The Best Way to Approach Music Theory

To those who may play instruments but never really focused on learning music theory, your hesitation is warranted. The standard method of teaching theory includes all sorts of redundancies and complications that reduce it to a hard-to-apply series of terms and classifications. That being said, theory is still incredibly useful and rewarding if understood. So how do you go about learning it in a simpler and more utilitarian way?

The key is to focus on intervals, and you can find many free music lessons online that will lay them out for you. And understand that when I say focus on intervals, I mean learning their names as well as learning their sounds backwards and forwards. A true understanding of theory means not disconnecting it from sound at any point, but this is hard to do when introduced to scales and other large collections of intervals at once.

You cannot understand how a scale works in theory or in sound until you understand intervals in theory and sound. Scales, chords, and everything else are just collections of intervals; they are not really anything different, and if you know all of the intervals, you know all possible scales.

So to get a very solid knowledge of the intervals you will need to spend a lot of time with them one by one. The best way to do this is to play them on the instrument of your choice, and also sing them. Start with the root to minor second interval and play it in every possible way on your instrument, and then sing it in every different key.

After you’ve got it down a little bit, test yourself by playing a root and singing the minor second. Do whatever exercises you can think of, and after you have the interval mastered, move on to the next one. Just make sure that you practice the root up to the interval sound, and the root down to the interval sound.

When you feel like you have a handle on the single intervals, start combining them into triads and other three note collections and repeat the process. Gradually move up to full scales and you will find that your knowledge of theory and of your particular instrument is on a level that you never could have imagined.

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Composing Music on the Guitar

Composing music on the guitar is something that every composer should become familiar with. In particular, the guitar offers a new perspective on how notes relate and work together compared to that of the piano; the instrument most composers work with. Although the piano is without a doubt the most powerful instrument for music composition, knowing how to compose music on the guitar is a valuable skill as well, and those interested in becoming as knowledgeable about music as possible should study guitar composition in addition to any other instruments.

The reason that most composers focus on the piano is clear; you can play ten or even more notes at once, you can play multiple parts at once with relative ease, and you have a very wide tonal range of multiple octaves. These facts make it easy to experiment with a full arrangement of sounds, where on other instruments you may only be able to play one melody line at a time.

Composers used the piano because it could give them a complete picture of their compositions in a way that no other instrument could. The guitar cannot get quite as much into the realms of playability, but it does offer a few advantages that piano composers are unable to access.

One of the most significant of these is the fact that you can move chord shapes around with great ease on the guitar. A major chord for example can be slid up and down the fretboard without needing to take white notes and black notes into account. On a piano, you can certainly move major chords around, but you have to adjust them for the white and black key differences.

This lack of effort required for moving chord shapes around on the guitar can allow you to use more of those types of chord motions in your compositions. They are a technique not used often by piano players because of the instrumental differences and the general music tradition, which doesn’t often move the same types of chords around a lot.

In addition to these chordal motion differences, the guitar allows you to use alternate techniques such as string bends, legato playing, sliding, and strumming; all of which the piano cannot duplicate. These techniques can help you shape compositions that will greatly differ from the usual piano pieces, and with most other composers using the piano, this can help set you apart.

The guitar simply offers you a different look at the arrangement of musical notes, and this can help you tap into new kinds of melody and harmony. In theory, the more instruments you are familiar with, the more varied your compositions can be, and the more adept you will be at writing for other instruments, so it is a good idea to start learning them. With this in mind, the guitar, and its ability to play both chords and melody, is probably the first place to start.

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How to Teach Group Music Lessons

Teaching group music lessons is a much different activity than normal private lessons. While the end goal is the same, groups require more planning and compromise, and will take some thought and adaptation to get through. Any music teacher who is taking on group lessons for the first time may find them more of a challenge in certain ways, but with the right planning and attitude, they can be successfully managed and quite rewarding in the end.

Most of the issues with teaching a lesson to multiple people arise from the fact that there are different skill levels to deal with. Whether you found the students by getting your name on a music teacher listing, or you work at a music store, your groups will have people of different talents and abilities, and this can be tough to navigate.

What may be easy for someone in the group may be impossible for another, and on top of this, what interests someone in the group may be boring to another. So how do you reconcile these differences? Well, to start out, it’s important to realize that you can’t do it completely.

What you can do is build the right amount of compromise and flexibility into your lesson plans so that everyone gets something out of their time. For example, if you want your students to play a short chord progression in unison, allow the ones incapable of playing chords to just play the bass note. It’s important to just get everyone playing something musical, so they get a taste for it and are motivated to practice.

If you can, it helps to get the students playing music that they like, but this may not always be possible in a class. One strategy that might work is to play a different style each lesson, and you can also try to choose generic pieces that should appeal to just about anyone in the class, no matter their age or tastes.

Something else that can make the lessons fun and interesting is to have a contest between the students to see who can memorize a melody or the notes of the guitar strings. Have a simple reward and get a good natured competition going that will drive the student to practice more and get them enjoying themselves during the lesson.

It may be hard at first to get a group of different students learning the same material, but once you get used to it and find out what works, it can be very fun to teach many new students who may become great musicians some day.

