Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Music Theory & Harmony: The Key To Understanding How Music Works

It's a sad fact that most people, including piano players, regard music theory and harmony as some abstract concept that has very little to do with the songs they play on their pianos. Nothing could be further from the truth. Knowing music theory and harmony is the key to opening a whole new world of exciting insights into the songs we play, and enable us to do things on the piano we never dreamed we could do, to say nothing of enjoying the process a hundred times more.

What is music theory, and how can I benefit?

Here are just a few of the wonderful skills and insights a person benefits from by learning music theory:
How notation works -- a huge advantage in sight-reading.

The hierarchy of rhythm -- solving rhythm problems before they begin.

All kinds of scales -- the "ladders of notes" every song is composed of. Major scales, 3 types of minor scales, chromatic scales, whole tone scales, modal scales.

How transposition and modulation works -- playing songs in different keys, and getting from one key to another smoothly.

Complex time signatures, and what they tell you.

Perfect, major & minor intervals -- helps ear training greatly.

Two-part and four-part harmony.

Figured bass such as IV, V7, ii6, I6/4, etc. and how it relates to chord symbols such as Fm7, F6, Dmaj7, etc.

Harmonizing melodies with all these chords.

Open & close voicing, inversions, secondary chords, form, cadences, non-harmonic tones, arranging for voices, arranging for brass, arranging for strings, transposing instruments, key relationships and many other exciting insights into the inner workings of music!

But what is harmony?

Harmony is a sub-set of music theory. It is a series of notes in combination, played simultaneously. Listen to your favorite songs, and pay close attention to the back-up vocals when they're being sung along with the lead. Can you hear how the two vocal melodies differ in pitch? That's harmony, and it's highly possible that those back-up vocalists were chosen because of their strong ability to harmonize.

Singing a harmony, or rather picking one out on your own without written sheet music, is an almost inherent musical skill that many singers would die to possess. But harmony isn't just the province of singers; it's found in every single area of music. Any time a sound is layered on top of another sound and those sounds match each other in rhythm and melody (but not pitch), a harmony is created.

Harmony is made of intervals, and as such, it can be considered dissonant (scratchy, uncomfortable, like playing an E and an F at the same time) or consonant (pleasing or smooth). What makes a harmony pleasing or unpleasing, however, is extremely relative. In medieval times, only octaves and perfect fifths were considered harmonious, and any harmony that deviated from that was generally frowned upon. In modern western music, though, nearly everything is considered to be harmonious by someone. Fifths are still very popular in modern harmony but are now used in the most unlikely of places; heavy metal music, for example, frequently uses perfect fifths in the vocal harmony to create an eerie effect when layered on top of the more dissonant instrumentation.

Harmony, in addition to being consonant or dissonant, can also be subordinate or coordinate. Subordinate harmony, the tonal harmony used most frequently today, is a series of harmonies that are based on each other. The harmony moves in such a way that a resolution is somewhat predictable; you can hear this type of harmony in modern pop music, musical parts that flow very easily into each other and don't leave the listener baffled as to the turn the song has taken. On the other hand, coordinate harmony is a series of harmonies that operate independently of each other. They do have some common relation, of course, but don't typically move toward a goal, or predictable resolution. Renaissance musicians often used this type of harmony, and it's capable of producing rich and moving textures within a piece of music.

Learning music theory and harmony is not just an option you can take or leave: it is part and parcel of the "stuff of music". No surgeon would ever say "I don't want to learn all that stuff about the nervous system & the skeletal system and blood vessels and how the lungs and heart works and all that stuff -- I just want to operate".

And yet the majority of piano players ignore the very thing that would take them to the next level in their playing and knowledge -- music theory & harmony.

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10 Good Reasons to add Royalty Free Music to Your Website

The number of Internet broadband subscribers surpassed 200 million in 2005. According to the Computer Industry Almanac, this number is forecasted to reach 500M by the end of 2010. This expanded broadband capacity is creating an explosion of rich media productions.

Companies are now demanding music-enriched websites, advertising and e-learning tools to serve this growing clientele. Sounds and images are now the norm and music is being integrated at every step. To meet that demand, Web designers and Flash developers are constantly looking for good music at a decent price.

Here's why Royalty Free Music is the best option available on the Internet.

1. Royalty Free Music is 100% legal.
When you purchase a license from a Royalty Free Music vendor, you are legally allowed to play the music on your website. No need to worry about copyright or music clearance.

2. Royalty Free Music is cost effective.
Licensed music can cost a fortune! But you can use original musical compositions on your website for a fraction of the cost one would normally pay.

3. Royalty Free Music is instantly available.
As soon as your transaction has been processed, a link is sent to your email address. You simply click on the link and follow the instructions to download the music immediately. No need to wait for a CD to come in the mail.

4. Royalty Free Music offers worldwide unlimited license.
Once you purchase a license, you can use the recording for as long as you want, anywhere in the world, with no additional payments.

5. Royalty Free Music is made by professional composers.
Several Royalty Free Music libraries are now filled with professional quality work. Long gone are the days when Royalty Free Music or Stock Music meant low quality "canned music".

6. Royalty Free Music is flexible to fit your needs.
Available in various formats, track lengths may be as short as 15 seconds or as long as 10 minutes. Loops are also available. Loops are small piece of music that "loop" or repeat themselves indefinitely. Because of their small size, loops load rapidly and are often used for flash animations.

7. Music helps you stand out and capture your visitors' attention.
Times have changed. Over 30 million websites are competing for the attention of more than 1 billion users. High speed broadband use on the Internet keeps expanding. Streaming music and videos are everywhere. Internet surfers now expect websites enriched with music and images.

8. Music makes your website more stimulating and alive.
Today's Web surfers are demanding not only information, but also an entertaining Internet experience. Properly chosen music enables a more complete appreciation of your website. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a picture with music is worth ten thousand.

9. Music moves people to action.
Music makes any presentation more effective. Music adds instant mood to a message, and helps people bond with the values of your products and services. Multimedia presentations are far more engaging. People will feel more emotionally connected to your website.

10. Music can be integrated into your website within minutes.
You can easily find inexpensive Flash Music Players on the Internet. Some websites even offer various models for free. Simple and clear instructions make for an easy installation on your website.

If you want to add music to your website, Royalty Free Music is the way to go. Stay on the legal side without going broke, and feature high quality professional music. Get you visitors' attention and help them remember your website by engaging their emotions through music.

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Green Day Revives Punk Rock Music

Green Day is an American punk rock trio composed of Tre Cool on drums, Mike Dirnt on bass and Billie Joe Armstrong on lead vocals and guitars. They have backup members for guitars (Jason White), keyboards (Jason Freese) and trumpet (Ronnie Blake).

During the mid 90s, along with other Californian bands like Rancid and The Offspring, Green Day revived the popularity of the punk rock scene in the United States. The success of Green Day and other punk rock bands have influenced the new generation of punk rock bands like Good Charlotte and Sum41.

Having sold over 25 million records in the U.S. alone and over 65 million albums worldwide, Green Day is one of the most successful punk rock bands of all time.

Green Day have successfully won three Grammy Awards Best Rock Album for American Idiot, Best Alternative Album for Dookie and Record of the Year for the single Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

The story of Green Day started when childhood friends Mike Dirnt and Billy Joe Armstrong, which were both 14 years old in 1986, decided to form a 2 person band that they called Sweet Children.

Performing their first live act at the workplace of Armstrong`s mom, Sweet Children experience their first exposure as a band. In 1998, however, Al Sobrante joined the band as their drummer. The three piece band soon switched their band name to Green Day after a marijuana incident and played their first performance at Sobrante`s school in Contra Costa College, San Pablo, California.

When Larry Livermore of Lookout! Records saw Green Day performed, he offered the band a record deal and immediately released their first EP in 1989 called 1,000 Hours. The band recorded two other EPs known as Slappy and Sweet Children.

When Sobranted moved to California to attend college, Tre Cool became a temporary drummer for Green Day. However, when Sobrante couldn`t commit to the band any further, Tre became the permanent drummer for the band.

In early 1991, Green Day released their second album known as Kerplunk! under Lookout! Records, while featuring Tre Cool on drums. Green Day successfully performed plenty of live acts during 1992 and 1993 all throughout U.S. and Europe. The second album sold over fifty thousand albums in the U.S. alone and over two million records worldwide.

With the release of the successful Kerplunk! album, Green Day was a focus of major record labels and the band ultimately left Lookout Records. Although many fans regarded Green Day as a sell out, the trio had no choice but to move.

In 1994, Dookie became a major commercial hit, after recording it in a mere three weeks. Songs like basket case, when I come around and Longview all became #1 songs on different charts. Because of this massive popularity, Green Day was able to perform at Woodstock 1994 and Lollapalooza. The following year, Green Day was nominated for nine awards while winning the Best Alternative Album.

