Sunday, February 28, 2010

Family Friendly Xbox 360 Games - 5 Family Friendly Xbox 360 Games That Your Whole Family Will Love

The video game industry has taken a fair amount of criticism over the years for its violent content and for the time that the kids waste in front of the tv, isolated from their family. These 5 family friendly xbox 360 games are not only games that you can feel comfortable with your kids playing, but also games that you can enjoy playing with them.

Beautiful Katamari - Rated E for Everyone

For the first time on a non-Playstation console, Beautiful Katamari brings it's wacky, whimsical game play to the Xbox 360. Beautiful Katamari is a simple, addictive game that is fun for the whole family. The game consists of players rolling a large sticky ball called the katamari around the screen in order to pick up a variety of different items. If you are familiar with previous versions of the game, you will be very familiar with the gameplay, but if you are new to the series you and your family will be in for a treat.

Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action - Rated T for Teen

If you are looking for a change in pace from the many first person shooter games out in the market now you may want to consider Scene it? Lights, Camera, Action. Based on the Scene It? DVD game franchise, this trivia game makes its debut on the Xbox 360. The game comes with unique buzzer controllers to play the game. The game focuses on movie trivia questions and games are filled with movie clips, puzzles and multiple play modes called Party Play and Play Now. Party Play is a casual gaming mode, while Play Now is the more competitive version. While the game may not be as enjoyable for younger children, movie and trivia buffs should love the game. It is a unique game to add to your Xbox 360 collection.

Rock Band - Rated T for Teen

Rock Band is one of the hot releases of the 2007 Christmas season. Rock Band could be considered four games in one as it allows you to live out your fantasy of being a rock star by playing guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Rock Band consists of some of the hottest rock songs from the past 40 years. The concept of the game is similar to karaoke except it introduces the other pieces of the band into the game as well. The game consists of a guitar controller, drum controlled and microphone making it a bit more expensive then some games. Due to the nature of the game and the music in the game, the game is rated T for Teen. If you and your family are looking to try something new, Rock Band will be a lot of fun. Imagine dad on the lead guitar and mom on vocals, reliving their rock and roll fantasies from the 70's, being joined by the kids on drums and bass guitar for an evening of family fun. Rock on!

Viva Pinata - Rated E for Everyone

Viva Pinata is a popular animated kids television show, brought to life in a video game. The colorful 3d graphics will blow you away. From the look of the game you may originally think that this is a simple, fun game that only kids would love, but you will soon learn how wrong you are. Viva Pinata is a surprisingly deep strategy game as well. The game will allow you to start with a basic plot of land and grow it into a lively, working ecosystem. There are so many ways to play the game and so many different strategies. You and your family are sure to get hours and hours of entertainment out of this deep game.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - Rated E10+ for Ages 10+

Legos, the complete Star Wars series and video games, what could be a better recipe for fun for the entire family? Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is a game that is fun and easy for the whole family to get into. It is based on all six episodes of the Star Wars series. It allows you to play through each of the six episodes of the Star Wars series by retelling each of the stories in a humorous and unique style with puzzle solving and vehicle based gameplay. You might think that a game based on Lego figures would be purely a kids game. While Lego Star Wars is easy for kids to play, it's perfect blend of action and humor make it an extremely enjoyable game for adults as well. The game gives you the ability to tear apart different parts of the Lego Star Wars universe and put them back together in true Lego style. It also allows you to play with another person on screen so it is a great game for parents who grew up during the original Star Wars years to play with their kids who have just watched the newer trilogy. If you have yet to play any of the original Lego Star Wars games then this is a must have for your video game library, while veterans of the series should find enough improvements to enjoy this title as well.

If you are looking for some games to add to your home that are fun for both you and your family, any of these 5 family friendly xbox 360 games would be a welcome addition to your home. So why not start a family game night and enjoy any or all of these games.

dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Quartet Doloroso "Glad To Be Unhappy"

New York based Jazz Quartet (alto sax, guitar, bass, drums) Quartet Doloroso's version of the song "Glad To Be Unhappy". Guitar; Morris Acevedo (www.morrisacevedo.com Bass; Jeremy Stratton (www.jeremystratton.com Sax; Dave Pietro (www.davepeitro.com Filmed from the audience at a live performance at the Grassroots in the East Village. Quartet Doloroso is a band that pay homage to the Paul Desmond Quartet which also featured Guitarist Jim Hall in the mid 1960s.

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Friday, February 26, 2010

DETROIT SOCIAL CLUB - RIVERS AND RAINBOWS

DETROIT SOCIAL CLUB, Debut single, RIVERS AND RAINBOWS, David Burn - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Production/Songs. Dale Knight - Keys, Guitar, Bass. David Welsh - Guitars. Johnny Bond - Guitars, Sitar, Noises. Chris mccourtie - Bass, Guitars. David Green - Drums/Percussion, newcastle upon tyne,...

Guitar-StoryMusic

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Guitar Accessories? Which Ones Do I Need To Buy For My Guitar?

There are a number of guitar accessories that you might want to buy for your guitar. Guitar accessories are relatively cheap and if you are buying a guitar, you might be able to pick up a good deal if you want to buy a number of accessories as well.