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Exploring Different Styles of Music

Something that has been for the most part lost in today’s music listeners is a will to explore different styles of music. Many people will end up committing to one particular type of music and stick with it through thick and thin. The strange part about this is that there is more opportunity than ever to hear different music genres, but for some reason people have a bias towards what they know and are familiar with. Though it is nice to have a main style to pay attention to, you are missing out on a lot of great music by ignoring others.

One of the most common rebuttals for not listening to a wider variety of music is that people don’t like other styles as a whole, or so they claim. This is probably because they hear a few songs that may not be the best a certain style has to offer and then make a judgment about the whole lot based on it.

In any style of music there will be only a few good artists at the top of the heap, and those are the only ones you should bother with, so to discount a style without taking the time to hear the very best is irresponsible if you want to consider yourself a music lover.

Instead of exploring other styles, many people just end up listening to countless bands in one narrow genre that become simple copies of each other and can offer nothing more than mediocre reminders of what the best of them used to be able to do. There is no reason to start scraping the bottom of the barrel when there is a whole world of music out there waiting to be heard, and plenty of artists in it that are at the top of their game.

People should be more critical and hard to please when it comes to music, because the fact is that there is so much of it out there that you can and should afford to become picky. Your time in this world is valuable, you might as well spend it listening to the best there is.

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Singers Who Sing & Talent Agents Who Book

In the world of the music business, there are truly singers who sing and singers who don't, along with talent booking agents who book and those that couldn't sell cotton candy at the circus. Is it drive, talent or a mystical combination of "factors" that create singers and talent booking agents, or is it yet the pure unexplainable? Let's look at some factors in this article as singers, looking to further their careers, try to find suitable representation.

As a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, I can tell you that there are many factors that determine both effective agents and marketable singers and artists. While there are many explainable factors, there certainly is the element of luck, the right place at the right time and the "Who knows, it just happened," phenomenon. Let's start with what we can determine and hopefully you will gain some insight into what effective booking agents look like and your securing one of them.

To begin with, there are many caliber of booking agents out there. As I've outlined in a previous article on booking talent, that you can find at ReelMusician, there are the order taking agents who book mainly headline acts, the agent who started in some agency somewhere and who branches out starting their own agency booking more of the "has been" acts and the lowest, but not always the least on the totem pole agents. These agents are usually friends of the artist or a manager looking to push their act before a major record deal signing, etc.

With each agent level comes a different approach. The order taking agent, with the larger well known talent agencies, isn't going to be interested in your act unless there is interest and ongoing courting from a major record label. These agents take the "baby" acts and use leverage, with promoters who want the headline act, into a must take the baby act as well deal – And most promoters don't have a problem and understand that this is part of the deal when playing in the big boys club. Unless you have a record deal or are very appealing and are drawing some interest from the labels or a big time manager, you won't find yourself behind the desk of one of these agents. If you are trying to approach the agent at the top of the pyramid, you must recognize that image, packaging, appeal, and your knowing and talking the game to a tee, and not in artsy fartsy language, is going to be key.

I recommend that you really have your act together and don't even begin to bother these individuals, not that they're necessarily the best agents in the game, but certainly have more power and influence from position alone, before approaching them. Your artist bio, pictures, artist demos have to look like there label ready. And before that, you really need to have a manager and a manager working on securing an agent on your behalf.

Again, many more articles on this and other topics can be found at ReelMusician. So, unless you really have your act together, with management in place, don't bother wasting yours or the agent's time.

The next level down the agent totem pole will be not only be easier to gain access to, but easier to gain representation from. The middle line agents are hard working agents who make their bread and butter on the older, end of the product or market shelf life acts. These acts, because of name recognition, can make these agents a significant income. You will have to prove to this agent that you will not take up any more time than any other act that they are promoting. Why should they spend all of their time trying to book your act with nothing or little in return? This is a key question. Ask yourself, as an agent, what do I get out of this? - Phone bills and mailing costs or am I going to see a valid positive cash flow return on all of my time expended on this act? I want you to think about that question and reflect. This alone will help you not only relate, converse knowing their difficulties in booking, but ultimately help you secure a booking agent.

In the game of booking, you as an artist have to have something more than "hip and cool" and a "new" artist sound, but you have to be able to present to the seller, that being your agent, that he or she has something of value to sell with minimal headaches. You can't possibly begin to imagine how hard it is to book some acts – when you start booking your own shows, with vested interest I might ad, you begin to touch on the realities of the agent's day to day barrage of booking complexities. So begin to compile a mental list of positive booking attributes that you or your band can bring to the table.

As you look at either contemplating a manager, or a serious friend who wants a try at booking and management of your act, try to be reasonable in your business relationships. I've said it before, that everyone wants to be a star, but nobody wants to help pay for it. For the most part, artists just expect that booking agents and managers will pick up the exhaustive phone, mailing and press kit bills. You might inquire, if you are really serious about securing a business team, about helping out with some of the initial start-up costs trying to land your act on the map. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and money and just your willingness to help out alone, will tell a manager or booking agent that you are serious and not just "takers." This alone, even if they decline the financial help, may be the key in determining the start of a successful relationship.

In closing, in order for you to succeed, you must remain in front of the masses and this is done not so much musically, but in your day to attitude and business focus and with your professional and well laid out blueprint for success. Feel free to contact us at the contact numbers that follow.

