Used Musical Instruments

Music in High Places - Brian McKnight (Live from Brazil)

2008-09-09T23:53:00.001-07:00

Music in High Places, the ultimate international music and travel adventure series that takes top recording artists to the most ancient sites on earth. Each expedition takes music's biggest artists to the four corners of the globe and features exciting acoustic performances set against the backdrop of earth's most intriguing natural locations. Take an intimate journey with Brian McKnight as he discovers the culture, history and spirituality of Sao Luis, Brazil. Collect the entire series for musical experiences that are anything but ordinary.
Songs: When the Chariot Comes; Can You Read My Mind; One Last Cry; You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time); 6, 8, 12; Quiet Place; Home; You Could Be the One; Cherish; Anytime; Back at One.
Customer Review: Simply put...
This is Brian McKnight in an element where he thrives. The DVD is worth it's price if only for his acoustic rendition of "Anytime" (that song was released in 1997, and after almost 11 years it is still a masterpiece). If you are a Brian McKnight fan, by all means add this one to your collection.
Customer Review: Nice DVD
I actually expected more on this DVD. I don't believe this DVD did much justice to Brian's musical skills and talent, but it's an ok DVD to pass time when you have nothing else to do.

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Amplifiers Guitar

Lenox Toyland Ornament Set - Includes 12 Christmas Ornaments

2008-09-09T03:29:00.001-07:00

The best from Santa's workshop... Each of these 12 ornaments is sculpted in the shape of a favorite Christmas toy or gift. There's something for everyone -- a fur-trimmed ice skate, a treat-filled stocking, a football, drum, beribboned gift, Jack-in-the-box, and even a lop-eared bunny. The ornaments set includes a stuffed toy stocking, teddy bear, rabbit, doll, horse, drum, ice skate, jack in the box, boat, gift, football and a paint set

Timpanists also have the daunting task of making sure every inch of their timpani drum heads are in pitch with each other. If the drum heads are inconsistent, as the performance wears on, the drum will become out of tune; because the Timpani are the only drums that can produce distinctive pitches, have inconsistencies would be unacceptable. Most Timpanists have perfect pitch, but tuning forks can also be used. As with the mallet techniques, developing perfect pitch takes lots of practice and ear training.

Muffling is also a distinct skill Timpanists must master - when musical scores were written years ago, the Timpani sound did not resonate as long as they do today. A good timpanist will be able to look at the music and determine how long each note should actually last. In addition, the timpanist must also be able to muffle the sound successfully, on time, without producing any sounds with their fingers to muffle the initial drum resonations. It's very tricky but over time it becomes second nature. Sympathetic resonance (when one timpani softly vibrates and produces sound because another Timpani has been struck) is also an obstacle Timpanists must overcome - on the professional or higher learning level, sympathetic resonance is usually unacceptable.

The Timpani is a large drum that can produce various pitches. The timpanist (a person who plays the timpani) is responsible for making sure the pitch is correct, and the pitch can be adjusted using various foot pedals. The drumhead is usually made of animal skin or plastic - although professional timpanists usually prefer animal skins for its high quality sounds.

Most percussionists know how to play the Timpani, with varying levels of success. If you are interested in percussion, you will inevitably become acquainted with the Timpani. If the Timpani really holds your interest, it would behoove you to find a Timpani-specific instructor that is considered an expert on the instrument. There are many highly qualified people to teach, so learning should not be a problem; however, owning a timpani is very expensive. Most people practice their timpani skills at music stores, universities, or with private instructors that own timpani.

The Timpani, in case you haven't figured it out yet, is a very difficult drum to master. Yet the payoff is worth it - whoever does ultimately rules orchestra - and the timpani sets the standard for the entire orchestra or band. The instrument is vital to all great works of music, and it is still used constantly in modern pieces. As an indispensable instrument, whoever learns to play it becomes very valuable.

The Timpani is one of the most important instruments in the percussion family. It is used in orchestras, various ensembles, bands, and even in popular music. Timpani is an Italian word (and plural - the singular is timpano) but in America it is always referred to as a Timpani, regardless of how many drums are being played; normally, you'll never find a single timpani all alone, for two, three, or four are usually played together.

Information About the Timpani

There are special mallets designed solely for the Timpani. Timpani mallets are able to produce soft or loud tones on the timpani, depending on the power of each strike. In many pieces, the timpanist is required to perform crescendo drum rolls - no easy feat. The techniques used for playing the Timpani are numerous and require a great deal of dedication and practice.