Here is a list of guitar accessories to consider (in order of the most popular):

Guitar bag or case
Guitar tuner/pitch pipe
Guitar strings
Effects pedals/Foot Switches
Amplifiers
Guitar stands
Plectrums (also known as picks)
Guitar Leads/Cables
Guitar straps
Guitar Capo
Guitar Slide
Headphones
Metronome
Cleaning and maintenance (polish, nut file set, wrench set, fret file set)
Footstool
Stringwinder (also known as a pegwinder)
Straplok set
Power adaptor for effects pedals

Guitar Bags and Cases

If you plan on gigging a lot or travelling on planes/trains etc. I recommend buying a guitar case, otherwise a padded gig bag will do just fine. The Kinsman guitar cases and guitar bags are a very good quality and are also one of the most popular. The Kinsman guitar bags come in three grades.

1) Standard - hardly any padding and one small pouch for music books and accessories

2) Deluxe - quite well padded, with two pouches

3) Premium - extremely well padded, with large and small pouches and a shoulder strap.

The Kinsman guitar cases are made for Stratocasters, Telecasters, Les Paul shape, electric, acoustic or bass guitars.

Guitar tuner/pitch pipe

There are hundreds of guitar tuners to choose from on the market. The best brands in order of popularity* are:


Korg
Stagg
Yamaha
Intelli
Seiko
Qwik Tune
Boss
Ibanez

The two guitar tuners that stand out from the rest are the Stagg Automatic Guitar/Bass Tuner and the Korg GA-30. These two guitar tuners are sold more than any other guitar tuner on the market.

Guitar strings

It's always wise to have a spare set of guitar strings to hand. You never know when one will brake and leave you in a difficult situation.
You will need to buy steel strings for electric, bass or acoustic guitars and nylon strings for classical, Spanish or Flamenco guitars

Here is a list of the top brands of guitar strings, in order of popularity*:


Ernie Ball
D'addario
Martin
Fender
Elixir
GHS
Augustine
Earthwood
Dan electro
Gibson
Markley
Newtone
Savarez
Rotosound
Darco
Dean
Elites
Thomastick
Tonesearch
Maxima
Warwick
Rickenbacker
PRS
Legacy
John Pearse
DR

Effects pedals

For some groovy sounds you will need to buy an effects pedal. The two most popular are the Jim Dunlop GCB-95 Original Cry Baby Wah Wah Effects Pedal and the Ibanez Tone-Lok Series SM7 Smash Box Effects Pedal.

Here is a list of the top brands in order of popularity*:


Ibanez
Jim Dunlop
Korg
DigiTech
Vox
MXR
Yamaha
Dan electro

Amplifiers

Amplifiers are used with electric guitars, bass guitars and electro-acoustic guitars.
You will need to buy a lead to connect up to your guitar.
There are many types of guitar amplifiers ranging from the smallest which is normally 10 watts up to 500 watts! or more:

Practice amps (these are normally quite small)

Standard amps (used for playing in bands or gigging)

Bass amps (used only with bass guitars)

Keyboard amps (used with electronic keyboards and stage pianos)

Mixer amps

Speakers and Monitors

Combo amps (also known as combination amplifiers)

Amp heads

Which brand of Amplifier do I choose?

There are a number of brands of guitar amplifiers, here is a list in order of the most popular*:

Marshall

Fender

Vox

Peavey

Laney

Line 6

Mesa Boogie

Kustom

Crate

Carlsbro

Ashdown

BB Blaster

Yamaha

Warwick

Dean

Crafter

Cruiser

Danelectro

All guitar amplifiers sound different. Some (like Marshall and Line 6) are good for Rock and Roll, others have a softer and less bright sound like the popular Vox amps and Mesa Boogie.

For beginners, I would recommend either the Peavey Backstage or the BB10 blaster amp.
The Peavey Backstage is by far the most popular and best value for money beginner's guitar amp on the market.

Guitar stands or Guitar Hangers

There are lots of different types of guitar stands, it really depends on which stand is more suited to you.
There is the standard guitar stand, the universal guitar stand, the auto grab guitar stand, the double and triple guitar stand and the wall mounted guitar stand. The standard guitar stand is the most popular and comes in three different types: i) electric/bass, ii) classical and iii) universal.

The most popular* brands are:

Stagg

Hercules

QuikLok

Giraffe

Warwick

Fender

String Swing

Ibanez

Plectrums (also known as picks)

Plectrums are very cheap and can be bought individually, or in packs.
Most commonly you can buy plectrums on the web in packs of 6.
Guitar plectrums come in different gauges. Usually the thinner ones are
used with Classical, Spanish or Flamenco guitars, the medium gauges with Electric and Acoustic guitars and the thickest ones with Basses.

There are lots of brands of plectrums. The most popular* are:


Stagg
Jim Dunlop
Fender
Gibson

Guitar Leads/Cables

Guitar Leads normally come in different lengths: The most common is the 15 feet/4.5 metre leads. This length is ample if you are playing in a band.

Popular* brands of guitar leads/cables are:


Ibanez
Peavey
Stagg

Guitar straps

If you want to buy a gift for a guitarist, there is nothing better than a nice leather guitar strap.

Levys and Gibson are the most famous brands of guitar straps, Levys have the most comprehensive selection.
Other guitar straps to look out for are Dickies and Wrangler.