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Software Engineers Develop Biofeedback Method for Singing Lessons

Keeping a beat or staying on-key can be acquired skills. Software engineers have designed a new software package to make that easier, turning your computer into a singing teacher. The system plots the sound waves produced by your vocal cords, allowing you to adjust them to the desired pitch in real time. The system is also being used to treat speech impediments and to help kids learn how to read.

Want to learn to sing? Now, your computer can coach you to carry a tune.

Ashley West is learning to sing and her vocal coach is a computer program called Singing Coach.

Chief technology officer Ken Spiegel works behind the scenes with this new Singing Coach software. Spiegel, Vice President and General Manager of Electronic Learning Products, Inc. in Tampa, Fla., says: "Your vocal chords vibrate. They create a pitch and frequency that's measured by the computer." It's plotted in real-time on a graph and the goal is to stay in the blue box.

"It's great to see the box and visually stay in it," West says.

This software is not just about singing; it's also being used in schools to help kids improve their reading. A study revealed students who used the Singing Coach program for nine weeks improve their reading one to three grade levels. Susan Homan, a professor of literacy at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla., and study author, says, "I have never seen that kind of growth in such a short period of time."

Bekah Bychowski went up two grade levels in her reading skills. "I wasn't stuttering when I was reading books out loud in class."

The singing coach software is now being used in seven schools with kids from fourth grade to high school. There are three versions of the software including kids, family and a professional version. The cost ranges from $30 to $100.

BACKGROUND: Singing Coach software teaches how to sing or improve singing ability, and may even help children with cochlear implants improve their speaking skills.

HOW IT WORKS: The software includes a vocal range analyzer and a pitch tracking line that gives real-time feedback on singers' performances as they sing. This enables them to hear, note for note, exactly where their pitch, rhythm and tempo need to be corrected. The software is easy to install and requires no previous musical training or experience to use. It comes with 20 singing lessons and a high-fidelity headset with a built-in microphone for hands-free singing. At the end of each performance, the software "scores" the singer. Once a skill is mastered, the program graduates the singer to the next level. A more advanced version, Singing Coach Unlimited, offers access to more than 10,000 songs and also allows singers to compose their own songs, and compete with friends to see who can get the highest score.

WHAT IS PITCH: Sound waves are pressure waves. A vibrating object creates a disturbance in the surrounding air, much like a stone cast in a quiet pond will cause waves to ripple outward from the spot where the stone hit. All sound waves have wavelength and frequency. Objects that vibrate very quickly create short wavelengths and a high-pitched sound. Objects that vibrate very slowly create long wavelengths and a low-pitched sound. Frequency measures the speed of vibration in a unit called a Hertz (Hz), and 1 Hz is equivalent to 1 vibration per second. Pluck a string on a guitar, and it might vibrate 500 times per second, so the sound wave's frequency would be 500 Hertz. Pitch simply denotes those frequencies within the range of human hearing (from about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz). The faster the rate of vibration, the higher the pitch; the slower the rate of vibration, the lower the pitch.

PITCH PERFECT: Perfect, or absolute, pitch includes two separate skills: the ability to name a musical tone once it is heard, and the ability to sing a named tone on command. It is sometimes confused with relative pitch: the ability to sing or play accurately given a starting note.

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How to Learn Guitar Tunes

When you first start learning to play the guitar you really want easy to learn guitar tunes to start with. Otherwise it is the equivalent of trying to understand German when you have only learnt the basic words.

By starting with easy to learn guitar tunes you are setting yourself up for a much quicker learning curve and you will find that you will pick up learning the guitar much quicker and easier then without using tunes or songs to base your guitar skills on.

How to find easy to learn guitar tunes?
There have been many books written on easy to learn guitar tunes, usually the book is written from a guitar teachers point of view so you know you are getting great advice on how to pick and learn guitar tunes/songs.

Can I Just Learn Any Guitar Tune?
Yes you could start at any guitar tune and try to learn it, but why would throw yourself in the deep end? You are much better trying to learn an easy guitar tune then starting off on a more advanced tune.

The entire purpose behind easy to learn guitar tunes is that they focus on the basics of learning guitar which ensures that not only are you having fun learning your guitar tunes but you are also building your core guitar skills at the same time.

This will eventually lead to you playing much better guitar and having a better learning experience.

Also when trying to pick an easy to learn guitar tune it is usually best if you can listen to that tune as well as reading the sheet music.

This lets you attack the songs from both angles.

1. You are learning the tune through sheet music so you are getting a feel for how to read guitar sheet music.

2. You are developing your play by ear skills which will be extremely helpful for you later when you are trying to learn the more advanced tunes.

So just remember, when you are looking for easy to learn guitar tunes don't go for just any old tune, pick a nice simple basic tune or riff to start with and build yourself up from there.

If you practice learning tunes each day you will be surprised at how quickly you pick it up.

Final tip: Start with easy to learn guitar tunes.

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How to Record Music With Your Electric Piano

Electric pianos, also called digital pianos are become increasing popular, due to their many benefits. Quality digital pianos now how a sound and feel very close to an acoustic piano. In fact, some digital pianos can rival the best grand pianos in sound quality.