Musical Stuff

Hollywood Film Classics

2008-09-09T01:32:00.001-07:00

I just learned of "Ayris," a Pittsburgh area band, a few weeks back when I met the lead singer. And quite frankly, I'm glad I did.

All in all, "Ayris" seems to be a very talented group and might just go on to experience great success.

As far as each individual track goes, the first song "Nightly I Come Killing Softly," has more of a something of a subdued sound at the start but builds up to a commanding crescendo. The band follows this up with "Submerged," an intense piece with a really interesting use of slight distortion. Next is "Vaccine," which seems channel the essence of rock at the beginning and continues on with ideas of a dark reality. Its infectious feel trails off with an extended instrumental. The fourth song is entitled "The Hunter." This one features a good balance of poignant lyrics and skillful musical precision. Finally, the last song "We Bleed Red," which is featured in both the standard and acoustic versions on the EP, has a totally different feel and focuses heavily on one major social issue.

Nickel, whose vocals range from a low, near whisper to powerful and seemingly rock inspired, is also the talent behind the lyrics.

"Ayris'" six-track EP "We Bleed Red" is not exactly new but is still very much worth adding to your CD collection.

The captivatingly haunting vocals of the aforementioned lead singer Allie Nickel give the album something of a dark beauty. The band as a whole compounds this by showcasing their own unique and mesmerizing sound. It's so unique in fact that it's hard to even take a guess at what artists may have played a role in inspiring the creation of "Ayris."

"Ayris" Mixes Entrancing Lyrics and a Distinctive Musical Style to Produce the EP "We Bleed Red"

Collectively, the album is quite good. One of the first things that stick out is the quality of the production process. Many local bands and solo artists seem to lack this basic asset in their work.

Amplifiers Guitar

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

2008-09-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Their first full-length shows a band fully formed, with faint debts to the Sundays and the Smiths, but turning out more-than-tuneful pop behind the gorgeous lilt of Dolores O'Riordan. "Dreams" and "Linger" both seem to weave magic spells that remain even after the tracks pass, and there is a glorious freshness to the performances that's impossible to resist. It remains their most satisfying outing. --Chris Nickson
Customer Review: Great listen
This is the first piece I've bought by the Cranberries and I'm very satisfied with it. Shipping was ultra fast and the CD was in the original wrapper - and flawless. I was very happy with the vendor.
Customer Review: I want to make one thing perfectly clear
Despite your album title not everybody was trying to imitate 10,000 Maniacs in 1993, and so therefore the title doesn't apply to you. If you wanted to just say you were recording an album then that's fine, but don't say you are doing this because everyone else is SO THERE!!!!!! Now that my venting over the title is over now onto serious business: "Linger" is my first introduction of the Cranberries, and let's just say that it was as bad as getting a manly handshake from a woman. The melody is despicable, and the lyrics are too, and it was one of the bad memories of the first months in FL. That's where I was first introduced to this, so I feel that if everyone was rocketing to the moon in their underpants would you?

Finally, the recording party arrives and recording begins. The engineer is responsible for working the track board, computers and other technologies to achieve the "desired sound" earlier discussed by the recording party. Thats basically what goes on during sessions.

So how does it work? Well before any recording is done, the producer, artists and YOU will discuss the "desired sound" of the recordings. This may be done to some extent before the project is started or may be specific to certain tracks after the project has begun.

So how do you find yourself in the studio recording some of the biggest names in showbiz?

Hit Enter!

In addition the engineer is responsible for mastering the recordings usually after the session is over. This is often overseen by the producer. Basically the engineer will balance the recordings to sound consistent to listening. To elaborate... often when recording, the artists may not sound exactly as you would hear when listening to a finished album. Sometimes the vocals may be a little louder then the music or visa versa. Its the engineers job to smooth the recordings out. An engineer may also add certain sound effects to a project to reach the desired sound, sometimes an echo here or synthesized vocals there, etc. Its the engineers job to polish the recordings to what ever extent. Finally, the engineer will break down the equipment and instruments when the session is over.

Nowadays it starts with schooling. You will need vast knowledge of computers and recording equipment. From there expect to be an intern or assistant engineer. Through time and experience you will be trusted to engineer on you own and obtain some of the most valuable connections in entertainment. Have Fun!

