15 kolovoza, 2009

A Life With Music


Music plays an essential role in our life. It gives life to the soul as food does to the body. It becomes the voice of the heart when plain words fall short of expressing how we feel. Music is first introduced to us by our mothers, our beloved musicians. The lullabies sang to us by our mothers when we were still small, in whatever language, notes or tune, have always been a delight to the little hearts. A melody forever playing in our mind.
As everything in life changes, so does music. It changes with the times and technology. From jazz to rock, from rock to hip-hop, and a lot of fusions in between. And together with the evolution of music is the advancement of technology in the delivery of music. These technologies or gadgets have brought music closer to us. Gone are the days when you have to go to a music place when you want to enjoy a night of music. In the advent of radio, people were able to start enjoying music at home. Today, the evolution of music gadgets has come a long way. With our trusty mp3 players, music has never been this available to us. Now, music is everywhere.
The music industry has always been a lucrative business as people readily spend their money for a musical experience. Studies have been made to understand the human need for music. But the common person certainly knows why, as music knows us. Music comes to us in different ways, it comes as an encouragement to the athlete or any dreamer, a hand that picks you up when you're down, a comforting embrace when we're heartbroken or even in grief. And, yes, what would life be without a love song behind every loving couple. Thus, we are flooded by love songs.
The thrill of listening to a new song or an old song made new, and of musicians wanting to make a mark in the world of music, will always keep the music industry alive. People won't hesitate to pay for a good musical indulgence, be it purchasing a concert ticket or the newest CD or just downloading music over the internet to our latest mp3 player. It is a wonderful reality that music is very much embedded in our culture which greatly affects our values and way of life. Music will always be a beautiful companion.

Life of Music


Music has been a part of our lives and is embedded within our soul. For centuries, it has become the outlet of human heart and the expression of one's feelings. Most of us experienced music since birth as our mothers would sing us lullabies to put us to sleep. Our mother's voice would always be a pleasant music to our ears.
Music evolved from time to time. Classic music has to give way to the new era of music. A new genre is created which each of them would define the current generation. Not only that the kind of music changes or evolved, the gadgets also evolve as the world become more advanced in terms of technology. In the past we only have radios. But now we have CD playes, MP3, iPod, etc. and this would change the way we connect with music.
Humans spend tons of time and energy, and, yes, a lot of money on musical endeavors. Researches have been conducted to understand the reasons behind the need of humans for music. But to the common person it is the thing that inspires us to reach the stars or lifts us up when we're down, the solace when we're heartbroken or in grief, the outburst when we are angry or the festive beat of the drums when we are jubilant. And of course, what would love be without a love song behind every couple. Indeed, millions of love songs have been made for everyone.
The excitement of listening to a new song and of musicians wanting to create a mark in the history of music will always keep the music industry up and beating. People will readily spend their money for a good musical treat, be it going to a concert, buying the newest CD on the shelf or simply downloading it over the internet to the ever handy mp3 player. It is a beautiful fact that music is deeply ingrained in our culture which profoundly affects our values and quality of life. And so the music goes on.

08 kolovoza, 2009

Playing an Instrument - Benefits and Self-Satisfaction

The purpose of this article is to explain some of the benefits of playing a musical instrument. I've played guitar about five years now and while I've never become as proficient as the rock stars you see on tv, I do enjoy it immensely, for more reasons than you might think.
Learning an instrument for me was a series of self-rewarding steps. One of the most rewarding of these is the feeling when you can play your first song. Once you've learned to string together notes or chords, no matter how simple, you realize that there are a whole lot of possibilities out there and that you can really only move forward. When I started playing guitar I was thrilled to to learn the main riff to "Sweet Home Alabama." This gave me a mental boost to keep going and pursue my musical interests.
The next key stage is starting to pick out songs you hear on the radio and take the initiative to learn them. No matter what instrument you play, there are sites where other musicians write out popular songs so that you can learn them yourself. When you hear something you like simply look it up. If a song looks too difficult don't give up, just keep working at it one small piece at a time until you've got it down. The satisfaction from this is really a great feeling because you aren't playing songs you are assigned and may not be your top choices, you're learning what you want to learn instead. Now you can really start to develop in that you can play songs people know and will appreciate. It's a great feeling when someone recognizes something you're playing and let's you know that it sounds good!
Another great benefit of playing an instrument is the meditative quality. Playing for an audience is fulfilling, but sometimes just stepping back from it all and playing music by yourself can be very relaxing and beneficial. For me I find that playing my guitar can offer great stress relief and help to ease away the tension of a rough day. I often try playing something calm to mimic the mindset I want to achieve.
Whatever you play, just know that there's a lot more to it then "being really good" at your instrument. Playing music can provide a whole plethora of mental benefits including improvements in your self confidence or even your mood. I hope you found this helpful, have fun with those instruments everyone!