One of the best benefits of digital pianos is their digital output of sound, so it's very easy to record music using just your digital piano and your computer.

Most keyboards and electric pianos have a one quarter inch stereo output. Most computers have a one eighth inch stereo input, so you'll need an adapter. You can get the necessary adapter at Radio Shack or a similar store.

Once you have your electric piano plugged into the microphone port on your computer, you'll need software to record with. Audacity is about as good as you can get. It's free, and supports multiple tracks, plus has many useful effects.

Once you install Audacity, you'll need to adjust your keyboard volume. You can adjust the volume via the Audacity interface or on your keyboard.

To record, just click the record button and start playing...then click stop when you are done. To record multiple tracks, just click record again and play along with the track you already recorded.

If you add acoustic tracks, such as guitar, vocals, drums, etc to your recording, you should use the Noise removal effect on Audacity. This tool is very helpful in removing static and noise from your recordings. It usually won't be necessary for your electric piano, though, since all the recording is digital.

Using your electric piano and Audacity, you can easily create recordings with a "full" band. If you need more voices for your keyboard, you can get midi boxes or software to add 100's of extra voices – everything from drums to flutes.

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Learn Gospel Music Online

What do you do if you've always wanted to learn to play the piano and learn gospel music, but there are no music centers in the area where you live? Learning online may be your next option, but it is important to make sure you find a credible website that will help you develop the right skills at a pace that suits you.

If you do not have easy access to a music center or teacher in your area, but are interesting in learning how to play music on the piano, choosing to pursue lessons online can be just as rewarding. An online course that teaches you how to play piano music and focuses on a particular genre, like jazz or gospel, is ideal. Online courses are great for beginners who want to learn at their own pace without the pressure of weekly lessons to prepare for. Many at-home students find that taking a piano course on the internet is the best way to master the chords and scales most associated with gospel and other popular types of music.

Learning to play online initially may not seem like a good choice because you don't actually have a piano instructor in front of you telling you what to learn next. However, with some motivation and dedication, you can soon be well on your way to playing the gospel music you love. All you need is the right course outline that includes chord charts and other tools that will make learning a breeze.

Gospel music is a genre of music that appeals to so many people because it reminds them of the songs they heard as children. After only a few lessons, you will be able play all your favorites for your family and friends. Lessons that concentrate specifically on gospel music focus on those chords and notes that are played most often in gospel songs and hymns. This way, you can be prepared to play any gospel song with just a little practice.

Hear and Play is the perfect online source for learning to play the piano with proficiency and skill. Our course outlines are designed specifically for students who want to learn independently and have the desire to excel at playing any type of music on the piano. Learn gospel music, pop music, and how to play music by ear using our unique and specialized techniques. Contact Hear and Play at http://www.hearandplay.com/ to learn more.

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Buyers Guide To Electric Guitars

Live rock concerts were the rage in the 70's and they are still the rage. The essence of rock music does not just lie with the lyrics; it also lies with the electric guitar and the various sounds that it can produce. There are so many kids across the block who would give up anything to play like Ritchie Blackmore, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Kirk hammett, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page etc. These men are not just some of the best guitarists of their times, they are legends.

Now if you are interested in learning how to play the guitar then the first thing you will need to buy is a guitar. Most people start with an acoustic and graduate to the electric guitar. It is quite difficult for anyone to choose the right electric guitar since there are hundreds of models and several brands out there in the market. If you are buying an electric guitar then you will need to also buy amplifiers, pick-ups, pick, tuner etc.

Electric guitars are available in a lot of variety, colors, and designs with the aerodynamic designs being one of the most popular. Don't go for the first electric guitar you see. You need to look around a bit and check out the prices and models before you buy one. In fact, one of the best ways to choose a guitar is by the brand or by the style. Here’s our take on the four important styles:

Stratocaster
This certainly is a show stealer and has a typical style. The most famous is the red and white color combination, which was extensively used by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. The Stratocaster is from Fender and has a neck bolted to the guitar body. Apart from this, it has double cutaway sides, 22 frets accompanied by a tremolo system or the wammy bar and three single-coil pickups. Fender designed the first Stratocaster in the early 50’s. Some of the popular designs include:

1. Fender Deluxe Stratocaster: approx $600
2. Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar in Rosewood: Approx $1200
3. Fender Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar in Maple: Approx $400
4. Fender Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar in Rosewood: Approx $600
5. Fender Stratocaster Eric Johnson Signature model: Approx $1800

Telecaster
The Telecaster is another creative instrument from Fenders. It is more than just a guitar it is a complete orchestra. It is a solid body electric guitar and comprises of dual pick-ups. The first Telecaster was manufactured by Leo Fender in the 1940's and has a single cutaway body. It doesn't have the tremolo or wammy bar but has two different single-coil pickups. Some of the popular Telecaster models include:

1. Fender American Telecaster HS guitar: $900-$1000
2. Fender Standard Telecaster Electric Guitar: $400-$500
3. Fender 63 Telecaster Relic Solid Body Electric: $2500-$3000
4. Fender 72 Telecaster Custom Electric Guitar: $700-$800