Here's what youll most likely be in for. (this is just an example of many) Its 6:00... PM! You arrive at the studio and start setting up the equipment and instruments needed for the upcoming... 12 HOUR session! Youre 1 to 2 hours earlier then everyone else. Its your job to have the studio ready for recording before the music artists and producer arrives.

Known as Recording Engineers, Sound Engineers or Audio Engineers... this is your desired title, and the "whos you" of professions. Your on your way to becoming partly responsible for possibly some of the most explosive music in existence! Actually, you could be partly responsible for some of the most interesting commercials and/or movies also. (depending on what directions and opportunities you pursue)

Speaking Of Careers In Music - Recording Engineer, What's That About

Classical Guitar Store

Violin Wall Chart by Martin Norgaard

2008-09-07T16:39:00.001-07:00

This wonderful Violin Wall Chart by Martin Norgaard will inspire and motivate students and teachers alike! It comes rolled and is published my Mel Bay Publications.

It was these types of venues that gave rise to ragtime, which enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the late 19th and early 20th century. Talented ragtime musicians like Scott Joplin were generally recognized much later for their contributions to modern jazz.

Because of its early association with brothels and speakeasies, jazz music had a stigma to overcome in its early years of development. Eventually, jazz became an accepted art form. Today jazz is embraced and taught as its own branch of music.

Jazz's major influence probably came from African slaves brought to the United States in the 1800s. In fact, African music influenced many styles of music, including rock and roll. The form that evolved into jazz consisted specifically of call-and-response singing, syncopation and improvisation. Ragtime, which may be considered a precursor to modern jazz, drew upon many of these elements.

Though ragtime only graced the music scene for a few years, it influenced what would become referred to in 1915 as jazz music. While the actual origin of the term is uncertain, the name stuck. Cities like New Orleans have since become synonymous with jazz. This is not necessarily because it originated there, but because its musicians have added a distinct flavor to jazz music. Dixieland jazz bands still largely dominate the musical culture of New Orleans. Thanks to modern artists like Louis Armstrong, Winton Marsalis and Miles Davis, Dixieland-style jazz continues to enjoy mainstream popularity.

How Jazz Got Started

Ragtime music originated after the emancipation of African slaves. The newfound freedom of slaves was bittersweet. Though freedom was deserved and appreciated, there were few job opportunities for freed slaves. Many had no means of self-support, and some simply stayed on with their former owners. Others supported themselves through musical performance. Often, this meant performing in dubious locations, like brothels and minstrel shows.

They are able to make up music on the spot and off-the-cuff. It's entirely possible for a song to be different every time it's performed. This may be one reason that jazz fans believe that the most talented of the world's musicians are not classical musicians, but purveyors of jazz.

Once jazz music became labeled as such, more variations developed. Swing was one of those, which saw its height in the 1930s. Swing greats like Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller are still covered by today's musicians. Although swing isn't the genre it once was, it still has a big following today.

Jazz music is most distinguished from other musical forms for its reliance upon improvisation. The best jazz musicians have gained notoriety for their ability to play without the aid of written music.

Amplifiers Guitar

Martin MSP3050 Custom Light SP Acoustic Guitar Strings

2008-09-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

High-quality strings specially designed for studio and stage applications where optimum string performance is required. Core and wrap wires meet strict requirements in order to make the grade. Bronze alloy provides brilliance and long life. Martin Strings are wound to precise specifications.

Ask any music enthusiast and they know who Lifehouse and Switchfoot are. The modern age has brought about a new genre of Christian rock that is appealing to the masses. Christian music has become more than just music for people of faith. It has become a phenomenon that grows every year - Growing in the different types of genres for everybody's tastes.

From being a part of this generation I have seen the transformation of Christian music from traditional to upbeat and lively. Christian music has been changed into something that is accepted by many people even with it having the genre title of "Religious." Also from being raised in this generation I've seen how the people's opinions have changed toward music, and how almost no one anymore will look down on a band because they're labeled Christian.

Christian Music - How the New Age of Music Has Brought About Growth

Throughout the last 10 years there has even been some major changes in what a person categorizes as "Christian music." Christian music has been infused into almost every music genre. Some of the most popular bands in America are in fact Christian bands, with many of their listeners not even knowing! The Almost, Underoath, and Flyleaf are just examples of bands who have made names for themselves in the secular and Christian music worlds.