Green Day released a single entitled J.A.R. in 1995, which was soon followed by their third album Insomniac. The album comprised of a darker and more melodic style of songs like Walking Contradiction, Stuck With Me and Brain Stew/Jaded. After winning an MTV Video Music Award, Green Day took a break from producing music and performing concerts, claiming exhaustion.

In 1996, after their much criticized break, Green Day recorded and released their nimrod album. Major hit songs like Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Redundant and Hitchin` a Ride were products of the band`s experimental style, far from their standard pop punk rock signature. The band again took two years off to spend time with their families.

When Green Day came back to the music scene in 2000, they released an album called Warning:, which reflects a more mature version of their music. However, the Warning: album only received gold, instead of double platinum labels like their past albums. Fortunately, Green Day won eight awards at the California Music Awards on 2001 for this album.

While Green Day was working on a new album, which was supposed to be entitled Cigarettes and Valentines, the master tapes of 20 complete tracks were stolen from their recording studio. In 2004, without trying to use their materials from the stolen album, Green Day released the 2004 American Idiot album, which instantly became #1 on different music charts.

All throughout 2005, Green Day did 150 shows promoting their album on a worldwide tour. To this day, Green Day remains a strong influence to modern punk rock bands.


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If You're After Green Day Merchandise.

Music Contract Lies, 101

Brace yourself, because the music industry is full of lies. But what industry doesn't have its share of truths, lies and exaggerations? I am sure there isn't one without issues. But you are in the music industry so you need to be aware of some of the issues that pertain to you, especially when dealing with music contracts and recording contracts. Being naive is something that can hurt you the most. That is why I am here to reveal some of the biggest lies to look for and how you can prepare yourself. The music industry can be tough but you will do fine as long has you know what you are getting into.

One of the first lies that you need to avoid is, "I can't throw "that" in the contract right now, but you have my word on it." If you hear this, red flags should go up. Most of the time little idiosyncrasies can be worked out later but you have to be on guard. A man's handshake is not what it used to be. If you feel the detail is crucial then demand it be in writing in your music business contracts or else you may find yourself in an unwanted situation.

The next big lie when it comes to music contracts is, "You don't need to show this to your lawyer." Hmm...It makes you think, right? Well, at least it should! There should be nothing in writing that you shouldn't show to your lawyer when someone says that. That should throw up another red flag because why can't you show it to your lawyer? Don't believe it!

Another big lie you need to watch out for may come up in simple conversation about your recording contracts. This one is..."Of course, everyone has agreed to this..." or "That's standard, it is in every contract." They may be telling the truth but then again, they may not be. If you feel uneasy about what it is you are about to sign, then seek help from a trusted friend, manager, lawyer, colleague, whoever. Don't be afraid to take time to read over ANY contract.

The bottom line is that if you feel that a situation is uncomfortable or unfair for any reason, then always trust your instincts. Don't assume that because you have become friends with a person that their word is enough. Business is business when it comes down to music contracts. Never mix friendship and business because they don't mesh. If you keep everything in writing then no one gets hurt and everyone stays aware and happy.


Article Directory: http://article.4flat.info

Ty Cohen, owner of Platinum Millennium publishing, former record label owner & national music industry seminar speaker/panelist.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Song Writing: Why Is Completing Your Songs Important

Do you find it easy to write songs? Too easy? Well, I at least have had a problem with this.

If you would visit our home and my garage you would find a lot of unfinished songs and a lot of manuscript paper with some notes on them showing that I wanted to say something with music but never finished it.

Maybe you always finish your songs, record them or have well documented lists with your songs for easy access. That's the way I work now but obviously didn't work before.

Nowadays I have started to realize the importance of finishing songs that I have found enough important to start writing in the first place.

I think it is important for you and me to complete songs we have started to write for the following reasons:

1. It is when songs are complete that other people can benefit from them and you can feel that you have contributed something to the benefit of others and to yourself.

2. It has a positive effect on your subconsious mind to take your composition the whole way to completion. It will give you the realization that you can write songs. It's that simple!

3. As I mentioned before you will avoid having a lot of unfinished songs hanging around. It can be unfinished recordings or pieces of paper with a few words on them indicating an attempt to create something that probably meant a lot then but now is just words.

If you are signed to a recording company you will be more or less forced to produce things. The product will hopefully be a CD with maybe twelve songs on it and a show for your promotion tour.

It seems like slavery to be forced to produce a product like a CD. But having this obvious goal to work towards and the pressure involved can actually promote creativity.

If you are not signed to a record label you can benefit from working with your songs in a similar way.

1. Set a goal to produce for example three songs and set the prerequisites like writing one love ballad, one uptempo song and a waltz.

2. When you have made the songs record them and burn them on a CD.

3. Learn the songs by heart and sing and play them for your friends.

Doing this will increase your faith in your ability to produce songs and I think you will feel a greater joy and satisfaction in your great enterprise to write songs for the benefit of mankind and, of course, yourself.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com


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Ipod Mp3 – Review for Music Sites

IPOD mp3 music is a wonderful choice for getting the best songs quickly and without the hassles of traveling to the music store. There are many locations right on the web that can provide you with the best of the best for much less. There are several locations that do offer a wide range of choice when it comes to IPOD mp3 music. Some offer more than others or they offer a better quality product. It will take a little looking to find the most affordable choice that is also the one that has what you would like to download.


Once you find the right location for your IPOD mp3 music, you can easily and quickly (it seems almost instantly) download them to your PC, your notebook, or you can check out iPod mp3 music downloads as well. There are specific services that are available to provide you with the ability to get great quality songs on your iPod. If you choose iPod mp3 music, you can find the right location to download from on the web to your iPod, take the music with you wherever you decide to go and, if you like them; you can even burn them to CD.


No matter if you choose iPod mp3 music or find a few great songs to download to your PC, there are many services that are providing this ability to you. If you are skilled, you can even find a few iPod mp3 music downloads. Of course, to get the best products available, you may want to go with a paid service. It also pays for you to take your time in checking out a few of the services for their fees and their membership details. With so much competition out there, you are sure to find a great deal being offered to new members. Music downloads are fast becoming the best way to get the songs you want to see quickly.


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From Motown to Hip Hop

Growing up in the City of Detroit during the early sixties was a memorable era for music. It was a period of time whereby the unique sounding records of Motown were being played and heard throughout the streets, nightclubs, house parties and radio stations everywhere. It was common to have the soulful R and B records playing on the jukeboxes while folks were dancing in the streets or singing in the barber shops and beauty parlors to the love songs that eventually captivated the hearts of millions of people throughout the world. Music cds and rap music were not heard of during that period, it was all about the vinyl records and rhythm and blues soul.


The songs that were written by Motown songwriters during the 60’s & 70’s had so much meaning. They were songs that spoke about true love, current events and the heartache and pains of life experiences. Oh yes, Motown had it going on! Their music became universal music. Many of the soulful tunes crossed over into other markets such as pop, jazz, blues, etc… But just like George Benson said in one of his recordings “Everything Must Change”, and sure enough, he was right about the music.

After giving so many years service and great music to the City of Detroit, Motown moved out and Rap/Hip Hop moved in. Instead of hearing someone singing My Baby Loves Me or My Girl, you began to hear new sounding lyrics of street experience expressed in rhythms with the m

This new sound called Rap evolved in the early 80’s and took off as a sky rocket in the late 90’s and New Millennium as Hip Hop/Rap. Even today Rap/Hip Hop music is still a multi billion dollar genre. Millions of cds, videos and dvd’s are sold each year in the Hip Hop genre of music. And there is no sign that Hip Hop will be slowing down or taking a back seat to anyone anytime soon.

So what happened to the Motown sound…. did it die out? No! The Motown sound will never die out. It will always play a significant part in the hearts of millions who embraced it’s sound back in the early 60’s, and continued to pass that sound on to their children throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.


Sometimes you just have to move over and let the new kids on the block have a turn in expressing their musical talents, songs and ideas. That’s what Motown did…moved over-not out. And now the Hip Hop artists are not the new kids on the block anymore, for they have taken their position to express themselves musically, just like the rhythm and blues artists took their position to express themselves in the Motown era.

That’s how we’ve gone from Motown to Hip Hop!

Written by: Michael Bell


http://www.articles2k.com/article/471/90893/From_Motown_to_Hip_Hop/

Saxophone and its types

Music has always been an inevitable part of human life and many of you may love to hear good music or play music for your own satisfaction and contentment. There are different types of music instruments such as saxophones, trumpets, guitar, piano that are used by people to fulfill their music love. Of these saxophones is still the most rare and appreciable music instrument by the people.

Saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840’s and is not really an instrument but a group of instruments. Sax has invented about fourteen saxophones out of which eight still exists. However, only four of them are commonly available – the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. Out of these, the alto saxophone is most commonly found which most people think of.