Les Paul
This is a classic guitar that has been designed by Gibson. The salient feature of a Les Paul's is its set neck construction, which means there are no joints or bolts. The body is a single cutaway and rounded. It is equipped with two humbucker pickups as well as a raised scratch-plate. If you want to play distorted sound then the Les Paul’s will provide you with a varied range of such sound. Some of the legends who use the Les Pauls include Eric Clapton, Kirk Hammett (Metallica) and Slash (ex-G’N’R). Some of the famous Les Paul models include:

1. Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar: $3000-$3500
2. 1959 Les Paul Standard Guitar: $5500-$6000
3. Les Paul Vintage Mahogany Electric Guitar: $700-$800
4. Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar: $1800-$1900

Gibson
Gibson is one of the greatest brands in music and all their guitar models are classic and can't be compared to any. Gibson was actually started in 1902 by Orville Gibson and has been responsible for giving the world some of the best acoustic and electric guitars. Some of the famous models include the arch-top Gibson L5 model, the ES-150 electric, Gibson Explorer, Flying V etc. Some of the legends who have played a Gibson or are still using it include Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Ace Frehley (KISS), Frank Zappa, and Toni Iommi (Black Sabbath) to name a few. Some of the popular Gibson models include:

1. Gibson Flying V Electric Guitar: $500-$600
2. Gibson SG 61 Classic Electric Guitar: $1500-$1600
3. Gibson Faded SG Special Electric Guitar: $550-$600
4. Gibson Explorer Pro Electric Guitar: $1100-$1200

These are the best brands in electric guitar. The other aspects that will help you to pick up a guitar include fretboard, the pick-ups, and the body. Full-bodied guitars are normally preferred as they can produce some of the best sounds that you will ever get to hear.

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Shuffling to the Music

Much as we sometimes fear change, some inexplicable part of the human psyche loves unpredictability. Even those among us who crave order in our homes and office spaces sometimes love to throw caution to the wind and lose our organized selves in a whirlwind of spontaneity. While many of us feel that things should have their place, and be in that same place when we go to look for it as we're running out the door, still we long for the odd surprise to make life just a little more interesting. Perhaps, then, it's little wonder that our favorite iPod tool is the shuffle key.

In the days of the record and tape cassette, our only listening option was a chronological one. And because even our very favorite album usually has a song or two that doesn't quite hit the spot, we always ended up listening to it anyway, skipping the needle over (quite often making horrible scratches in the process that invariably cut through the songs we did like), or pushing blindly on fast forward to get to the tune's other side.


But with the advent of CDs, our options expanded, offering us for the first time a perhaps more playful way of listening. And while CDs undoubtedly offered us greater listening flexibility over their predecessors, portable music had not yet reached its zenith. Now we have the iPod, and the user friendly listening of the CD has been combined with a storage system that allows us carry with us almost as much music as we could ever want.

But with that enormous choice available to us on a daily basis, it can be difficult to know where to begin your listening pleasure. Of course there are always days when you have a hankering for a particular song, but when the music stored comprises all your own personal favorites, how do you choose? Perhaps that's why the iPod's shuffle option is one of the device's best loves features.

So much so that Apple, the company who make the iPod, have produced a version of their digital music player that's quite descriptively called, yes, you guessed it, the Shuffle. Realizing that the feature was one of the iPod's most popular, they came up with a music player that assumes this mode by default. You can still store all the music you like on the new iPod version, only now you don't have to choose which song to play – the Shuffle plays your music randomly, so you are always treated to that element of surprise.

Now the unpredictability that keeps us on our toes can be a part of your life every day. Shuffle to the music!

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Digital Voice Recorders for Your Busy Lifestyle

Using digital voice recorders in every day life has become so commonplace that most people do not even give it a second thought. There are dozens of reasons both professional and personal to use digital voice recorders, whether you need to record important business conversations or just want to have a good time with your friends.

One of the smallest of the digital voice recorders also happens to be one of the largest capacity voice recorders on the market. It is capable of recording up to one hundred-forty hours continuously. And the features on the great little unit go on and on. Not only are they digital voice recorders, but they have a stereo FM radio, and a time and date stamp, Plus they are voice activated, have a flash memory, and can be used as a cell phone recording detector and they also have a land phone recording connector, just to name a few. There is even a dot matrix LCD with blue back light and automatic microphone sensitivity. Couple all of that with a lapel microphone, stereo earphones, and a USB connector cable and you will have everything you need for many hours of great digital recording.

All of this operates on just two "AAA" batteries. Another great feature on these digital voice recorders is that you can timer record up to three programs by day, by week or by date. They also have three speeds in which to play back your recording. What more could you need or want?

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Digital Video Recorders

Digital video recorders (DVR) are recording equipment that can record and store digital video on a computer. These can record audio as well as video data from multiple sources.

A DVR is basically a hard drive that can be connected to the computer and to other video sources such as a VCR. It has a tuner which captures the signal using a cable, antenna, or a satellite. The analog signals are compressed and converted into digital signals, which are then stored on the hard drive. A built-in MPEG-2 decoder converts the digital signal back into analog signal when it has to reach the television for viewing. Each DVR has an operating system within the hard drive.