12 String Acoustic Guitar

Fender G-DEC 30 Guitar Digital Entertainment Center

2008-09-05T16:05:00.001-07:00

An upgraded version of Fender's top-selling, award-winning Guitar Digital Entertainment Center (G-DEC), the revolutionary amplification system that makes your own practice sessions sound like a full band! The upgraded features make the G-DEC 30 a fine rehearsal or recording tool for the more discriminating guitarist; these include all-new backing tracks and presets in addition to the ones included with the original G-DEC, a 'Composition Mode' that lets individual measures be combined into entire songs, a phrase sampler with overdub capability, and rear-panel speaker and line outputs. Optional four-button footswitch controls program selection and stop/start functions. Fun and sophisticated!
Customer Review: Great amplifier for learning and for small gigs.
This is a handy and useful amplifier for learning, teaching and for small gigs. Cannot really compare this to a $2000 amplifier, but for the price paid, can't beat the value and sound tone quality. The onboard accompaniment are handy while practicing especially for timing practice. There are numerous effects like echo, delay, reverb, distortion, flanger and tremolo, which can be adjusted easily and quickly. The resulting guitar tones are great, with several amplifier emulation like the jangle of British amps, the clean tones of Marshalls, and more. The onboard chromatic tuner is very handy. Build quality is excellent, with the knobs and buttons feeling solid and have firm tactile action. The dual inputs make it easy for connecting an external drum machine for advanced practicing, or to connect a second guitar for jamming or teaching. The firmware is user updateable via a computer MIDI interface and software updates and tone customization can be done using that interface. Overall, I am happy with this purchase and this unit is an essential part of my daily practice now.

An audio amplifier, for example, is a gear meant to increase low power audio signals to a point appropriate for driving loudspeakers and is the ultimate stage in a characteristic audio playback chain. In this collection of amplifiers, mention may be made of valve audio amplifier, audiophile, single-ended triode, tone control circuits, etc.

Another sound controlling music gear often in demand is the tone control circuit. It is an electronic circuit that helps in adjusting an audio signal before it is fed to speakers, headphones or recording devices by way of an amplifier. Often referred to as filters, these circuits help to elevate or assuage the high and low frequencies of the signal.

A mixer is a type of electronic equipment used for combining or mixing, routing and changing the level, tonality and the dynamics of audio signals. There are generally two types of mixers, the analog and the digital.

Sound Controlling Music Gear

A microphone, also referred to as the mike or mic, is an acoustic to electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. Generally, in the case of vocal rendition, the vocal sound is converted into electric signal by a microphone, and then subsequently made to be a part of the entire sound system.

The most popular sound controlling music gear are amplifiers, microphones, hi-fi mixers, graphic equalizers, and speakers, to name a few. These equipment have different functions with different technologies and are needed in different situations and for different purposes.

There are also many other types of equipment that are used to improve the sound quality of musical performances. These sound controlling music gear come in various names and with a range of functions and techniques. Several brands of such gadgets are available in the market as music companies are constantly trying to improve upon their technological and qualitative aspects, offering musicians, performers, and the audience a newer experience of sound quality.

There are several types of music gear available that help in improving the sound quality of an instrument. These equipment are in high demand amongst the musicians and performers worldwide as they make the audience experience superb sound quality.

Multi channel audio is yet another example of a sound controlling music gear that utilizes the techniques for expanding and enriching the sound of audio playback by recording additional sound channels to reproduce the enhanced sound on additional speakers. Popularly known as the surround sound technology, it is the multi channel technology applied to channels surrounding the audience to give them a real life feel.

A loudspeaker, or simply a speaker, consists of an electromechanical transducer that changes an electrical signal into sound. The term loudspeaker can refer to individual devices, and complete systems consisting of an enclosure incorporating one or more drivers and additional devices. Loudspeakers are the most variable elements in any audio system, and are responsible for marked audible differences between otherwise identical sound systems.