Guitar Capo

A capo is a clamp that you can use on different frets of the guitar to change the pitch of the open strings. Each fret on the guitar is a half step. If you place the capo on the 1st fret, all of the open strings will sound a semi-tone higher than normal, this makes changing the key of a song easy.
Dunlop and Shubb are the most popular* guitar capos.

Guitar Slide

The guitar slide is a tube of some hard material about one to two inches long. Commonly, it's made from glass and metals. Each type of guitar slide has distinct characteristics, tonality, and overall sound. The guitar slide is pressed lightly against the strings so as not to touch the strings of the fret, producing a sustained tone which can be varied in pitch by moving the slide across the neck. A quick side-to-side motion is often used in this way to generate vibrato.
The most popular brand to go for is Dunlop.

Headphones

If you want to play at home but don't want to disturb your neighbours, then a good set of headphones is recommended.
Any headphones will do, so take your pick from any of the following leading brands:


Acer
Acoustic Research
Advance
Advent
Aiwa
AKG
Alpine
Altec Lansing
Amphony
Apple
Artwizz
Audio-Technica
Behringer
Belkin
Beyerdynamic
Bluetake
BoomGear
Bose
Bravo
British Telecom
Clarion
Compucessory
Cornbow
Creative Labs
Denon
Design Go
Direct Sound
Dolphin Music
Etymotic Research
Fostex
Franklin
Gainward
Gemini Sound Products
Genius
GN Netcom
Grado
Griffin Technology
Grundig
Hama
Harman Kardon
Hewlett Packard
Jensen
JVC
Jwin
Kenwood
Kinyo
Kondor Limited
Koss
Labtec
Logic 3
Logitech
Macally
Maxell
Ministry Of Sound
MM Gear
Nady Systems
Nesa Vision
Nike
Numark
Olympus
Panasonic
Philips
Pioneer
Plane Quiet
Plantronics
Power Acoustik
Pyle
Pyramid
Roland
Rosen
Samson
Sanyo
Sennheiser
Shure
Skull Candy
Sony
Stagg
Stanton
Starvision
Technics
Toshiba
Trust
Ultimate Ears
Ultrasone
Unwired
Vestax
Vic Firth
Vivanco
Wharfedale
XO Vision
XtremeMac
Yamaha
Zalman Tech

Metronome

If you want to play your guitar in time then you are going to need to buy a metronome.
You can choose from modern electronic metronomes or traditional mechanical metronomes.
Traditional metronomes look very nice and are made from either plastic or wood, they are also known as pendulum metronomes because the ticking sound is produced by a small pendulum that swings back and forth, much like the old Grandfather clocks. The Traditional wooden or plastic metronomes tend to be a lot more expensive than the electronic metronomes.

The leading metronome brands in order of popularity* are:

Wittner

Korg

Yamaha

Seiko

Qwik Time

Cleaning and maintenance (polish, nut file set, wrench set, fret file set)

To look after your guitar you will need to at least buy some guitar polish. Gibson produce a good guitar polish and also Doctor Ducks Axe Wax is very popular.
If you are serious about guitar playing then you might want to have a nut file, fret file or wrench set. You can keep your guitar in top playing condition.

Footstool

The guitar footstool is used mainly by Classical, Spanish or Flamenco guitarists.
Their style of playing and the way they hold the guitar makes the use of a footstool quite important.

Stringwinder (also known as a pegwinder)

If you have lots of guitars, own a guitar shop, or tune guitars on a regular basis, the guitar stringwinder comes in handy as a real time saver. Instead of turning the guitar pegs by hand, you can use the stringwinder to speed up the process.

Straplok set

For replacing the bolt that holds on your guitar strap.

Power adaptor for effects pedals

If you use effects pedals then you will need a power adaptor to connect to the mains.

*Please note that the above article makes references to guitar accessories listed in popularity order. The popularity order of these guitar accessories is taken from http://www.Soundsmusical.com - the leading UK musical instrument website.

I hope this article has been useful and you are now more informed about guitar accessories.

If you are ready to buy some guitar accessories you can find a comprehensive selection here: Guitar accessories, tuners, bags, cases, guitar strings, stands and more...

dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sheet Music

Modern sheet music comes in many different formats including the recent invention of digital sheet music (often downloadable in the .PDF Portable Digital Format) and it can be argued that at least in the Western world what was known as printed music is now moving away from the paper format. Sheet music is different to Tablature (a.k.a Tab or Tabulature) is a form of musical notation, which tells players where to place their fingers on a particular instrument rather than which pitches to play.

If a piece is composed for just one instrument / voice (such as a piano or an a cappella song), the whole work may be written or printed as a piece of sheet music. If an instrumental piece is intended to be performed by more than one person, each performer will usually have a separate piece of sheet music, called a part, to play from. This is especially the case in the publication of works requiring more than four or so performers, though invariably a full score is published as well. The sung parts in a vocal work are not usually issued separately today, although this was historically the case, especially before music printing made sheet music widely available.

Sheet music can be issued as individual pieces or works (e.g. a popular song or a Mozart sonata), in collections (e.g. example works by one or several composers), as pieces performed by a certain artist etc.

When the separate instrumental and vocal parts of a musical work are printed together, the resulting sheet music is called a score. Conventionally, a score consists of musical notation with each instrumental or vocal part in vertical alignment (meaning that concurrent events in the notation for each part are orthographically arranged). The term score has also been used to refer to sheet music written for only one performer. The distinction between score and part applies when there is more than one part needed for performance.