Other saxophone that still exists include E-flat soprano, B-flat soprano, E-flat alto, true tone alto, B-flat tenor, E-flat baritone, B-flat Bass and contrabass. The early saxophones were made in F and C and not E-flat and B-flat whereas others were invented but were possibly too radical to remain in the creation.

The soprano saxophone is one of the straight saxophones in the whole family because it looks like a clarinet but it is made up of brass. It can be classified as a woodwind as it is a single reed instrument. The alto saxophone is curved around and has one bend in its neck whereas the tenor has a more curved neck and is larger. The baritone’s neck is a full circle and is the largest of all the saxophones. Its case is around four feet long and when it is played, it doubles the brass section.

The soprano saxophone is not a common in most of the band but it is used sometimes and when it is played, it plays a part similar to a clarinet or even as another clarinet. It has a higher sound and often doubles the higher woodwind parts.

Olivia Andrews, writer of music-future.com is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.


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Saturday, March 17, 2007

Home Audio Speakers from Choice Select

Looking for excellent sounding home audio speakers at reasonable prices? Have you ever tried Choice Select?

Choice Select is a product line of speakers, accessories, and consumer electronic products. You’ll find Choice Select speakers in numerous homes, commercial environments, and home theater installations across the country.

Offering exceptional quality at low prices has been Choice Select’s trademark for customer satisfaction. Choice Select products are hand-selected and vigorously tested to exceed the standards of the consumer electronics industry. All Choice Select products come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

Choice Select specializes in ceiling speakers, in wall speakers, cabinet speakers, indoor outdoor speakers, rock speakers and subwoofers.

Choice Select ceiling and in wall speakers fit flush into your ceiling or wall, so you get the sound of traditional speakers, but without the bulk of cabinet speakers or unsightly wires. Choice Select ceiling and in wall speakers are ideal for expanding or upgrading a home audio system! These speakers can be painted to blend in perfectly wherever they are installed! Ideal for a wide variety of purposes, these speakers offer the ultimate in speaker performance and value.

Choice Select now offers the Premier speaker line. The Premier speaker line offers the best in ceiling and in wall speakers. Here are some of the features:

The woofer is made using compound Kevlar that is enriched with carbon fibers. The fibers improve the performance of the woofer at lower frequencies and enable the woofer to handle more power.

The upgraded Titanium Tweeter improves the high frequency response so that you hear all the music the way it was intended to be heard.

The larger, shielded magnet on the woofer gives that extra bass sound that other speakers just can't produce. Try the Premier speakers and you'll see why Choice Select continues to provide the economy, value and performance you've come to expect.

Compared to speakers costing 2-3 times as much , the Choice Select cabinet speakers have a 12-inch / 15-inch woofer for a BIG SOUND! The high-impact molded plastic enclosure is rugged, yet lightweight with a convenient built-in handle. These speakers can be used for Live Music, DJ Speakers, or Public Address Loudspeakers. Easy to use, with both 1/4" Phono Jack and Speakon Connectors on the back.

The weather resistant Choice Select indoor outdoor speakers simply sound terrific! You won't find better quality in a more affordable speaker! Use them indoors or in a protected outdoor location for GREAT SOUND at a LOW PRICE!

The Choice Select subwoofers deliver intense, deep bass output for pure, realistic sound. The subwoofer has a built-in amplifier, so it will perform with any sound system. The subwoofer's own crossover network sends bass-only signals to the subwoofer's built-in amplifier.

The simulated stone speakers will beatify any surroundings. So natural looking that you would hardly suspect that a high fidelity speaker is inside.

Colorful and lifelike, with an invisible grille, they will blend in with an assortment of outdoor settings. Looks and sounds so natural - an unobtrusive way to deliver music, yet provide a full range of high fidelity sound. Made of a poly-resin composite, they are tough and long lasting and will provide many years of performance.

Overall, Choice Select is the name to choose when purchasing speakers for your home.


http://www.1888articles.com/home-audio-speakers-from-choice-select-08fo5014lt1.html

Friday, March 16, 2007

Online discount shopping stores.

This article throws light on the different types of women's discount jewellery available an also as how to select one for your loved ones. Since jewellery is the most important thing on a woman's list, therefore, this article acknowledges this fact and hence provides you with insoghs and information that is related to women's discount jewellery. In this article, you will find all the information you need about jewellery, their shops, discounts etc. This article will guide you through the complicated process of selecting and buying the right jewellery.

Since time immemorial, jewellery has been the most important things that women fascinate about. There are innumerable examples which suggest that even wars have been fought just to get the priceless jewelley. Who on earth doesn't know about the invaluable diamonds and similar precious jewellery that have always been a constant source of admiration and envy as well. Women's discount jewellery is available in different shapes and sizes. This jewellery is made of different materials. Gold, silver, Diamonds, Crystal, shells; Ruby, Sapphire etc are some of the well known stones and metals generally used in making Women's discount jewellery.

However, these days diamonds are being preferred to other jewellery. There are a number of companies which deal in Women's discount jewellery. Some of them are ell known; some not so popular. There are number of factors to be considered before buying Women's discount jewellery. Some of these are the quality factor, and then there is always the price factor and so on.

The best part about Women's discount jewellery is that they are also available with online stores as well. So, no more of running around from one shop to another to purchase a set of Women's discount jewellery. The internet has made it easier for you to select and procure the Women's discount jewellery of your choice. Imagine the woman you love, bang dazzled when you offer her a beautiful, elegant set of a necklace or a pendant.

Yes, those moments cannot be described by sheer words. Nevertheless, you might be already having a feel of that moment when you just think about that kind of situation. Nowadays, even platinum Women's discount jewellery is a rage, thanks to the fashion-literate societies of the urban population. But that does not mean that the popularity of the conventional yellow metal has decreased. After all, Gold will always be Gold. Women's discount jewellery (read gold) is available in 14k and other denominations of the typical 24 karat. There are embellished a dazzling jewellery like pendants, necklaces, wristwatches, earrings, bracelets, chains etc available. There are hundreds of online stores and shopping junctions which specialize in Women's discount jewellery, thus making it easy for you to choose the Women's discount jewellery you like and love to own.

Besides being incredibly dazzling and effete, Women's discount jewellery also adds a feeling of pride and happiness in your life. Women's discount jewellery can never go out of fashion. Women's discount jewellery stands the test of time. Women's discount jewellery is quite affordable. Then you also have the option to go for alternative Women's discount jewellery like American diamonds etc. Women's discount jewellery will surprise you and add fun and happiness to your lives. Women's discount jewellery will intoxicate you and your loved one. Gift her dazzling pendant or a bracelet, and watch the expression on her face; you will be spellbound

About Author
Name: Mahesh Rathore

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U2s Bono From Rock Star To Designer To Humanitarian

U2s lead singer Bono isn’t content with being part of a top band. Fashion and Music – well I’m sure they can mix!

Bono was born Paul David Hewson in 1960 in Dublin Ireland. His stage name is Bono. Bono is the lead singer of US, he is also a songwriter. He married Ali Stewart in August 1982 and they have 5 children. Bono is also actively involved in as an activist and screenwriter.

Paul was a curious child who seemed to see the world from a different perspective from the rest of the world. When Paul was 15 he suffered the loss of his mother who he was very close to. In high school Paul found himself drawn to music and playing the guitar, spending a great deal of time involved with the school theater. The name Bono was the brain child of his close friend Guggi who took it from a Hearing Aide store located in Dublin. Bono Vox also means good voice in latin.


In 1976 a flyer was posted at his high school by Larry Mullen who was looking to form a band. Paul was jumped at the opportunity. The band became U2 which is now known around the globe.

Ali Hewson [nee Alison Stewart] grew up in the suburbs of north Dublin. She met Bono at high school. He tried to chat her up but she ignored him. Over the years he continued to pursue her. Their relationship moved very slowly because Alison wasn’t interested in becoming one of the Bono girls. After his mother died, Ali being the practical person she is, helped Bono with the essentials like food and clothing. Ali was 22 when they wed.

Ali Hewson appears to be open and down to earth in all respects. She appears honest and never puts on that she knows more about a topic than she does. She smiles often and appears to be a happy human being. She earned her degree in social science, politics, and sociology at the age of 33. She also became involved with Greenpeace.

It was having children that put Ali Hewson on the path of thinking more about the environment. She became concerned about what they would grow up to have, what would be left of the environment. Ali got involved with Greenpeace campaigning against the Sellafield nuclear power plant.

Over time, U2 also became actively involved in the protest against the Sellafield nuclear power plant. She had not direct responsibility for U2 becoming involved but because Bono and Ali share the same concerns, it was a natural outcome. Ali feels as a wealthy person she has a responsibility to do what she can to raise awareness on such issues.