Used Musical Instruments

Left Handed Guitar Package SX EG1K BK Left w/GA1065

2008-08-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

This Complete package includes the SX Left Handed EG1 guitar - Features of the guitar are:EG1 Left Handed Guitar: Perfect for many musical styles including rock, jazz, blues and Christian Dual cutaway solid Alder body allows access to the highest frets Die Chrome Tuners The body is contoured for hours of comfortable play Three single coil pickups, one volume and two tone controls plus a five way pickup selector switch create all of today?s great sounds Vintage fulcrum bridge with six adjustable saddles Truss rod adjustable Maple neck Rosewood fretboard, 22 jumbo frets Amp Features: 10 Watts of power through a specially design 5.5" speaker Master Volume Control Two Band EQ with Bass and Treble controls Headphone jack for quiet practice Weight of amp: 6.5lbs Overall dimentions: 9 3/4" wide x 10 5/8" high x 5" deep Other items: Guitar Tuner to help get your guitar in tune 10' instrument cable to connect your guitar to your amp EB400 Guitar Bag to protect your guitar when your not playing A Guitar Strap and Picks
Customer Review: left handed guitar
my 11y/o lefty loves this guitar. It has a great sound and weight to it. A good one to start with.

Beyond all that, the key to guitars success (they are the most used musical instrument worldwide, and has been for a very long time) is what matters the most: its sound. The beautiful sound a guitar produces can be compared to the sound produced by instruments that are much more expensive, rare and hard to learn. That is what keeps a good guitar above the rest.

They are also the most commonly chosen instrument for a student to start playing their way into music, mostly because it takes very little time to learn how to play it, and of course because it is not rare to be able to find a decent guitar for a very convenient price (unlike other instruments as pianos, for instance).

Today, all music shops offer a very wide variety of guitars, suitable for almost any musician, from beginners to masters. The most popular, however, are these two kinds of guitars: Acoustic guitars and electric 6-strings guitars.

Another advantage of guitars is that, once you learned the basics of music composition, you will find it easer to move into more complex instruments, such as violins, and keyboard instruments; which are more difficult to use as the first contact with music practicing.

Some very specialized vendors have started selling other classes of guitars; usually adaptations of the classical guitar made by different cultures all around the world. In these vendors shops, regular customers (mostly collectors) are able to buy guitars such as the Mexican guitarron, a huge guitar used by Mariachis, or as the guitarra criolla, an Argentinean adaptation of the 6-strigs classical guitar, used by Tango orchestras and also by the famous gauchos (the south-american version of cowboys).

Guitars

Amplifiers Guitar

Musician's Friend Standard Celluloid Guitar Picks 1 Dozen, Black Medium

2008-08-30T17:42:00.001-07:00

These durable picks will stand up to heavy play. Easy-to-grip shape and good looks. You can never have too many of these fantastic picks, so stock up today. Your guitar will love you for it and so will your fans. Set of one dozen.
Customer Review: Pay for an advertisement-NOT
These picks have the "Musician's Friend" logo on them which is not specified. It looks like it was pasted on the picture on the webpage, but it's actually on the picks like that . . and they are all exactly the same color, no variation. You think if someone wanted to sell an advertisement for their own business they would at least make it look a bit more nice. For this reason I will not be purchasing any more items from "Musician's Friend"!

When Line 6 decided to market their creation, the POD, everything changed. With the introduction of the POD I was forced to realize that the digital age was upon me, and that holding onto tradition would become hazardous to my musical health without at least exploring the brave new world to which I belonged. In the beginning I wanted to hate that little red eye sore - after all, it reminded me of an over-sized Mexican Jumping Bean. Now that I think about it I guess that was the point, hence the name "POD". It was on my second tour of Asia where I completely realized how important Line 6s cool little amp killer would become. I found that I could walk on stage night after night not suffering from the various life threatening spinal chord injuries my guitar rig always gave me as I lifted it through hundreds of airport security checks. I mean, my amp was in my bloody carry on luggage. How cool is that?

Size No Longer Matters to Guitarists

Enter the POD.

How does this relate to computers you may ask? Well, as amp modeling hardware progresses, amp modeling software is never far behind. Latency and that age-old digitally "thin" sound we all loathed is fast becoming a thing of the past. With these negatives becoming less of an issue one will find that more and more guitar tacks are being finished and mastered in a completely digital environment. This is reason enough to get involved with the progression of guitar amp modeling. In future articles we will be reviewing most of the current choices for modeling software, and believe me, there are some solid choices available.

Factoid: Parents never cooperate when the thing you want is louder than their need to scream at you.