There are several advantages to digital video recorders. They do not require a recording medium like tapes, as the data is stored on the DVR itself. Another main advantage is that the recording and playback can be done at the same time. Using this, even a live program on the TV can be paused, in the sense that the program can be recorded on the DVR and then viewed instead of the live program. However, the space within a DVR is limited, which is its main disadvantage. DVRs also have a live-TV buffer that keeps them in a constant recording mode for an hour or more.

Another interesting feature of DVRs is their search tool, which allows searching of a particular program by name of the program, name of the actors, or even by keywords. Some DVRs can be programmed to record some programs that have certain words in them. DVRs have recording capacities ranging from thirty hours to 320 hours. This also depends on the quality of the stored files.

The main categories of digital video recorders are TiVo, ReplayTV, and UltimateTV. Some of the top manufacturers of digital video recorders are LG, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, RCA, Samsung, Sonic Blue, and Sony. Prices range from $600 to $1,200 or more, depending on the brand, the model, and the options provided.

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How To Plug A Guitar Or Bass Into A Computer

Every town throughout the world has one or two fully dedicated aspiring guitarists and bassists. These disciplined folks spend countless hours improving their craft. Their local musician community is made up of a small group of less-dedicated folks and people with divergent tastes in music. To the truly passionate musician, sometimes this can be frustrating. The dedicated guitarists and bassists of these communities have often surpassed the ability of local teachers, and are thus on their own following their musical heroes. Although guitar tab books and guitar lesson DVDs help, trial and error becomes the primary method.

If you are one such individual, there is a musician resource that you may have overlooked: the Internet. Now, please don't misunderstand. I know that you have already found out about the internet. You use the internet every day and you have probably found countless guitar tab sites, guitar lesson sites, band classified sites and the like. You have learned a lot on the internet. Your eyes have found the Internet, but has your music?

When you connect your instrument to your computer, you connect your music to the rest of the worldwide community of musicians. Out there on the internet, unlike in your home town, are many many people just like you, who want to hear your music. They are as dedicated as you, they are into the same music, they are your peers without question, and they want to hear what you are working on.

This article teaches you how to plug your guitar or bass right into your computer, to start sharing your musical ability with the world-wide internet music community. We are assuming that you have an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar with a pickup.

Overview

Turn your computer around and look at the back of it. You should see a walkman-style mini headphone jack in one of the shiny steel plates back there. Actually, you should see 3 mini jacks. If you look closely, they have little etched pictures next to them. One is a picture of a mic, one is a picture of headphones, and the other some picture you don't know what it is. The one that is not mic and not headphones is the line-in jack. Your guitar has a 1/4 inch cable that is too big to fit into this mini headphone jack. So, you will need an adapter that will convert the quarter inch jack to a mini jack. You can find this sort of adapter at your local electronics shop. In the U.S., Radio Shack is your best bet.

The following are three scenarios that describe how to plug your instrument into your computer.

Average Situation

Here's the deal: your guitar is supposed to plug into the line-in jack. But your guitar is not loud enough to play direct into a line-in. So you have to put an effects pedal with a volume control in between the PC and your guitar. That way you can give your guitar enough of a volume boost to hear it well on your PC.

Poor Situation

If you don't have an effects pedal, or something else to give your guitar a slight volume boost, then the line-in method won't work. Your guitar will be too quiet. If this is the case, you will need to plug your guitar into the mic jack instead. The guitar is too loud for a mic jack. So, you will have to turn the guitar down for it to record properly. Even then, it won't sound too good. Computer mic jacks just don't sound good. But, it works.

Ideal Situation

Ideally, here is what you want to do: get a mixer, plug your guitar into your amp, mic the amp in a sound-proof room. Turn it up really loud. Mix your effects into the signal at the mixer, and plug the mixer line out into the line in of your computer. If you have all the equipment for this, then I would suggest you get one more item: a studio-quality audio card. These cards have improved circuitry and software that will significantly improve the sound of your records and the flexibility of your system.

I hope this article has been helpful to you and that your music inspires and fulfills you throughout a long and happy career. I also hope that you will join a musician community on the internet and get as much satisfaction out of it as I have.

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Careers In Music Education

The information contained in this article about pay rates is general in nature and will vary depending on where you live.

Thinking of a career in music education and want to know your options and how to prepare for it? Here's a guide to help you map out a career path.

* Studio Teacher - You have the option of putting up your own studio, franchising or working as one of the studio teachers at an already established school. A knowledge in music and performance is required as well as good teaching skills. A degree is not always required for this position but you must have excellent training in both areas of music and teaching. Earning opportunities will vary based on location and qualifications, with some earning as much as $100 an hour.

* Early Childhood Music Educator - Aside from possessing knowledge in music and performance, music teachers for young children must also be patient, understanding and creative. A knowledge of the music curriculum standards of your state or country is also essential. Salary varies based on your location and qualifications, with some earning as much as $60 per hour.

* School Music Educator - A background in music and performance is always a must. You must be personable, motivated and a continuous learner. A teacher's certificate and a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education is also required. Some earn as much as $70,000 a year depending on your location and qualifications.

* Music Consultant/Supervisor - You must have extensive knowledge in music, teaching and the current trends in both areas. You must be a good decision maker and adviser. An advanced music degree and a good background in teaching is required. Some music consultants/supervisors earn as much as $70,000 a year, again depending on qualifications and location.