So isn’t it natural that Bono and Ali have now evolved to another level of involvement with social politics. Bono and his wife Ali Hewson now have their fingers in the Fashion industry. But wait – this isn’t just any old fashion venture. This one has a new twist. Their goal is to involve developing countries in the producing of their clothing line, improving the quality of life for these people and their economic welfare.

A new line of clothing has hit the market – Edun – anyone catch that Edun is Nude spelt backwards? The Eden line consists of a casual collection of jeans, T-shirts, chiffon dresses, and blazers. The line is available at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bono and his wife are attempting to become actively involved in social activism and the betterment of people in developing countries. Their goal is for the Edun collection to be soooo hot that it will be able to provide employment for people in developing nations around the world, developing stable long term relationships with these countries.


Great thought goes into selecting which country will produce which clothing. Selection is based on the resources and talent of the developing countries. They attempt to make “good” matches which are beneficial to Edun and the developing country. They believe that the developing countries and their people will benefit financially and emotionally. But the big picture also means that these developing countries can become part of the global economy.


Bono and his wife might be on the right track with this concept with Edun, as the consumers are becoming much more interested in knowing where and by whom the clothes they purchase are made. The consumer has become social conscious. So this concept could be a win win for everyone!


Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

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The Greatest Rock Song of All Time

Rock and roll music originated in the American South in the early 1950s and then quickly spread throughout the rest of the country and ultimately the world. By the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, rock and roll had become what many thought was the most popular genre of music in the western world. It has largely maintained a very high level of popularity since then, despite evolving over time into various sub-genres that are now lumped together under the generic term “rock”.

In the more than 60 years since rock and roll burst onto the national and international music scene, there have been literally thousands upon thousands of rock songs recorded (performed in English but also in many other languages) that we have loved, liked, were indifferent to, found pretty irritating, outright hated, or had a wide range of other responses to. The vast majority of these songs made absolutely no lasting impression on our musical psyches. But a small percentage did stand out in the crowd in a positive way, some so much that they were head and shoulders better than all the rest. And an even smaller percentage of those were so great that they have stood the test of time and entered the pantheon of greatest rock songs ever, depending on whom you ask, of course.

But of all the great songs, which one truly rises above all the rest to claim the title of “greatest rock song of all time”? The answer is part of what appears to be a never-ending debate and there’s certainly no shortage of people willing to offer up their candidate. No doubt you have your own personal choice but for now let’s consider what some other folks think.

If you like poll results, you’ll be interested to learn that The Rock and Roll Report said that in a 2004 poll conducted by Planet Rock, a digital radio station in Britain, Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven was voted by over 70% of respondents as the greatest rock song ever recorded. Not so fast, chimed in “Eric” when he saw the list with Stairway to Heaven sitting at the very top, saying that he has “for many years declared to all who would listen to me that the best rock ‘n’ roll song of all time is Louie Louie by the Kingsmen.” But the editors of DJ Zone Magazine agreed with the Planet Rock poll results and think Stairway to Heaven is the all-time best.

Not to be outdone, Rolling Stone Magazine compiled its own list in 2004, getting a lot of input from a lot of people, and Stairway to Heaven didn’t even make it into its Top 5 (in fact, it didn’t even make it into its Top 10). The number one spot went to Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone. However, “Drifter” posted a comment in which he heartily disagreed with their choice of Dylan’s song, asking pointedly: “In what sense is Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan—working in the folk-song mode—even a rock and roll song?” Good question.

John Lennon’s Imagine was number 1 in Virgin Radio’s list of All Time Top 500 Songs published in 2004. Imagine that? And in 2000 MTV’s music video sister cable TV station VH1 ranked (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones at the very top of its list of 100 Greatest Rock Songs. While two of “Todd M.’s” friends (“Chuck C.” and “Hank S.”) agreed with VH1’s choice of number 1, many of his other friends didn’t, with a range of choices for the top spot, including songs such as The Beatles’ Let It Be, Cinnamon Girl by Neil Diamond, Voodoo Chili by Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze (also by Hendrix), Hound Dog by Elvis, and various other selections in what turned out to be a pretty eclectic list of choices for best rock song of all time.

Now what does all this prove? Well, not very much except that everybody has an opinion of what they think is the all-time greatest rock song, and these opinions are pretty darn subjective. Even different polls will come up with different songs at the top, proving that it’s very difficult to gain a consensus on this subject or practically anything else, for that matter. Nonetheless, these lists are fun to make and fun to read and ponder. If nothing else, they bring back fond or not so fond memories of the many songs that we have encountered along the way and which have become an indelible part of our life experience.


So what’s your own personal choice for the Greatest Rock Song of All Time?


Copyright © Terry Mansfield. All rights reserved. Anyone may publish this free reprint, free content article online or in print as long as the entire contents of the article and accompanying resource box are left unaltered, including any hyperlinks (which must be active and clickable), and the author’s byline is included


Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Famous Fender Stratocaster History

Fender Stratocaster history begins with the man some people call the king of surf music. Dick Dale is the man who some believe invented surf music as early as the 1950's. No, it wasn't the Beach Boys. It was Dick Dale.

He had the musical assistance of Leo Fender, inventor of the Fender Stratocaster. Part of early Fender Stratocaster history includes the story of Leo Fender's gift to Dick Dale of a Fender Stratocaster to use in his live performances. He wanted Dick to try the Fender Stratocaster - and the rest is history, as the saying goes.

Did he try that guitar! The Fender Stratocaster history at that point was one of taking abuse and living through it, as Dale beat that guitar, hurling loud raucous music into the night, and destroying forty nine different amps until one actually caught on fire. Stratocaster history that night including the entertaining Dick Dale using the right handed guitar for left-handed play, playing upside down and created all new sounds.

Leo, Freddy Fender and Dale joined forces to find new, more tolerable speakers and this was the beginning of heavy metal Fender Stratocaster. They approached a company that made speakers and asked that they design a fifteen-inch Fender Stratocaster speaker. This made Fender Stratocaster speaker history.

Fender history included the fact that Dick Dale became the first person to take the quiet guitar player image and transform her or him into a loud heavy metal entertainer.

Included in this portion of Fender history was Guitar Player Magazine, who as a result now referred to Dick Dale as the father of heavy metal. Stratocaster history, then, is about the transition from quiet soothing singalong surf music to the heavy metal sound of the sixties.


http://www.articles2k.com/article/141/76771/Famous_Fender_Stratocaster_History/

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Make Your Own Beats, Instrumentals, Tracks, and Demo CDs

Many people are making an excellent living selling thier samples, tracks, and cd's, on the Internet and off, even if they're not with a major record label. Just look around on the Internet. People are paying $30 to $60 for small beat and and sound packages, $50 to $100 for small loopsets and beatsets, $100 to $300 for Instrumentals, $100's to $1,000's for complete tracks and samples, and for the few lucky ones like Jay-Z and J D... "Money aint a Thing"! They sell millions of their cd's. There are thousands of people and even companies looking for new music everyday! Let them hear yours!

Whether you dream of Making It Big in the Music Industry, or are just interested in making some extra cash doing what you love, this article is for you. You will see the resources you need to make your own beats, loops, instrumentals, finished tracks, and complete demo cd's. You will also see the resources you need to make money doing it. With that being said, let's get to the part you are waiting for...

Part I: Make Your Own Beats, Instrumentals, Samples, Loops, Tracks, and Complete Demo CDs...

To do this, you will need a few things. First you will need recording studio software. Recording studio software is nothing more than a program that allows you to mix beats, melodies, chords, samples and loops to make your own customized instrumentals and tracks. They also allow you to record yourself as you sing or rap to your track and to make a copy of your tracks to cd.

You can find this type of software all over the Internet. Just do a search for "make your own beats" or "recording studio software". As you search, you will notice that on average, this type of software will run you between $50 and $200. Don't Buy Them (you'll see why shortly)! Now you're going to need beats, melodies, chords, samples, and loops to customize with your recording studio software, aka: soundsets and loopsets. Again, just do a search for "beats" or "loops". They usually come in packages of about 200 soundsets for $30 and 300 loopsets for $60, or 600 soundsets for $75 and 900 loopsets for $150. Don't Buy Them Either!

Alright, so at the minimum, $140 gets you the low-end studio software, 200 soundsets, and 300 loopsets... or if you want a little better quality studio software and more soundsets and loopsets, you can spend about $425 for high-end studio software, 600 soundsets, and 900 loopsets. That's everything you need to make your own beats, instrumentals, samples, loops, tracks, and complete demo cd's. But why did I say Don't Buy Them?

Because you can get it all, the studio software and over 1,100 soundsets and loopsets for under 30 bucks with Hip Hop Starz Record Producer and Mixer Studio (see "about the author" at the bottom of this article). This is an unheard of price for everything you need, and it is of such good quality, I have dedicated an entire page of my Snoop Dogg website to it. It is loaded with many features you will find on the high-end software selling for $100 or more. Also, they are currently holding a Win A Record Contract Contest with Doug E Fresh. Use the software and enter to win!