Learn to Play an Instrument and Enjoy Life


For some people, playing a guitar, a piano or any other instrument is somehow boring. They would prefer to do other things than play musical instruments. But have you ever tried to it your self? Playing a guitar or a piano, for example? Give it a try and you will discover that there is more to it than just playing.
For people who dedicated their life to music would tell you that music is life. It is not only playing it for the sake of playing it. But it is playing an instrument with emotions attached to it. You play it as if you feel it within you. And it will eventually bring out the power within you.
Playing an instrument is not only done during past time. But it can be done if you want to have emotional freedom. If you want to divert your attention from the problems and stress forming situations you have. Music can make you relax, calm and free your mind from any problems to think about. Music can improve the quality of life. You feel revived for just listening to music. How would you feel if you are the one creating the tunes? It might be more expressive, and more satisfactory.
In playing musical instruments you can bring out the emotions within you. That makes you feel relieved. You feel free for the moment you play your favorite instrument. When you learn to love music and learn to play musical instruments, you will see that it will change the way you life your life.
This is a fact! Music can improve our quality of life. And by attaching our selves to musical instruments, we are gradually changing our lives. Choose the best instrument that you want to play. Lean it. There are many music schools where you can study. Or you can get an online tutor or a personal teacher to teach you how to play these musical instruments. Learn it and you will double your life's happiness.

02 kolovoza, 2009

Learning to Play the Drums


If you're a novice to drums, the jargon and the techniques involved can be most puzzling. What is certain is that you need to take the time to practise the correct individual techniques before you can work hands and feet together.

Posture is very important in order to prevent unnecessary fatigue. Your spine should be straight and your shoulders, arms and wrists slack. Sit so that you use your calf muscles only. Hold the sticks with a light pressure in whichever grip you prefer; don't clutch them tightly and tense your muscles - just hold them in a relaxed, controlled way. Stretch before playing to ensure your muscles are loose.

Find the balance point of your drumsticks and you can find the natural rebound; speed drumming depends on minimum effort, and a perfect rebound will save you effort later. Many drummers will sacrifice good timing and precision for speed, so make sure so you don't.

Start playing with your wrist parallel to the playing surface. Raise your wrist to play louder; don't raise your arm. Keep your body relaxed, don't tense it. Don't develop into a caricature of a drummer; head bent, neck straining, sticks slightly out of control, cheating on rolls, hands raised too high and occasionally dropping a stick.

Playing drum rudiments are vital to your drumming; mastering these will go a long way toward becoming a creative player. There are 40 rudiments that are considered necessary to good drumming; knowing these will build versatility and strength into your drumming.

Now you can begin to develop your stick technique.

01 kolovoza, 2009

Percussion Drums And Their Users


Drums, and percussion instruments in general, have been a key part of ceremonies, communications, and other uses throughout history. From the Karate Drums of Japan to the Steel Drums of Trinidad and Tobago, drums have reached across cultures and centuries of societal evolution.

Percussion drum sets are a popular component of musical groups across many styles. Individual components of the drum sets are used in orchestral compositions and these drum sets are also used in rock bands. The diversity of the sounds created by the components, both individually and combined, allows the percussion drum set to be both diverse in the genres it’s used in and a stable provider of rhythmic components to a song.

The percussion drum set comes in multiple variations and can be changed to fit the musician’s need. Below are some of the more common percussion drum types in use.

•Bass Drum (Kick Drum) is used predominantly in rock and jazz and has a deep, low sound.

•Crash Cymbals (Hi-Hat) is two matching cymbals that are stacked one above the other and played by either a pedal or by striking with a stick.

•Snare Drum is used in orchestral, band and jazz and is named for the strings stretched across the lower of the two heads.

•Tom Drum is a cylinder drum that does not have a snare and is most commonly used in jazz and rock music.

•Ride Cymbal is a single Cymbal that is positioned at an angle and comes in varying degrees of thickness based on the need of the musician.

•Splash Cymbal is a single cymbal that sits at an angle and is named for the “splash” sound that it makes when struck.

These are some of the more commonly used drums and cymbals used in a percussion drum set and their uses. Each one has its own distinct sound. Due to this, musicians have needed to evolve in order to include the various types of sounds produced by each into their compositions.