Scores come in various formats:

• A full score is a book showing the music of all instruments and voices in a composition lined up in a fixed order. It is large enough for a conductor to be able to read it while conducting rehearsals and performances.

• A miniature score is like a full score but reduced in size. It is too small for practical use but handy for studying a piece of music, whether for a large ensemble or a solo performer. A miniature score may contain some introductory remarks.

• A study score is sometimes the same size as (and often indistinguishable from) a miniature score, except in name. Some study scores are octavo size and are thus somewhere between full and miniature score sizes. A study score, especially when part of an anthology for academic study, may include extra comments about the music and markings for learning purposes.

• A piano score (a.k.a. piano reduction) is a more or less literal transcription for piano of a piece intended for many performing parts, especially orchestral works; this can include purely instrumental sections within large vocal works (see vocal score below). Such arrangements are made for either piano solo (two hands) or piano duet (one or two pianos, four hands). Extra small staves are sometimes added at certain points in piano scores for two hands in order to make the presentation more complete, though it is usually impractical or impossible to include them while playing. As with vocal score s (below), it takes considerable skill to reduce an orchestral score to such smaller forces because the reduction needs to be not only playable on the keyboard but also thorough enough in its presentation of the intended harmonies, textures, figurations, etc. Sometimes markings are included to show which instruments are playing at given points.

While piano scores are usually not meant for performance outside of study and pleasure (Liszt's concert transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies being a notable exception), ballets get the most benefit most from piano scores because with one or two pianists they allow unlimited rehearsal before the orchestra is absolutely needed. They can be used also to train conductors. Piano scores of operas do not include separate staves for the vocal parts, but they may add the lyrics and stage directions above the music.

• A vocal score (a.k.a. piano-vocal score) is a reduction of the full score of a vocal work (e.g. opera, musical, oratorio, cantata etc.) to show the vocal parts (solo and choral) on their staves and the orchestral parts in a piano reduction (usually for two hands) underneath the vocal parts; the purely orchestral sections of the score are also reduced for piano. If a portion of the work is a cappella, a piano reduction of the vocal parts is often added to aid in rehearsal (this often is the case with a cappella religious sheet music). While not meant for performance, vocal scores serve as a convenient way for vocal soloists and choristers to learn the music and rehearse separately from the instrumental ensemble. The vocal score of a musical typically does not include the spoken dialogue, except for cues.

• The related (but less common) choral score contains the choral parts with no accompaniment.

• The comparable organ score exists as well, usually in association with church music for voices and orchestra, such as arrangements of Handel's Messiah. It is like the piano-vocal score in that it includes staves for the vocal parts and reduces the orchestral parts to be performed by one person. Unlike the vocal score, the organ score is sometimes intended by the arranger to substitute for the orchestra in performance if necessary.

• A collection of songs from a given musical is usually printed under the label vocal selections. This is different from the vocal score from the same show in that it does not present the complete music, and the piano accompaniment usually is simplified and includes the melody line.

• A short score is a reduction of a work for many instruments to just a few staves. Rather than composing directly in full score, many composers work out some type of short score while they are composing and later expand the complete orchestration. (For example, an opera may be written first in a short score, then in full score, and then reduced to a vocal score for rehearsal.) Short scores are often not published; they may be more common for some performance venues (e.g. by bands) than in others.

• A lead sheet details only the melody, lyrics and harmony, using one staff with chord symbols placed above and lyrics below. It is commonly used in pop music to capture the essential elements of song without specifying how the song should be arranged or performed.

• A chord chart or "chart" contains little or no melodic information at all but provides detailed harmonic and rhythmic information. This is the most common kind of written music used by professional session musicians playing jazz or other forms of popular music and is intended primarily for the rhythm section (usually containing the piano, guitar, bass and drums).

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sheet Music".

dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

[07] FAITH NO MORE - Poker Face (Lady Gaga) / Chinese Arithmetic (Download Festival 2009) *Sync* HQ

Faith No More - Poker Face (Lady Gaga) / Chinese Arithmetic (High Quality & Synchronized audio) Live @ Download Festival 2009 Donington Park, UK Mike Patton - lead vocals Billy Gould - bass guitar Mike Bordin - drums Roddy Bottum - keyboards Jon Hudson - guitar

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Monday, February 22, 2010

Review of the Erykah Badu CD Mamas Gun

Erykah Badu has released her most recent CD entitled Mamas Gun.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that's exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all.

Erykah Badu possesses the characteristic of being able to win you over with her talent alone. The kind of artist I frankly just flat out enjoy listening to.

If you're a Erykah Badu fan, or just a fan of Pop music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.

While this entire CD is really very good some of my favorites are track 2 - Don't Cha Know, track 11 - In Love With You, and track 14 - Green Eyes

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Penitentiary Philosophy. Great track!