* Music Professor - Aside from all the other qualifications mentioned above, a doctoral degree or its equivalent is required. Depending on your location and career background, one can earn as much as $150,000 per year.

* University Music School Administrator - An extensive background in music and teaching is required. You must possess leadership skills and must have a good background as a music professor. Salaries can be as much as $180,000 a year based on qualifications and location.

about.com

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Choosing A Music Teacher For Your Child or Yourself

If your child is the one interested in music, it is especially important to find a good teacher. Making a careful and informed selection of a music teacher helps to insure that your investment in music lessons yields the highest possible returns. You want a teacher who will inspire you or your child and help instill a lifelong love of music.

The teacher closest to where you live, or the one, who charges the least, is not necessarily the best choice. Base your selection on compatibility of goals and personalities, a feeling of trust and, most importantly, the ability of the professional to meet your individual needs.

Ask about short and long-term objectives, instructional materials and if the teacher uses a particular teaching method. Discuss with the prospective teacher, the requirements for daily practice and performance opportunities.

Teachers should have definite objectives and teaching techniques, and should be able and willing to explain them to you.

Parental support in the learning process is vital. Whether or not you know anything about music, make time to listen to your child play, provide a quality instrument and practice space, encourage them to practice, and celebrate their continued accomplishments.

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Popular Movie Musicals for Children

Children love movies, especially if there's a lot of catchy tunes and movement involved. If you have a child who is musically inclined, one of the easiest things to do to nurture her gift is to expose her to good musical movies. Not only will she learn something, she will also have fun watching it. Here is a list of "Popular Movie Musicals for Kids". It is a mix of new and classic movie musicals the whole family will enjoy.

The Sound of Music
Considered one of the best screen musicals ever made, the Sound of Music is the story of Maria, a young nun who left the convent and was sent to work as a governess to 7 high-spirited children. There she meets their widowed father, Captain Von Trapp, a naval officer who runs his family military style. Amidst the political chaos, Maria and Captain Von Trapp find themselves falling in love. With beautiful, timeless music, this is a must-see.

Mary Poppins
This is the story of two children, Jane and Michael, whose lives drastically changed upon the arrival of their new nanny, Mary Poppins. This magical nanny transforms the lives of these two unruly children and their busy parents. Songs in this film will surely delight kids of any age.

The Wizard of Oz
The story of a girl named Dorothy who was whisked away from her hometown by a tornado and transported to a strange place called Oz. Here she meets strange creatures and find some real friends along the way. A classic adventure filled with memorable tunes your child will love.

Annie
This classic story of a red-haired orphan girl named Annie will surely delight children of any age. She sings of her dreams to break away from her life in the orphanage that is run by a very strict matron. Annie wins over the affection of a billionaire who eventually adopts her. The songs featured here are catchy and adorable, kids will love it.

Singin' in the Rain
Features the very talented Gene Kelly and his unforgettable song "Singin' in the Rain". This movie is funny, has lots of lively song and dance numbers, great characters and a heart-warming story the whole family would love to watch.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
I watched this movie when I was very young and yet the music stayed with me. This movie features Dick Van Dyke who drives a car that can magically fly. Stir up your child's imagination and love of music with this delightful classic.

Blue's Clues - Blue's Big Musical Movie
Every child's favorite little blue dog, Blues Clues, is featured in this film filled with songs and dances. This movie will enthrall kids as they learn and realize that it's okay to be themselves.

Dora the Explorer - Move to the Music
Our favorite bilingual little girl, Dora, featured in this movie with interactive songs and musical instruments that will challenge your child to think.

Sesame Street - Elmopalooza
An all star celebration of Sesame Street's 30 years of song and dance. Features our favorite Sesame Street characters, their memorable songs and a star-studded cast singing catchy tunes. A trip back to memory lane for adults and a welcome treat for children.

Barbie of Swan Lake
The story of Odette who was transformed into a swan by an evil wizard. This movie features Barbie as Odette and is based on the music of Tchaikovsky and the classic fairy tale. With colorful characters, beautiful costumes, memorable music and ballet, your little girl will surely be transfixed.

High School Musical 2 - The Movie
In this much anticipated sequel of High School Musical we once again meet the original characters as they mesmerize us with song and dance numbers intertwined with a well-written script. Fun, energetic and with a romantic twist to boot, this movie will appeal to viewers of any age.

Espie Estrella

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How To Make Money as a Musician

If you're going to go full time as a musician, you're clearly going to need to make some cash. How can you make money as a musician without resorting to heading back to your day job? It can take a little creativity as your getting your music career off the ground. These ideas will get you started.

Here's How:

1. Play Live:

Playing live is an obvious choice when it comes to making money as a musician. You can make money through show guarantees, door split deals or even passing around a tip jar. Of course, if you don't have much a proven track record when it comes to pulling in an audience, you're not in a great position to demand large fees. Building up to this will take time. Every little bit helps, though, and even if you go home with $15, take the long term view and treat each low paying gig as a step towards increasing your earning potential. Selling merch can help a lot, which brings up to our next point...