So now you know how to make your own beats, instrumentals, samples, loops, tracks, and even complete demo cd's, and this brings us to our next part...

Part II: Make Money Doing It...

There are many, many ways to make money with your own music. The first thing you need to do, though, is break it down into pieces, or components we will call them.

There are 4 key components to any track, or song. You have soundsets, which are nothing more than beats, sounds, scratches, etc. You have loopsets, which are your soundsets when put together in a loop. You have instrumentals, which are completed tracks with no voice or lyrics. Finally, you have completed tracks, which are basically just instrumentals that include lyrics.

When you look at music from this angle, broken down into components, you will start to see many ways to make money with your own. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this report, people are not only paying for completed tracks, they are also paying for the components individually. If you can create you own, good components, people will buy them.

Again, search the Internet for these components. Doing so will not only show you how much you can sell your components for, but also where you can sell them. As long as people are listening to music, there will always be a demand for it, and I can't see people stopping anytime soon.

If you are interested in learning how to make money with your own beats in more detail, I recommend you check out Bob Bakers website (see "about the author" at the bottom of this article). Bob Baker is a writer, indie musician and former music magazine editor who is dedicated to showing musicians of all kinds how to get exposure, connect with fans, sell more CDs and increase their incomes through their artistic passions. He is also the author of the Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook, as seen in the major motion picture The School of Rock ... and in VIBE, Music Connection, Electronic Musician and American Songwriter magazines. This is the guy you should listen to. Here are some of the things you will find at his website...

- 197 Promotion Tips, Tricks, and Resources for Independent Musicians.

- 101 places to submit press releases, get reviewed, uncover PR connections and promote your music on the Internet. Supplies the exact website and email addresses for submitting your music news.

- The 29 most important elements in creating sizzling music publicity materials. Make sure your media kit gets noticed by editors, writers, booking agents, program directors, and other industry people.

- 50 ways to promote and sell your music on the Internet.

- And more, including his coveted Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook.

I hope this report has proved useful to you and I wish you all the best as you learn how to make your own beats, tracks, and even complete demo cd's.



Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Matthew Keith is the webmaster of UnsignedRappers.bravehost.com and a huge music enthusiast. He has spent the past 3 years searching for the most affordable ways for ordinary people to make their own music and make money doing so. The only two resources he recommends for this can be found at UnsignedRappers.bravehost.com/recommended-links.html.

Understanding The Purpose Of The Guitar Neck Shim

Some guitars will just NOT adjust properly with the standard methods available like the bridge saddles, nut filing adjustments and the ability to set the bow (or lack thereof) of the neck itself. Adding shims to the bolt on neck may be necessary to get the guitar to play properly at all locations up and down the neck.

A nut shim acts as a spacer between the nut and neck raising and lowering the distance between all of the strings at the lower end of the guitar, starting at fret 1 and moving towards the body of the guitar.

A neck pocket shim acts as a spacer between the neck and body, changing the angle from which the neck protrudes out away from the body.

Try to imagine the strings of your guitar as a flat plane and the fret board as a parallel plane running underneath them. The angle of the top plane which contains the strings is controlled by the position of the tremolo and the nut. The angle of the lower plane which is the fret board is controlled by the neck pocket of the body.

If your setup is perfect these two planes will have an equal distance between them at any point. If your guitar doesn't look this way try adjusting the height of the tremolo itself first. This will usually take care of the problem unless you find your action becoming too high or to low equally across the length of the fret board. If adjusting the height of the tremolo corrects the problem but leaves you with too high or low of an action (distance between the strings and fret board) then you will need to resort to using a shim. You may want to “block” the tremolo before you start the shimming operation.

Shims can be found and used in two different areas of the neck. One is under the nut and the other is directly under the heel in the neck pocket of the body.


Nut shims are usually made out of one or more thin sheets of brass. Shims located in the neck pocket are usually made out of a thin piece of wood. In either case you can produce your own shim if needed by using a sheet of heavy stock paper such as a business card. For shims in the neck pocket you might need to fold the paper stock 3-4 times to get the required thickness needed, then trim to fit properly.

First determine if the distance between the strings and fret board is to close right up against the nut itself. If this is the case then add a shim under the nut and raise the tremolo by adjusting the tremolo posts until the strings are an equal distance from the fret board down the entire length of the neck. If the distance between the strings and the fret board located right up against the nut is OK then you will have to place a shim in the neck pocket to correct your problem as directed below.


If your strings are higher on the Low E side, place the shim in the neck pocket under the heel of the neck and parallel with the length of the neck on the Low E side, which raises the entire neck down the Low E side when it is bolted on. Before doing this check the angle of the tremolo to make sure it is flat against the body and not floating at an angle.


If your strings are higher on the High E side do the opposite, as explained above, by placing the shim parallel to the neck on the High E side in the neck pocket. Again before doing this check the angle of the tremolo to make sure it is flat against the body and not floating at an angle.

If your strings become higher the closer they are to the body place the shim across the neck pocket in the end closest to the neck pickup. This will turn the other end of the neck pocket into a fulcrum point and move the head stock towards the back of the body lowering the strings over the high end frets.

If your strings become lower across the high end frets place the shim across the end of the neck pocket furthest away from the neck pickup. This will raise the headstock away from the back of the body, raising the strings up from the end of the fret board, closest to the body.

In some instances you might find that you need the shim to raise only one corner of the two planes as described above. In these rare cases, make a smaller shim and place it in the appropriate area of the neck pocket. Of course upon removing the nut from the neck or the neck from the body, if you find a shim already there

determine what action it was doing in the first place then make the necessary corrections.

Shimming a guitar neck is definitely an ART. However, if you look at it scientifically, as angles against a plane, you can understand the “how and why” of adjusting a guitar neck this way.



http://www.articles2k.com

Music Production and Mixing Tips & Tricks

What makes a pro recording pro? What is the "sound" that the pros get and how can you make your recordings sound more professional?

The simple answer is - there's no simple answer. But with careful listening and a little experience you can create excellent results with modest equipment.

Good mixing starts ear

The first and most important item of equipment is - who knows? Anyone? It's your ears! Sorry to tell you this, but listening to ten hours of Rave at 110dB will do nothing for them and you might as well give your mix to a turtle as try to mix with misused ears.

Listen to commercial recordings of mixes you like, analyse them, listen for the effects and get to know what constitutes the sort of sound you're after.

Mixing secrets

There's no hidden secret to getting a good sound, but if we had to sum up the secret of mixing in two words it would be this - EQ and compression. Okay that’s three words.

These are probably the two most important tools used by professional producers. However, like any tools, if you don't know how to use them you'll be carving Habitat tables instead of Chippendale chairs.

That's where your ears and experience come in. Here we have assembled some production ideas, suggestions, tips and tricks but they can only be guidelines and need to be adapted to suit your material. There are no presets you can switch in to make a bad recording sound good. And if your original material has been poorly recorded not even Abbey Road could salvage your mix. But follow these suggestions and see how much your mixes improve.

Get the level right

You can't push the levels when recording digitally as you can when recording to tape but you still want to get as much signal into the system as possible. This means watching the levels very carefully for clipping, and recording at an even and constant level.

Some recording software lets you monitor and set the input level from within. Some expect you to use the soundcard’s mixer while others have no facility for internally adjusting the input level and expect you to set this at source.

Monitors

Your ears are only as good as the monitors they listen to. DO NOT expect to produce a good, pro mix on tiny computer speakers. It may sound fine on a computer system, but try it on a hi fi, in a disco and through a car stereo.

Oddly enough, you don't necessarily need the most expensive Mic. Many top artists use what some might call "average" Mics because they work well and get the job done. You can spend a wad on a large diaphragm capacitor Mic (yes, they're good for vocals) if you have the lolly but check out dynamic Mics which are much more affordable and can be turned to several tasks.

Mixing MIDI and audio

One of the great things about computer-based recording is that the parts can so easily be changed, edited and processed. It's also so easy to combine MIDI and audio tracks and many musicians use a combination of sample loops, MIDI parts and audio recording.

Audio recordings are generally guitar and acoustic instruments such as the sax and vocals. Incidentally, the best way to record guitars is by sticking a Mic in front of its speakers. You can DI them and process them later and this may be cleaner but for a natural guitar sound a Miced amp is hard to beat.

It's not necessary to record drums live and, in fact, it's difficult to do and retain a modern sound. You can buy off-the-shelf MIDI drum riffs and audio drum loops, or program your own. The quality of the gear which makes drum noises these days is such that anyone with a good riff can sound like a pro.

Mixing MIDI

As MIDI and audio parts appear on the same screen in modern sequencers, it's very easy to arrange them into a song. However, when you come to mix everything down there's another consideration. If you are recording to DAT you can simply route the audio and MIDI outputs through a mixer and into the DAT machine.