Mamas Gun Release Notes:

Erykah Badu originally released Mamas Gun on November 21, 2000 on the Motown Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Penitentiary Philosophy 2. Didn't Cha Know 3. My Life 4. & On, ... 5. Cleva 6. Hey Sugah 7. Booty 8. Kiss Me On My Neck (Hesi) 9. A.D. 2000 10. Orange Moon 11. In Love With You 12. Bag Lady 13. Time's A Wastin 14. Green Eyes

Mama's Gun Album Notes Personnel includes: Erykah Badu (vocals, acoustic guitar, whistle, synthesizer); Jef Le Johnson (acoustic & electric guitars); Dready (acoustic guitar, bass); Pino Palladino (electric guitar, bass); Russell Elevado (guitar); Igor Swzec, Emma Kummrow, Charles Parker, Gregory Teperman, Charles Kwas, Olga Konopelsky (violin); Davis Barnett, Peter Nocello (viola); Larry Gold (cello); D'Wayne Kerr (flute); Jacques "Pepe" Swarzbart (saxophone); Roy Hargrove (trumpet); Frank "Roots" Lacy (trombone); James Poyser (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, organ, ARP synthesizer, Mini-Moog synthesizer); Geno "Junebugg" Young (Fender Rhodes piano); Bilal Oliver (Fender Rhodes piano); R.C. Williams, Shaun "Fingers" Matin (keyboards); Roy Ayers (vibraphone).

Producers include: Erykah Badu, James Poyser, Jay Dee, Jah Born, Shaun Martin.

Engineers include: Chris Bell, Russell Elevado, Tom Soares.

dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Bass tutorial

dj-shisu

Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Many Styles of Playing Electric Bass Guitar

Many bass instruments are played upright, as a direct result of the fact that the bass strings are usually the longest, and therefore the instrument is naturally much longer than standard ones. However, electric bass guitars are played in exactly the same way as a standard guitar, and the length of the instrument is roughly the same. This is of course an advantage achieved through the fact that the actual sound heard is produced electronically, and the overall tone, pitch and frequency of the note can be altered digitally.

The typical method used to play the electric bass guitar differs slightly from that used in the playing of a standard electric guitar, since the main method used is pizzicato, or the plucking of strings. Obviously those players who perform on standard electric guitars may also pluck the strings, but this is only one of a range of techniques that can be used. Electric bass guitarists almost solely use the plucking or pizzicato technique throughout their performance.

Plucking can be achieved quite happily through using the index and middle finger, or in some cases the thumb and ring finger too, but since the strings are steel, some players prefer to use plectrums or picks. Using a pick can help to increase both the speed at which a performer can hit the notes, and also the hardness with which the string is plucked. Usually the sound produced by an electric bass guitarist using a plectrum or pick is much sharper and harder, than the equivalent sound produced by a performer using just his or her fingers.

Of course, it is also true to say that the nature of the pick itself makes a huge difference to the quality and sharpness of the sound, and thicker, firmer picks will produce a harder, heavier sound, whereas the more flexible lightweight picks will produce a softer and more gentle tone. For a pick which sounds very similar in tone to using fingers would be one typically made from felt.

In some types of music it is preferable to create a sound using an electric bass guitar which evokes an impression more similar to a double bass. This double bass sound is achieved not by using a pick or a plectrum, but by actually plucking the strings. This on its own tends to create a note which is distinctly longer than that produced by a double bass, and so the typical technique is to pluck the string, and then use the flat of the hand to mute the note. This produces quite a thumpy sound, and is used quite frequently in various styles of music.

Yet another method used by some electric bass guitarists is to either slap or pop the strings, creating a sound which is reminiscent of funk music. This technique literally involves slapping a string with the index finger or middle fingers, creating a flatter sound, or by popping the strings with the same fingers. This slap technique has been popularised in such other styles of music as rock and fusion.

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Basics of Playing Guitar

If you're a person who dreams to play a guitar on a big stage, then you must learn the basics first. Playing the guitar can be very difficult or extremely easy depending on your dedication (this goes for every other instrument out there). It is very obvious that the more you practice, the better you'll become. Things will gradually fall into place and everything will seem to get easier. When I first started playing the guitar, I did not believe this saying. Everybody used to tell me that "practice makes perfect". This, apparently, is very true. I will provide you the steps I took when I was first starting out. Hopefully, this will help you in your journey to becoming a rock legend.

First thing on the list is to have a decent guitar. I'm will have to emphasize on the word "decent" because buying a cheap underrated guitar will not be sufficient. With anything, if you really want to be good at something, you need to dedicate yourself to it. Back then, I bought a 40 dollar acoustic guitar to start off with and was very discouraged in how I played. The reason for that was because the sound quality was really bad and the strings were horrible. So I invested my money in a Washburn bass guitar. It wasn't the greatest, but it was fairly decent. I know what you're thinking, why did you buy a bass guitar? My plan was to learn the scales and be able to play single notes. Normally with an acoustic guitar, your first instinct is to strum a chord. I believe that while strumming a chord can sound very nice, the real guitaring skills come from solos and riffs.

Once I got used to playing bass, I slowly steered myself to buying a Gibson SG electric guitar. For those of you that do not know, Gibson is a very well known company for manufacturing guitars. This was a big investment, financially, in my part; although, I was dedicated to playing guitar. I practiced every day for 2 hours and made sure I started with my scales. I then went online and looked for tabs of my favourite songs. Since I already knew the notes on the guitar, due to playing the scales, it was easy following the tabs. At times, I didn't even need to follow the tabs because I know what notes are needed to be played just from hearing it.