2. Sell Your Music:

Well, duh, you think. Of course you should sell your music, but the trick here is to make sure your fans don't have to look far to find it. Digital distribution is a must, whether you go through an aggregator that places your music all over the net for you or if you approach services on your own, one by one. Selling music at shows is also important. You can sell CD-Rs at shows, as long as you price them accordingly and make it clear that they are CD-Rs when you sell them. If you're pressing physical copies, check out your local record shops to get them in on consignment (some shops also accept CD-Rs).

3. Sell Merch:

Diversifying what you have to sell will boost your earning potential. This doesn't mean get 5000 t-shirts made at some price that will make your credit card weep. Make your own t-shirts, buttons/badges, stickers and so on and sell them at your shows and on your website. Merch does especially well at shows, after your fans have just seen you play and are all caught up in the spirit, and as long as you keep your overhead down, merch can give your income a nice little boost.

4. Play Other People's Music:

The talents that you hope will allow you to make a career out of playing music can help you make ends meet until the day you get to play your songs exclusively. Session musician work for other musicians can help you bridge the financial gap and make some extra money. As a bonus, you'll be honing your own skills and meeting people who can create opportunities for you.

5. Musical Odd Jobs:

OK, so the point here is to move away from your day job, but if you need to make some extra money, doing something music related - even if it doesn't specifically involve YOUR music - is a good choice. Much like working as a session music, the idea here is to use your knowledge and talents to help other musicians (and get paid for it). Are you a great producer? Get some studio work. Are you a pro at booking shows? Do it for other musicians. Got design skills? Do cover art or websites for musicians or music related businesses. Tap into your music skills to put some extra money in your pocket.

Tips:

1. Promotion, Promotion, Promotion:

Your ability to make a living as musician depends A LOT on your ability to promote your music. You've to make sure people know about your music, where they can get it, when you are playing and so on. Not sure where to begin?

2. Protect Your Assets:

It's pretty easy to get taken for a ride in the music industry, so it's always a good idea to get things in writing. If you don't understand a particular deal, seek advice before putting pen to paper. Putting things in writing doesn't have to involve huge lawyer bills.

Heather McDonald

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Musical Training Boosts Brain Growth

Research has revealed significant differences in the gray matter distribution between professional musicians trained at an early age and non-musicians, as presented today at the American Academy of Neurology's 53rd Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. The musicians in the study had more relative gray matter volume in left and right primary sensorimotor regions, the left more than the right intraparietal sulcus region, the left basal ganglia region and the left posterior perisylvian region, with pronounced differences also seen in the cerebellum bilaterally.

"We were interested to know whether intense environmental demands such as musical training at an early age influenced actual brain growth and development," comments study leader Gottfried Schlaug, MD, PhD. Results of this cross-sectional study may indicate use-dependent brain growth or structural plasticity of gray matter volume in response to such demands during a critical period of brain maturation. "An alternative explanation may be that these musicians were born with these differences, which may draw them toward their musical gifts." Fifteen male professional musicians and 15 age and gender matched non-musicians were included in the study conducted by neurologist Schlaug and Gaser Christian, PhD, of Germany, at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. Using a magnetic resonance imaging sequence, they compared high resolution anatomical datasets of the professional musicians' and non-musicians' brains on a voxel-by-voxel basis using SPM99 software.

"Musicians typically commence training at an early age, making them ideal subjects for this type of investigation," notes Schlaug. These presumed cerebral adaptations may not only lead to modifications of functional sensory and motor maps, but may also lead to structural adaptations within the sensorimotor system.

"However," Schlaug concludes, "additional study is necessary to confirm causal relationships between intense motor training for a long period of time and structural changes in motor and non-motor related brain regions." Schlaug is continuing this study to identify areas of the brain that are different, and to determine if training and experience create the differences.

Kate Melville

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Musical Training Might Be Good For The Heart

Musical training might be good for the heart, suggests a small study, which shows that it is musical tempo, rather than style, that is the greatest stress buster. The findings, published ahead of print in Heart, are based on various aspects of breathing and circulation, in 24 young men and women, taken before and while they listened to short excerpts of music.

Half of those taking part were trained musicians, who had been playing instruments for at least seven years. The remainder had had no musical training. Each participant listened to short tracks of different types of music in random order, for 2 minutes, followed by the same selection of tracks for 4 minutes each. A 2 minute pause was randomly inserted into each of these sequences.
Participants listened to raga (Indian classical music), Beethoven's ninth symphony (slow classical), rap (the Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Vivaldi (fast classical), techno, and Anton Webern (slow "dodecaphonic music").

Faster music, and more complex rhythms, speeded up breathing and circulation, irrespective of style, with fast classical and techno music having the same impact. But the faster the music, the greater was the degree of physiological arousal. Similarly, slower or more meditative music had the opposite effect, with raga music creating the largest fall in heart rate.

But during the pauses, all the indicators of physiological arousal fell below those registered before the participants started to listen to any of the tracks.

This effect occurred, irrespective of the musical style or preferences of the listener, but was stronger among the musicians, who are trained to synchronise their breathing with musical phrases.

Passive listening to music initially induces varying levels of arousal, proportional to the tempo, say the authors, while calm is induced by slower rhythms or pauses.

They suggest that this could therefore be helpful in heart disease and stroke. Other research has shown that music can cut stress, improve athletic performance, improve movement in neurologically impaired patients, and even boost milk production in cattle.

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