However, if you want to create a CD you must first convert the MIDI parts to audio data. The entire song can then be mixed to hard disk and burned to CD. Converting MIDI to audio can have another benefit and that's the ability to process the MIDI tracks using digital effects.

Effects

There are three positions for effects known as Master, Send and Insert. Use the Master for effects you want to apply to the entire mix. These will often be EQ, compression and reverb.

Although giving each channel its own Insert effects is kinda neat, each one uses a corresponding amount of CPU power. So if your computer is struggling and if you're using the same effect on more than one channel, make the effect a Send effect and route those channels to it.

Many pieces of software let you apply an effect Pre or Post fader. With Post fader, the amount of sound sent to the effect is controlled by the fader. With Pre fader, the total volume level of the signal is sent. Post fader is the usual default and the one you'll use the most.

EQ

EQ is the most popular and the most over-used effect. Yes, it can be used to try to "fix a mix" but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as me Gran used to say and what she didn't know about mixing could be written in the margin of the book of honest politicians.

But before you start messing with EQ - or any other effect for that matter - make sure you have a decent set of speakers. Have we said that already? Oh, must be important, then.

There are plug-in effects such as MaxxBass which can psychoacoustically enhance the bass frequencies to make it sound better on smaller speakers. However, this is by no means the same as getting a good bass sound in the first place by observing good recording principles.

EQ can enhance a mix to add gloss, fairy dust, shimmer, sheen, a sweetener or whatever you want to call it to the final production. It can be done with enhancers and spectralisers, too, although these tend to mess with the harmonics which some producers don't like. However, don't dismiss them out of hand.

General EQ lore says that you should cut rather than boost. If a sound is top-heavy, the temptation is to boost the mid and bass ranges. But then what usually happens is you start boosting the upper range to compensate and you simply end up boosting everything and you're back where you started - only louder!

The reason why cutting is preferred is that boosting also boosts the noise in the signal which is not what you want. Try it. Boost every frequency and listen to the result. If you think it sounds okay, fine. What do we know?

But when you're fiddling, do keep an eye on the output meter. Boosting EQ inevitably means increasing the gain and it's so-o-o-o easy to clip the output causing distortion which does not sound good.

Finally, check EQ changes to single tracks while playing back the entire piece. In other words, listen to the tracks in context with all the other tracks. It may sound fine in isolation but some frequencies may overlap onto other tracks making the piece frequency rich in some places and frequency poor in others.

Reverb

Reverb creates space. It gives the impression that a sound was recorded in a hall or canyon instead of the broom cupboard. Recording lore suggests that you record everything dry, with no reverb, so you can experiment with a choice later on. You can't un-reverb a track once it's been recorded.

The more reverb you apply, the further away sound will seem. To make a vocal up-front, use only enough reverb to take away the dryness. Vocals don't want to be mushy (lyrics can be mushy) so use a bright reverb.

A common novice error is to swamp everything with different types of reverb. Don't - it sounds horrible!

Mixing down

You've done all the recordings, done the edits, applied the effects and now it's time to mix everything into a Big Number One Hit! Before you do, go home and have a good night's sleep. Have two. In fact, sleep for a week.

Yes, we know you're hot and raring to go but your ears are tired. They're falling asleep. Listen carefully and you might hear then snore!

There is a phenomenon known as ear fatigue and consistent exposure to sound, especially the same frequencies, makes our ears less responsive to them. Goes back to the bit about spending your life in a Rave club - you'll never be a master producer. If you try to mix after spending a day arranging, your ears will not be as responsive, so do them and your mix a favour by waiting at least a day.

Now, go forth and mix! And don’t forget - you get better with practice. For more information about mixing, pick up a FREE copy of Creating The Perfect Mix at www.making-music.com


http://www.articles2k.com

U2s Bono From Rock Star To Designer To Humanitarian

U2s lead singer Bono isn’t content with being part of a top band. Fashion and Music – well I’m sure they can mix!

Bono was born Paul David Hewson in 1960 in Dublin Ireland. His stage name is Bono. Bono is the lead singer of US, he is also a songwriter. He married Ali Stewart in August 1982 and they have 5 children. Bono is also actively involved in as an activist and screenwriter.

Paul was a curious child who seemed to see the world from a different perspective from the rest of the world. When Paul was 15 he suffered the loss of his mother who he was very close to. In high school Paul found himself drawn to music and playing the guitar, spending a great deal of time involved with the school theater. The name Bono was the brain child of his close friend Guggi who took it from a Hearing Aide store located in Dublin. Bono Vox also means good voice in latin.

In 1976 a flyer was posted at his high school by Larry Mullen who was looking to form a band. Paul was jumped at the opportunity. The band became U2 which is now known around the globe.

Ali Hewson [nee Alison Stewart] grew up in the suburbs of north Dublin. She met Bono at high school. He tried to chat her up but she ignored him. Over the years he continued to pursue her. Their relationship moved very slowly because Alison wasn’t interested in becoming one of the Bono girls. After his mother died, Ali being the practical person she is, helped Bono with the essentials like food and clothing. Ali was 22 when they wed.


Ali Hewson appears to be open and down to earth in all respects. She appears honest and never puts on that she knows more about a topic than she does. She smiles often and appears to be a happy human being. She earned her degree in social science, politics, and sociology at the age of 33. She also became involved with Greenpeace.

It was having children that put Ali Hewson on the path of thinking more about the environment. She became concerned about what they would grow up to have, what would be left of the environment. Ali got involved with Greenpeace campaigning against the Sellafield nuclear power plant.

Over time, U2 also became actively involved in the protest against the Sellafield nuclear power plant. She had not direct responsibility for U2 becoming involved but because Bono and Ali share the same concerns, it was a natural outcome. Ali feels as a wealthy person she has a responsibility to do what she can to raise awareness on such issues.

So isn’t it natural that Bono and Ali have now evolved to another level of involvement with social politics. Bono and his wife Ali Hewson now have their fingers in the Fashion industry. But wait – this isn’t just any old fashion venture. This one has a new twist. Their goal is to involve developing countries in the producing of their clothing line, improving the quality of life for these people and their economic welfare.


A new line of clothing has hit the market – Edun – anyone catch that Edun is Nude spelt backwards? The Eden line consists of a casual collection of jeans, T-shirts, chiffon dresses, and blazers. The line is available at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bono and his wife are attempting to become actively involved in social activism and the betterment of people in developing countries. Their goal is for the Edun collection to be soooo hot that it will be able to provide employment for people in developing nations around the world, developing stable long term relationships with these countries.

Great thought goes into selecting which country will produce which clothing. Selection is based on the resources and talent of the developing countries. They attempt to make “good” matches which are beneficial to Edun and the developing country. They believe that the developing countries and their people will benefit financially and emotionally. But the big picture also means that these developing countries can become part of the global economy.

Bono and his wife might be on the right track with this concept with Edun, as the consumers are becoming much more interested in knowing where and by whom the clothes they purchase are made. The consumer has become social conscious. So this concept could be a win win for everyone!


http://www.articles2k.com

Feel the Guitar Beat

The reason why most people who try to play the guitar and are not “up to snuff” is that they give too easily. The problem with these people is that they tend to think that there is something wrong with them and why they simply cannot get the strings to sound right.

In reality, falling short in learning to play the guitar is not based on the capability of the person but more on the kind of style he is using. If he is trapped in a certain level of progress in guitar playing, it should likewise not be blamed on the person but on the kind of approach that he used.

When things like these happen, the only way to get going is to change the style to achieve remarkable results.

In fact, 8 out of the 10 people who were asked what made them continue learning to play the guitar, they answered that it was because they used a wonderful technique that some people take for granted. This approach is known as “feeling the beat.”

People who are considered experts in playing the guitar insist that the only distinction that sets a good guitarist apart from a distinguished guitarist is based on how they apply the approach “feel the beat” to their tune using their instrument.

The basic argument here is that trying to get things going by simply feeling the beat while you play the guitar will absolutely change your style of learning and playing the guitar. When people try to feel the beat as they play the instrument, they get to internalize the pulse of the music as it flows from the strings out to the audience.

This is probably the same reason why some people insist that music is the language of the soul. It is basically the main idea of using this kind of approach.

Music experts assert that it is how the great composers and singers stand out from the rest. When musicians learn to feel the beat, they tend to put the notes into their system and let every tone flow along with the beat of their heart.

The question now is: how do you start feeling the beat. Here are some tips to get started:

1. Internalize the beat

When you want to learn how to play the guitar you must get your emotions ready. Try to feel the beat by listening to the music and bridge a connection between your feelings and the music.

The very core of this approach is to feel the beat of the music flowing into your system.

Once you get the beat connected to your system, take hold of your guitar, and start hitting those strings. Try not to play a song that you already know. The idea is to release the feeling and let the notes flow with what you feel.

