archives

Steve Vai as Hank Williams?

This is Steve Vai. This is how he sounds. This is Hank Williams. This is how he sounded. Steve Vai plays Hank Williams in the movie Crazy. Which is about Hank Garland. This is how he sounded. Looks an interesting movie. Hope it gets a theatrical or DVD run soon.

What Do You Need to Get Started in Recording?

The innovations that have been brought about since the advent of digital music recording have changed much in the recording industry. One of these big changes is that it is easier than ever for musicians to record themselves rather than go into a studio.

Vintage Guitar News and Views

Ah, the 1960's...the rise of surf music, the loss of 1950's rock icons and across the Big Pond an interest in and resurgence of American blues music will soon give rise to the British Invasion and some of our future guitar legends. The guitar manufacturers were also undergoing some changes themselves and as research and development plodded forward, These changes were reflected in the guitars themselves.

Madonna Set to Light Up Los Angeles - Tickets Still Available

Madonna's 2008 Sticky and Sweet tour is packing out stadiums across Europe, in readiness for her tour that will be unleashed here in October. Her shows have been selling well, and many shows are near sell-outs. In Los Angeles, her only show is scheduled for 6 November 2008 and will be held at Dodger Stadium, and if you act quickly you can snare some tickets at reasonable prices.

A Kid's Piano Lessons

You know how most people say the piano lessons they had when they were a kid were a nightmare? I had the opposite experience. But maybe it was the teacher. People have the strangest impression of what the archetypal piano teacher looks like. I think they expect somewhere between Miss Hathaway in The Beverly Hillbillies and perhaps a brusque Margaret Thatcher in her severe Prime Minister suit.

Preschool Piano

Many parents know that playing piano even a few minutes a day has many benefits for children. Today we want to consider the youngest of the children, the preschoolers. Among the benefits of piano lessons are better math scores, better handwriting and better handling of tasks in general. But what age to start this beneficial process?

How to Create Rap Beats That Create Residual Streams of Income - Forever!

This article on creating rap beats gives new producers some examples of how to create residual income from their music. It gives and in depth example of how making a beat once can pay you for years. This is a must read for anyone who is serious about creating rap beats for cash!

Bands and Local Hero Syndrome

Local Hero Syndrome affects bands that have a stellar following in one city and can't get arrested in the next, merely an hour away. Bands, learn about the perils of this career path and discover how getting too comfortable can actually impede your future success.

Plant Life - Time Traveler Album Review

Funk music has always had its eccentric characters - George Clinton and Bootsy Collins immediately come to mind but you can also cite Isaac Hayes, Sly Stone and more recently Jamiroquai. But if you are gonna make funky music .. it is essential to have a fun and colorful nature. Plant Life carry on this tradition.

Online Guitar Lessons Just Get Better

Online guitar lessons, using new music software technology, are an inexpensive learning system for those pupils who do not respond well to one to one lessons, or even find them intimidating. You can listen to, and compare bass guitar lessons, acoustic guitar lessons, learn guitar chords or jazz or playing the blues or how to play guitar fast like Eddie Van Halen and other great guitarists. Some online guitar lessons include software which slows down the music, until you are up to speed, whilst retaining the musical pitch. Other music software will analyze a CD or MP3 file format and reveal the chords, bass tabs and any hidden tones which you can slow down and record.

How to Choose the Right Guitar?

Choosing the right guitar may be a problem for a large number of guitarists out there. Luckily there are some tips and tricks that can help you choose the one that will suit you the most.

Spice Up a Song With Sound Effects!

As all songwriters know, most songs consist solely of music and/or lyrics. But why not add in some sound effects now and then to make a song stand out? (Remember "Yellow Submarine"?) This article discusses sources of sound-effect recordings and offers tips on incorporating them into your songs.

Disguising Repetition in Kids Piano Lessons

A clever kids piano teacher knows how to disguise the repetition of short passages so that the student is not fatigued by the repetitive effort. In piano teaching, a short portion of a piano piece is usually called a "passage." A passage has to be worked on, like tilling a field, until it is smooth and may be recombined with the rest of the piece.

Jamorama Plus Free Backing Tracks

As a guitar teacher I have been hearing about Jamorama for a long time. I knew that the author, Ben Edwards had created a product that was highly respected and was considered to be quite good. So I took the plunge and got into the program. Now I see why over 35,000 people have used this program.

Jamorama Review

Jamorama probably the biggest selling guitar study program on the net. Over 35,000 people have used it to learn to play guitar. Why? I decided to check it out.

Acoustic Guitar - The Joy of Playing the Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar is an instrument that has become more and more popular. The melodic sounds and range of music it covers appeals to many generations and music tastes so it is no surprise that so many people want to learn how to play it as well as owning it.

Drum Sets Buying Guide

When it comes to buying a drum set, you can spend as little as $200 and as much as $600 on just the basics. Adding accessories and name brands can add hundreds (even thousands) to the price, but no worries: kits are always a great investment.

Bass Drums Primer

The essential driving force of a drum set is the bass drums. These are physically at the heart of the set with all hardware resting upon them.

Easy Songs For the Guitar

If you want to learn to play the guitar you will need some easy songs to work on. The job of finding songs could be a bit tricky if you are not clear about what you want to play. Hopefully this article will be some help in choosing your songs.

Music Festival Enthusiasts Defined As Festivillians

The first mention of a music festival comes from the Pythian Games in ancient Greece starting around 582 BC. At that time in history the administration of the Games was handed over to the Delphic Amphiktyonia, a council of the twelve Greek tribes, in order to end the Holy War in the past. The games often included musical performances. This might be the earliest historical mention of a Music Festival.