a keyboard and playing a piece of music, and its not as difficult as you might imagine.

Visit Mikes Music Room to Read Part 1 of this article and buy Software Courses for piano and keyboard. You can also download a Learn The Basics tuition book before to start to learn. You be glad you did

The Role Of Native American Drums In Native Ceremonies

Native American drums are arguably the most used American Indian instruments among Native Americans and non American Indian people alike. Drums for many generations have always been at the center of Indian lifestyle, forming what has become the platform of religion and spirituality as well as special days where a pow wow drum is center stage.

Indian people in North America history have all used drums in various ways to interact with a higher power known to most as the Great Spirit. To Native people, Indian drums are much more than just decorations or nice musical instruments. American Indian drums are believed to speak to the drummer. Native drums being made in a circle represent the earth and life. The most recognizable being hoop drums and shaman drums which are Indian hand drums used in many personal healing and religious ceremonies as well as public ceremonies such as a Native American powwow.

The skin of the animal that is placed over the ring brings with it unique characteristics of the spirit of the animal and brings a sense of life to the drum when played. Many people think of pounding a drum to make a sound, but to Indian drummers and those involved in modern drumming groups and drum circles, the desire is to draw out the sound. The beating drum is compared to the beating of a human heart and is said to represent the heart beat of the earth which is a belief that is classic Native American. Drums in this way become the platform to connect one’s spirit with that of the earth and the Great Spirit through out the history of American Indians.

Native American Indian drums have a beautiful culture and because they are so important they are used in not only music but art and dance as well. Adding decoration to a drum becomes a very personal job to the owner. The Indian drummer becomes an artist and communicates impressions of his inner feelings and beliefs in his Indian art. Some American Indian tribes use images of animals to personalize their drums and others use geometric patterns and everything in between. In some tribal Indian cultures the drummer will place something of personal value inside the drum to permanently join himself with his hand drum.

The different Native American icons that the artwork on the drums depict is often painted with natural earth colors taken from nature. Some are dull and others are bright coming from flowers, roots, berries, bark or herbs that are boiled to release their unique earth tones. Other Native American drums are adorned with iron oxide which is a naturally occurring red rock that can be easily crushed. When mixed with water, it produces a rich orange red dye that is much like paint and is indicative if the surrounding hillsides and rock formations like those of the beautiful Arizona red rock canyons. The region of Sedona is thought to be a special place with spiritual power like the energy created by American Indian drums.

The goal of Native American Education except for those Indian boarding schools that have tried to stamp out Native culture has always involved the sharing of beliefs through music, songs, stories and legends. It is in harmony with these forms of learning that the communication and cultural importance has been found in the use of drums. If you are interested in the spiritual aspects of life as pertain to Indian beliefs, you would enjoy using and playing Native American drums.

Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and offers free information online about buying Native American drums for Native ceremonies and drumming groups. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com