For those that do not know, tablature, tabs for short, is a type of "music sheet" showing the strings of the guitar and which frets need to be pressed (or plucked). Essentially, you don't need to know the scale if you're reading tabs, but it will certainly help in the long run. The main concepts to this are practice hard and buy a decent guitar. One day, you'll find yourself one day playing your favourite song without looking at any tabs or music sheets.

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Strawberry Fields bass arrangement by Sean Andrews

Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles. Arranged for bass guitar by Sean Andrews of Redemption & indica trichome project. Dedicated to Mike Portnoy-- thanks for having us open for you on the Systematic Chaos tour! www.myspace.com

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Do What You Want - Nataly Dawn covers OK Go

FREE mp3 available at: www.myspace.com Do What You Want by OK Go So you were born in an electrical storm, took a bite out the sun and saw your future in a machine built for two. Now your rays make me kind of go crazy, shock and awe and amaze me, just a ticker tape parade and me, but something was wrong till you tap danced on the air, in the night. Screaming at the top of your lungs, you said, "Come on, come on. Do what you want. What could go wrong? Oh come on come on come on, come on, do what you want. Oh come on come on. What could go wrong? Do do do do what you want." Me, I was raised amid the trickle-down days. I woke up numb in the haze and saw my future in a machine built for two, but the light gave me some kind of fright. How did wrong get so right and lead me stumbling through the dark of night? Oh something was wrong, but you tap danced on the air, in the night. Screaming at the top of your lungs, you said, "Come on, come on. Do what you want. What could go wrong? Oh come on come on come on, come on, do what you want. Oh come on come on. What could go wrong? Do do do do what you want."

Guitar-StoryMusic

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Billy Idol - White Wedding Part 1 Full Band

My friends playing Rock Band 2: Billy Idol - White Wedding Part 1 :D Vocal - Shoter133 // Shoter Guitar - Wiesiek ^^ Drums - 2poor4you // Kalvador

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Monday, February 15, 2010

Cream Gross - Road Blues cover

ZUS Poruba "Předehrávky pana učitele Ondřeje Svačiny" Acoustic guitar: Andy Cernocky; Lead guitar: Karl Dasek; Bass guitar: Kate Valek; Drumms: Peter Muron

Guitar-StoryMusic

Sunday, February 14, 2010

"Lamb of god" Marilyn manson cover

Numerus Clausus: -Seub (legroupedumecttseul) guitar/vocals -Simon guitar/bass/vocals -Mat drums Myspace NUMERUS CLAUSUS, le myspace du groupe avec les chansons en version studio et libre ecoute: www.myspace.com Mon blog zik, avec tous les textes et leurs significations pour moi, de mes reprises ou mes compo: legroupedumecttseul.skyrock.com

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Saturday, February 13, 2010

The Many Uses of Noise Cancelling Headphones


Think all noise cancelling headphones are alike? Do you think there's basically just one use for head phones? Incorrect! There are many, many uses for head phones and - more specifically - for noise canceling headphones. Once you start using and wearing them, you'll find you won't want to leave home without them. Especially the small and compact earphone style.

There are basically two different types to choose from...active and passive.

Active uses electronic circuitry to sense the incoming sounds to lower the amount you hear. These are the type that are over the ears. One of their not so goods is they require batteries to operate. Passive uses no electricity or batteries and are the type that go in the ear canals to block outside sounds....earphones, and to a lesser degree the type that come with the Ipod...earbuds.

1. Use these while you're traveling. Listen to music at a low volume and the circuitry in the headphone will remove any background sound. That way, if you need to have some quiet or to get a good sleep, this is the ideal way to do it. They are ideal for the business traveler who wants a little quiet on a loud airplane (piercing voice?) or wants to get a fantastic night sleep in a hotel (why do they always seem to put YOU beside the party room?).

2. Use when you have to listen to training and seminars at work when you want the world to yourself, or the ringing phones or the sound of the fax machine.

3. Use when you want to hear music or watch movies and you don't want to subject others to your entertainment while at the same time you don't want to have to hear other sounds, which will diminish the potential of your entertainment.

4. Use when you want to play video or computer games and you want to truly become a part of the experience. A quality set of noise cancelling headphones will do just that. Many sporting events become better when the sound is made to be an integral part of the game. This occurs when you forget that you're in a busy college dorm or a loud apartment building and you actually feel that you are in the race car or the dungeon or the football game (or wherever else your game happens to take place.

5. They are also great if you are a passenger in a car on a long trip and have trouble sleeping in the car. The head phones will cancel out the road noise, the rustling of the map, the sound of the car radio, etc. and you'll be able to sleep peacefully.

6. Use when your child is learning to play an instrument. If they are learning an acoustic instrument, like guitar, bass, or keyboards, you can give them these headphones so they don't hear other noises (and so no one else can hear them!). You'll have a happy son or daughter with a good musical ear and you'll also have peace and quiet in your house!

7. So, check out the main manufactuers: Shure, Etymotic Research, Ultimate Ears, Sennheiser, Bose and others. Remember, to make a great gift for everyone and particularly to make a great gift for the person who has everything, these are ideal. For that hard to buy for person on your list this year, give them a pair of noise cancelling headphones. And if they listen to music you don't like, you can consider it a gift to yourself, too!


Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Friday, February 12, 2010

What's your name Riddim Version - Morning Star Band

Pablo :bass Tof: Keys Drumie Yan : drums Smoothy : guitar

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Acoustic Guitar Lessons and Types of Guitars

Acoustic guitar lessons are a must for those of us that have that little urge to play instead of just listen. It does take some work, but not as much as you might think. So, which is it? You want to just play an open mic night at the local bar? Do you just want to be able to play a few tunes for friends on the back deck? Or are you going to start the next legendary band? Either way, you can get good acoustic guitar lessons online, both for free and in a paid version.

What is an acoustic guitar?

An acoustic guitar produces it sound through stings, a soundboard, and the body of the guitar. An electric would produce sound through the strings, but uses electronic amplification that allows you to hear the sound.

What are so different types of acoustic guitars?

Like any popular industry, there are many different type/brands, but there are always a few that seem to stand out. Here are a few of those:

Classical
This is pretty much what people think of when we are taking about acoustic guitars. It has 6 strings: 3 treble strings and 3 bass strings.

Flamenco
A Spanish guitar used for playing 'Flamenco' music. It's played a little utilizing different strumming patterns and techniques than a Classical.

Steel-String
It creates a crisper and louder sound. It was made popular by Bluegrass, Folk, and early Country western players.

12 String
It has just that: 12 string instead of 6 and produces more a 'chorus' effect than a standard 6-string. It was a favorite of Rock Bands in the 60's and 70's looking for unique sounds.

Archtop
Orville Gibson usually gets credit for this design, which is particularly popular with Blues and Jazz players alike.

Acoustic bass guitar
These bass guitars have a hollow wooden body and four strings. They are tuned to E,A,D, and G which is an octave below the lower four strings of a regular 6-string guitar.

Banjo Guitar
This is a novelty guitar with the look and feel of a guitar, but the sound of a banjo. Popular in the 1920's, it is often referred to as Guitjo.

This is obviously just a sample of the 1000's of guitars out there. So after you learn a few things with any kind of simple acoustic guitar lessons, you should be able to pick any of these up and strum a few tunes. The history of this great instrument is long and varied. The more people that learn to play, the better.

dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Choosing an Instrument For Your Child - Part 1





How do you choose a musical instrument for your child? First you may want to find out which instrument your child may actually have an inherent talent for and where to go to find this out. Also, many parents may have an initial choice already worked out in their minds. Then there's your child - What does he or she want? All of this presupposes that your child wishes to play an instrument in the first place.

The first thing I think that you must do is to have an open mind about the choice. If you are a violinist, for example, you may have a desire for your child to follow in your footsteps. If this is fine with your child, great - But remember that he or she may have something else in mind. Let it happen naturally.

Most schools, unless they are experiencing unfortunate budget cuts, have music programs where kids get to try out various instruments under the supervision of the music teacher. But this can be imperfect. I remember this when I was a kid, and it didn't effect my choice in the end.

Many local music stores rent "student model" instruments and will let you try them out. This is usually for more traditional band and orchestra instruments. Instruments such as the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard seem to be a bit harder to find as "rentals". But these instruments can always be tried out first before you need to make a buying decision.

Some instruments are inherently harder to play than others - Or so it would seem. Some kids have a hard time with brass and reed instruments, while others do not. Some kids can pick up a violin and get decent tone after a very short period of time, while others cannot.

Your child also may have other ideas no matter what you may think he or she has a natural talent for. If this is the case, don't try to enforce your will as your child may simply end up getting turned off by the whole thing.

The bottom line on this is that finding the right instrument is a process. Be patient with it.

dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic

Monday, February 8, 2010

Cannibal Corpse - Frantic Disembowelment (Guitar, Bass & Dru

Cannibal Corpse - Frantic Disembowelment (Guitar, Bass & Drums In Studio).avi

Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Let's Hear 'Em Bass Guitar Chords


You’ve heard a lot about rhythm and blues, but it’s the bass that makes you want to dance. It’s the thumpa-thumpa that gets your groove on, your head bobbing up and down and your feet a-tapping. Indeed, it’s all about the bass - the lower notes that give guitar music the texture and body. In a band, it’s the bass player that closes the gap between tempo and harmony. That’s from endless years of practice perfecting the craft, which beginners can learn from bass guitar chords.

Hearing bass?

If you have heard the songs of Metallica (who hasn’t?), you’ve definitely heard the heavy tones that prop up all throughout, giving them that distinctive sound that only Metallica can offer. Finally, bassists have entered the front door, and are no longer asked to pass through the kitchen door. Playing bass guitar chords have given bassists the tickets to the front door.

It is easy to learn to play the bass guitar, but mind you, the bass guitar is very difficult to tame. If you are dreaming to hold a bass guitar onstage, then practice playing a note at a time. You will be surprised to discover that before you can pluck a note, you will have to master some hand exercises to speed up your guitar playing.

What’s the big deal about bass guitars and bass guitar chords?

A bass guitar is unlike a regular guitar. It has four strings and is an octave lower than the bass strings of a regular guitar. The bass guitar has a longer neck for longer scales. Most bass guitars have hollow bodies, and the sound that is bounced back has a different resonance and tone. The bass sound provides the low-pitched bus runs and bass-line typical in different music genres – jazz, fusion, rock, and funk. A sturdy guitar can take all the punishment, as well as give the best bass bellow.

Chords refer to the collection of tones when played together simultaneously. This can refer to any type of fretted string instrument. There is no fuss about bass guitar chords, really. They are plainly guitar chords played on the bass.