2. Play by the ear

As soon as you learn how to feel the beat, you can start playing by ear; this is when you can play the song on your guitar just by listening to it over and over again.

Historical reports show that some great musicians learn to play the instrument by using this approach, because once they start to sense the pulse of the song; they gradually pluck the notes and begin to play the song as they continue to play.

Most people who play the guitar and write songs do not simply use those tabs and musical sheets. They just try to fathom the song by “playing by ear.”

The bottom line is that learning to play the guitar does not have to be rigid and strict or why guitar playing is not specifically exclusive for those talented in music. The instrument is available for everyone, young and old, big and small, boy and girls.
The idea is to take some time to learn the instrument. Trying to feel the beat does not happen in a snap. You have to allot adequate time to start putting the notes into your system.

The truth is that people who failed to learn guitar playing simply lacked the time and patience to do all of these things. Becoming an expert in what you do is simply having the time for it, and if you do, you will start to get the ball rolling and the notes flying in the air.




http://www.articles2k.com

Indian Classical Music School System

Gharana literally means family tradition, members of a family of musicians establishing their own unique musical discipline consistently over three or more generations. It is difficult to give an exact date when this system came into being. Ithawa gharana has evolved over seven generations of some of the finest sitar players of India. Shujaat Khan is seventh in this unbroken chain of sitar virtuosi from Ithawa gharana and is considered to be the torch bearer for the future of this school of music. With Shujaat Khan in concert today, it would be appropriate to bring forth some of the hidden facts about the history and evolution of this style of music.

Ithawa gharana in its present form owes its existence, its popularity and its distinctive style of sitar playing to Shujaat Khan’s father, the legendary musician Ustad Vilayat Khan. But for him, the gayaki ang or vocal style in instrumental music, which is the hall mark of this gharana, would neither have existed nor would have flourished. To talk about Ithawa gharana of recent years is to talk about Vilayat Khan and his early period of musical training, his original thoughts about bringing gayaki in instrumental playing, his improvisations and changes made to the structure of sitar to accommodate the continuity of sound or to imitate vocals in sitar playing. It is believed that only after Vilayat Khan’s tantalizing performance that won the hearts of the listeners, critics and musicians alike, at the 1943 Vikram Samaroh music conference in Bombay, instrumental music earned a wider acceptance in the main stream classical music.

Born in 1928 in Gauripur, East Bengal, Vilayat Khan entered the world of music at an early age of four and gave his first performance when he was eight. He also made his first recording at the same age. Vilayat Khan hails from an impressive family of musicians. His great grand father Ustad Sahabdat Khan gave today’s surbahar, the bass version of the sitar and a very difficult instrument to master, its present tonal and structural form. At the early age of ten Vilayat Khan lost his first guru, his father Ustad Inayat Khan, a leading instrumentalist of his days. Thereafter he moved with his mother to the state of Nahan near Delhi to learn music from his maternal grand father Ustad Bande Hasan Khan, who was the court musician of the state. During 40’s and 50’s there still was Inayat Khan’s influence in Vilayat Khan’s playing. Tantrakari was still very prominent. The right hand which is considered as the main subject of instrumental playing for string instruments was still distintly dominant. Tantrakari had been taken to great heights by earlier generations but now was the time to give new direction to instrumental music. It is believed that human voice is the sublime epitome of expression and all other sounds are subordinates used only for enhancing and ornamenting the vocal music. In his quest to achieve vocal continuity in the sound of sitar, Vilayat Khan introduced the gayaki ang in instrumental music during the early 60’s.

Khayal ras, a vocal music style with imaginative use of lyrics, began to emerge in instrumental music with Vilayat Khan’s introspective vision and vivid imagination. The tone of sitar was now changed. The right hand remained at its place but there were significant advancements in the left hand. The pancham of kharaj was now replaced with a steel gandhar (this change helps in establishing the mood of the raag). Several other fundamental changes were also made to the structure of sitar.

There were various subjects involved in khayal ras which required ample improvisations in order to translate it in instrumental music. At first Alap, the slow but contemplative progression of a raag, was given a different approach adorned with meend, krintan and zamzama. Next were taans and bol taans, the fast tempo phrases, and thumri. The transition towards khayal ras is quite evident in Vilayat Khan’s recordings from 60’s onwards.

Gayaki ang is now successfully passed on to Ithawa gharana’s next generation of musicians. Today there are many musicians who prefer and follow this style of music. Thanks to his creative genius for this enormous contribution to the world of music. It would be righteous to refer to Ithawa gharana as Vilayatkhani gharana.

About Author
Shilpa Rao is a professional Indian Classical Music artist. Learn basics of Indian Classical Music system at http://www.articlestonurture.com/classical/music.html/3


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Enjoy unlimited music and take benefit of 3G features of LG U890

With LG U890 music reaches to a great height. For the music fan this gizmo from LG mobile phone offers a media player that can play music MP3, AAC, Enhanced AAC+, AMR & WAV formats. You can operate the music player even when the phone is in the closed position by using the external quick music buttons and external display. The quick music buttons also can be used to select play lists, choose tracks, fast forward, rewind, and skip music tracks backwards and forwards.

LG U890 is a 3G clamshell mobile phone replete with multiple functionalities and available in an attractive silver coloured casing. It supports the usual features of 3G technologies which include SMS, MMS, Video calling, WAP 2.0, JAVA 2.0. It is also capable of supporting downloadable content, ranging from games to video and more importantly music.With LG U890 music reaches to a great height. For the music fan this gizmo from LG mobile phone offers a media player that can play music MP3, AAC, Enhanced AAC+, AMR & WAV formats.

You can operate the music player even when the phone is in the closed position by using the external quick music buttons and external display. The quick music buttons also can be used to select play lists, choose tracks, fast forward, rewind, and skip music tracks backwards and forwards. The LG U890 comes with audio on demand feature allowing you to receive music reports which are streamed straight to the handset. Bluetooth compatibility of the phone allows you to easily stream music between other compatible devices. Bluetooth™ wireless technology with the support of A2DP enables you to enjoy a wireless streaming experience. For a private listening experience you can listen to music using wireless Bluetooth™ stereo headphones.

Music is certainly one of the impressive features of LG U890 but certainly not the greatest one. You have LG U890 on 3 network making it possible to enjoy all 3’s video services. Thus you can make and receive video calls, send and receive video messages, and download videos. You can also browse internet and use the phone to send and receive quick emails. The multimedia messaging service of LG U890 allows you to create, send and receive messages having text, sound and photos to any device if it is multimedia compatible. In addition to this the LG U890 comes with Java™ technology enabling you to play exciting 3D games. The phone has pre loaded Java™ games; yet it allows you to download more games to satiate your desire enjoying other adventurous games.LG U890

About Author
Caitlin Lucy is the webmaster of http://www.3mobileshop.co.uk and specializing in the different field of polyphonic ringtones, mobile phone games and mobile phone wallpapers and mobile phone, mobile deals, Mobile phone

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Reading Sheet Music To Play Instruments

If you look all over the internet you will find that many sites offer free sheet music for just about every instrument. When looking for sheet music especially piano sheet music there are many different genres to choose from and this makes finding the music much easier. As the turn of the century arrived piano sheet music became very popular among young adults, many people were playing the piano and parlor music became the new trend to sweep the country, this made sheet music very popular. So much so, that every home had a piano and more often than not at least one member of the family could play it.

Sometimes it is hard to read sheet music, this is not because it is hard in general it just takes practice, the more you practice reading the sheet music the better you will becomes at it. When learning any instrument and you want to learn like a pro you need to learn the sheet music, understand it and process it.

Music directors and other musicians use sheet music for different songs and it covers many different vocal ranges and instruments. It will only teach you how to play songs and compositions by rote. Nonetheless, not everyone is blessed with the ability to play songs by ear. Musicians back then publish their songs in these unbound sheets of paper. Going back to the 19th century most of the songs in the USA became popular by sheet music. In the past not all songs were written down so most of the popular might have been lost.

If you are looking to improve your musical talents a create resource is the internet, you can download free sheet music and this will benefit you in many ways because it allows you to play other pieces of music. Musicians that are struggling musicians find it much easier to find sheet music, most of the time they can download it from the internet for free. Today, sheet music is found on many music sites on the Internet with some giving an option of free downloads.

The Internet has brought forth many resources for musicians, from one-click access to research of songs, pieces and bands, to easy access to catalogues full of thousands of instruments and other products that can be ordered and shipped directly to them with a few simple clicks. As pieces of music get complicated for the person playing it the notation of the music becomes more complicated and the difficulty to the compose the music becomes harder, because of all this you will learn how to write the music as you go along. There are literally thousands, if not millions of musical pieces for violinists to play.

To have a good grasp of the notes for a guitar a good suggestion is that you learn them slowly and with concentration. Most violin music is written in the middle C so when producing notes they are written on the treble clef. When you learn a piece of music with traditional sheet music you are not just learning the notes you are also learning another language.



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David Marc Fishman is the owner of bornasuperstar site. The online audition for comedians. Learn the power of positive thinking.

Headsets Give Music Privacy A Boost

When the ability to listen privately to your favorite music started to become popular, it was played through large, bulky headsets with a sound quality rivaling a string stretched between two tin cans. That was acceptable then, because the headsets also blocked most of the external noise and your home speakers probably did not sound much better.

What a difference a few decades has made in the size, quality and features of headsets and the number of applications for which they are used. From ear buds attached to nothing but a wire to wireless earphones attached to nothing but your head, headsets became the only speakers available for small personal players.

In addition, music is not the only venue for which headsets are used. Flying on an airplane you can use them to listen privately to music. In the pilot’s seat, they are used to block out external noise, allowing the pilot to both hear air traffic going on around them as well as, with a built-in microphone, communicate with the plane’s crew. On the ground, they are used to help maintain communications with the flight crew as well as block the noise from planes.

Wireless Applications Make Them More Convenient

With the advancement of wireless communications, wireless headsets have made many inroads. With no wires between your stereo player and the headsets the only limitations to your movements are the distance you are from the transmitter. They can also be used with your surround sound system so you do not disturb other members of the house when you listen to things blow up and top volume.

Telephone headsets also allow for hands-free use of the telephone in you house, office or with your cell phone in your car. There are some headsets with only one earpiece and microphone for voice applications on the computer. You can hear what is going on in the program and it doesn’t totally block out the sounds from immediately around you. They are also used when recording music so you can hear what the recording sounds like while you record it as well as everything else that is happening.

Not only do headsets block out noises that could be distracted to you while you work or listen to music, they also protect those around from being disturbed by what you are listening to. Unless, of course, you start singing with the music real loud.



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John Ugoshowa. You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your ezines as long as you have a link back to www.quickregister.net/partners/ For more information on headsets see the headsets section of Quickregister.net Free Search Engine Submission Service at: www.quickregister.net/partners/

Downloading iPod Music – Pitfalls, Tips And Tricks

Downloading iPod music online can be a tricky business if you are not careful. You may wonder what’s there to worry about. Everyone else, even your neighbor’s dog is downloading music for iPod while he is watching TV, right? I encourage you to join me in a quick walkthrough on the pitfalls, tips and tricks of downloading iPod music.

Sure, if you are downloading from iTunes, then every worry that you may have can be laid to rest. However, if you are a little adventurous and want to try new iPod download sites, or perhaps tight in your pocket and just want to get some free music to enjoy, then the following information is important to you.

You may have probably heard of Kazaa, or similar free sites like that, or even are downloading iPod music from them. Then I have some alarming news for you. Despite claims by these free download sites that downloading iPod music is safe, users are unknowingly downloading bundled adware and spyware when they use the download client to access these music files online. Let’s face it, the free sites need some form of revenue to keep their sites running isn’t it? The endless streams of pop-ups when downloading music are also extremely annoying.

The legality of downloading iPod music from these sites is controversial. While it is fair to say that downloading shared files produced by amateurs that are home-made, ie not commercial and copyrighted audio files is legal, you are still treading in grey areas because you never know when you are downloading pirated music. If you can live with all these uncertainties and vulnerabilities, then go ahead and download music from them by all means.

Since there are so many problems associated with downloading iPod music from these dubious sources, a logical conclusion would be most people would download iPod music at stores such as iTunes, eMusic, etc. Strictly speaking, if this is the only safe option other than the free download sites, then most folks would be getting their music there at $0.99 per piece or anywhere between $0.70 - $1.99 per track. This is after all cheaper than getting a CD that only contains 1 or 2 tracks you like since you can download 10 of your favorite songs from different singers instead of entire albums. But by today’s standard, this is not cheap at all. I will explain why.

What if there are download sites that offer you a lifetime access to download iPod music for a one-time fee? We are not talking about expensive country club memberships which only the well-heeled can afford. Consider this offer these sites make; a full lifetime membership for downloading iPod music – unlimited music, songs and music videos at anytime at any place in a totally secured environment free from viruses, adware and spyware at the price of a few cinema tickets and snacks thrown in. All these sound too good to be true but whether it is real or not, the music community is the best judge for it. In case you are not informed, many music enthusiasts have opted for this alternative as the mainstream resource for downloading iPod music. If you are curious and want to learn more, read my blog to get the scoop of what is happening in the music community and where people are flocking to download incredibly cheap music for their iPods.

The content of this article is provided for the purpose of education and illustration only and is in no way associated with Apple, iTune, or any company or subsidiary of Apple. This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.



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Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Find out how you can access to unlimited ipod music downloads - digital quality music and music videos instantly and easily from home at ipod--music-download.blogspot.com.

Wedding Music So Many Choices

The wedding ceremony is very important on this momentous occasion and using live music can give the ceremony a unique perspective to the wedding. A ceremony that has no music or a wedding ceremony that does not have the appropriate music may work out but it will not have that romantic feel and it will feel lifeless.

The wedding ceremony is the more serious part of the wedding while the reception in the grand celebration which congratulates the couple on their marriage. There are 2 general types of music available for a modern wedding, they are a DJ or live musicians. A DJ is a person who plays CDs through a sound system at your reception and provides stage lighting for additional effect. The advantage to hiring a live band for your reception is that there is a certain synergy that occurs when live musicians perform together that cannot be achieved with a DJ, and live musicians can are also able to adapt to the “vibe” of the room – playing faster, slower, louder or softer depending on the preferences of you and your guests.

Unless, of course, you're determined to have a band sing at your wedding. One of the critical steps during wedding music planning is to decide the type of music to be played, and who will perform it, a live band or a DJ. Regardless of a live band or a DJ, your goal is to hire the right person(s) for the job to enliven your wedding.

A four or five-piece band with a small PA system is generally required if the party is 100 or more. Listen to recordings of the band performing live, where available. If the band is having fun on stage, so will you on the dance-floor. You need a band that wants to party as much as you do.

Here are some tips you can use when you choose music for your wedding. When choosing the music for your wedding make sure you choose something that you and your guests will dance to. Experienced musicians are able to play songs that will be appropriate to the wedding even if you don’t know what songs to choose from.

If there is no theme and you are having trouble choosing the song this means you will have many choices to choose from. Why not walk down the aisle to an appropriate pop song or soundtrack from a favorite movie or musical. Choosing music for your wedding you need to find a piece that stands apart from other music.

Many people are still using traditional bridal songs, but many are not because most want to walk down the isle to music that fits their personalities.

There should be songs that are exciting and that will make the guests get up and dance. During the first dance of the wedding most people never forget how their spouses looked. The most enjoyable part of the wedding reception is the dance music. When choosing dance music for your wedding, you need to decide if you want the services of a DJ or a band for your wedding.

When your marriage is over many grooms and brides can recall the songs that were played at their wedding are able to relive the day they were married. There are so many wonderfully romantic and very suitable songs available today.



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David Marc Fishman is the owner of www.bornasuperstar.com The online audition for magicians

Classification Of Musical Instruments

All people enjoy one or the other kind of music. Music has a soothing effect on the body and the mind. It also has some healing capabilities which medicine and science have been trying to decipher for years. Music can be enjoyed and learned by people of all age groups. A large number of music schools have come up in the recent years which teach interested persons how to play different types of instruments.

Before you set to buy a musical instrument or even learn one, you need to know about the different types of musical instruments that exist.

a) Wind instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments when a column of air is made to vibrate inside them. These instruments are further divided into brass and woodwind instruments. The length of the column of air and the shape of the instrument play a major role in determining the frequency of the wave generated. Different tones are produced depending on the construction of the instrument and method of tone production.

b) Percussion instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments by simply striking them. The sound produced in this case may or may not be of high pitch. The cavity of the instrument surrounding the area where it is struck vibrates and sound is produced. The shape and material of the instrument also decide the type of sound produced form this instrument.

c) String instruments:
These instruments produce sound when the string is disturbed from its original position by the application of force. The length of the vibrating string, the mass, tension and the point at which the string is excited determine the frequency of the sound produced. The tone of sound produced by these instruments can vary depending on the shape and resonating cavity construction of each instrument.

d) Electronic instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments through electronic means by imitating the sounds produced by other instruments. They resemble keyboards in appearance.

e) Brass instruments:
Sound is produced in these instruments when air is blown into a tube with different length or thickness to generate a wide range of sounds.

f) Keyboard instruments:
These instruments can use any of the above methods to generate musical sounds. Each key in the keyboard can produce one sound or the other. Keyboards are famous for producing a combination of different sounds and can also imitate the sound produced by other musical instruments.

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Linda Polansky writes about Guitar Deals, Guitar Live Sound and Harps On Sale.