Bass guitar chords always have 12 keys. It must show the major, minor, diminished, minor 6th, and major 7th. The suspended 4th added 7th must also be learned. Bass guitar chords also have notations - names and locations of the notes on the frets and strings, as well as the enharmonic equivalents and the positions of these notes within the bass clef. As you learn the different music styles from bass guitar chords, you will soon be going into bass runs, low pitched bass lines, and soloing.

Raring to play the bass guitar?

If you think the bass guitar is yours to tame, you have to get a good instrument to practice the bass guitar chords with. Check out the different bass guitars to suit your needs. Some of the most popular ones used by professionals are the ESP B50, Squier Standard Jazz, Yamaha RBX260, Epiphone Accu Bass, and Ibanez GSR200. If you are thinking about a good investment, get a Tobias Growler 5-string electric bass guitar. This is expensive but will withstand all that picking, plucking, and slapping. If you see yourself playing the bass long term, then this is the guitar for you.

One can say that behind the great bass guitar chord playing, is also a great bass guitar, and player. The formula also calls for dedication, determination, and enthusiasm. Without these, neither great bass guitar nor bass guitar chord can be played. Get lessons, a songbook, and download bass guitar chords from several guitar sites online. Now, let’s hear some bass.


Guitar-StoryMusic dj-shisu

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Electric Bass Guitars & Amplifiers


Electric bass guitars require external amplification in much the same way that standard electric guitars do - and for the same reasons. There are several electric bass guitars with a hollow body, similar to that found on acoustic guitars, and this helps to provide some extra tone to the voice. However, electric bass guitars still require external amplification to be heard, and to provide the voice which is required.


There are two basic types of amplifier that can be used by those who play electric bass guitar. The first of these is the combination or 'combo' amplifier, and this has the amplifier unit and the speaker built in to one unit. Typically this is a large, often black unit with a large speaker grill at the front, and the amplifier unit built in to the top layer, with the buttons, dials and switches at the front. The second kind of amplifier is one where the speakers are entirely separate, and the amplifier connects the guitar and the speakers through its own system.


For beginners and those on lower budgets the combination amplifier unit is an excellent choice, and has proven to be very popular amongst players for many years. It offers versatility with convenience, and often these units are built to be portable, with carry handles built in to the top of the box, and allows them to be carried without fear of being easily damaged. On the other hand, for the more experienced player the separate amplifier and speakers arrangement provides the choice of each - giving more versatility and greater freedom of choice when it comes to each individual piece of equipment. Some guitarists prefer certain types of amplifier, or amplifiers that provide specific features that may not be found on the more generic combination units.


When it comes to recording electric bass guitars, this is often achieved by completely by-passing the amplifier, and instead connecting the guitar directly in to the sound recording equipment, and then providing external amplification from this. By setting the guitar up in this way, a truer sound quality is produced, rather than recording acoustically a sound which has been created electronically. This is for much the same reason as electronic keyboards are recorded in the same way, as the external speakers may hinder or reduce the eventual quality. Recording the electric bass guitar by directly connecting it to the sound recording equipment also provides the artist and the studio to create and apply extra effects, possibly digitally, by directly manipulating the original electric signal. This helps to ensure that there is no degrading of the quality, as well as providing even greater flexibility.


In addition to amplifier units there are also such items as pre-amplifiers which can also be used to apply certain effects, or alter the voice of the guitar in some specific way. For example, pre-amplifiers can sometimes be used to affect the way a guitar sounds, helping to re-create the sound of a different brand of guitar, such as older models or those used within specific branches of music.


Guitar-StoryMusic

Friday, February 5, 2010

Home made Custom Guitar and Bass Guitars

Heres some custom guitars I've built at home that we use in our band Radix Bloom. If youre interested in having one made just contact me and I'll see what I can do for you.

dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic

History of Electric Guitars


The guitar is a popular string instrument. It produces sound when the strings along the surface are plucked. It used to be looked upon as a proverbial instrument connected with chivalrous courtship. String instruments existed prior to the guitar. The first documented record on the guitar is in the 14th century chronicles. In its initial form, it had three double courses of strings and sometimes a single string. The guitar probably originated in Spain, around the 16th century. It was a social requirement for entertainment among the middle and lower classes.


The 16th and 17th centuries saw the guitar become popular in other European countries. By the late 17th century, a fifth string was added on, below the other four. The guitar attained its modern look by the mid-18th century. This happened when the double courses were made single and a sixth string was added, above the lower five. Guitar makers in the 19th century broadened the body, increased the bow of the waist, flattened the belly and changed the internal holders. The modern machine head replaced the old wooden tuning pegs.


Adolph Rickenbacker invented the electric guitar in 1930. The guitar can be traced to the Greek "kithara", but there is no similarity in the structure or sound of the two instruments. The sound of the electric guitar strings is both amplified and manipulated electronically by the performer. The American musician and inventor developed prototypes for the solid-bodied electric guitar.


Electric guitars gained popularity with the increase in number of rock and roll bands. The electric guitars became necessary, to compete with the loud large brass sections, commonly used in jazz orchestras, especially the Big Bands, in the thirties and forties.


Electric guitars have evolved from being simple, hollow arch top bodies, to state- of- the- art music equipment.


dj-shisu Guitar-StoryMusic