Although there were innovators at the time that did a reasonably decent job introducing amp modeling technology, it was often pricey and in the end, not the most appealing solution for guitarists who loved their rigs. The original SansAmp was nice enough, and combined with a nice multi-effects processor you could get away with a very nice recorded sound. In terms of live performance however, it just never cut the mustard like a nice rack/amp and some great speakers. Before SansAmp I remember the Rockman by Tom Sholz. (yes Im that old) This little unit was also fairly cool at first, but the more I used it the more irritating the sound became (think fingernails and chalkboards). In the end I remember hearing our neighbors cat in heat one evening and it reminded me of the sound of my Rockman. Needless to say I chucked it in the bin along with my unsolved Rubiks Cube and begged my parents to buy me a Mesa Boogie. (They never did)

Back in the day, when even drummers had to learn how to plug something into a wall, we still had our cold steelesque logos, our big hunks of wood, the mesh grills that hid at least four 12 inch Wimp Killer speakers, and a rack of effects that looked like it could detect alien life forms if we pointed it at the sky. Companies with names that sounded as if they accessorized the Death Star equipped us with our ammo and we loved it. God bless Mesa Boogie and the Groove Tube and long live the Marshall stack.

10 years ago I would have had a better chance spotting a Unicorn than seeing a guitarist use a computer for anything (besides emailing their sisters for money of course). Computers were that lowly thing that other lowly musicians needed to compete and create, while us axe men were left digitally unscathed thanks to the organic methods from which our sound was produced.

Now I cant live without my POD. Of course on big shows I still utilize my Death Star rig, but when a gig comes along that requires quick set up, no sound checks and lots of in-between travel sans roadies the Pod still cant be beat. Also, how can I knock a device that lets me close my eyes and hear a wall of 100 watt Marshall Stacks turned to 11, while my wife sits 3 feet from me comfortably watching Desperate Housewives?

Acoustic Electric Bass Guitar

Epiphone Les Paul Gig Bag, Black

2008-08-28T17:28:00.001-07:00

Designed with the specific dimensions to hold your LP comfortably and safely.
Customer Review: Epi Gig Bag
I returned the bag. I purchased it in anticipation of purchasing a Les Paul, but I eventually purchased a Epiphone Dot Studio. I returned the gig bag for exchange.

Karaoke Player - this is the karaoke machine itself. It plays karaoke songs, or music without the words. The lyrics are shown on a monitor so people can still sing the song even if they don't know the words.

All that you know about karaoke will be changed forever...

Health Benefits of Karaoke:

Hitokara - means you must sing the song alone.

Kamikaze Karaoke - In Kamikaze Karaoke, the KJ will choose a pitch number for you, and you have to try to sing the song in that pitch.

Jackie Chan will sing the opening song for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics - KARAOKE STYLE!

Spinning Karaoke - this is cycling on stationary bicycles while singing karaoke. What a workout!

Karaoke mania is sweeping the world! Have you taken your trip up to the stage yet to belt out your favorite song to those you know and love? If not, you might just find yourself on the singing end of your nearest karaoke system very soon! So what is this karaoke, anyway? What's the buzz about the newest karaoke player? What do you need to know to be "in the know" about this latest craze? Here are some facts, figures, karaoke lingo, and trivia you may want to know.

Latest Karaoke News:

Karaoke 101 - Everything You Need to Know About Karaoke

Visit our website to find out more about the ultimate home entertainment experience with The SongStation.

KJ - this is the Karaoke DJ. He runs the karaoke system, and gets everyone involved. He adjusts the karaoke player to alter the key or the pitch to better match the voice range of the singer, and adds some echo, so that everyone sounds more professional.

But it is not just a karaoke player. It also an all-in-one system that plays DVD, CDG, CD+G, VCD, MP3 with Dolby Digital features.

Can you imagine having 53,000 karaoke songs in one machine!

Karaoke Lingo:

In addition, karaoke singing releases stress and tension, and helps exercise the lungs. So the next time you want to head off to your local karaoke bar, you can feel good about it!

Karamovie - movie video clips where they leave out the voices

Perhaps karaoke players are most popular of all in Finland. Finland holds several world Karaoke records. They have more karaoke bars per capita than any other place in the world. They hold the world record for the largest amount of people singing the same karaoke song at one time: 80,000 people! What song were they singing? Hard Rock Hallelujah! Finland also holds the world record for the longest round of non-stop Karaoke singing: 240 hours!

Karaoke is a Japanese word, made up of abbreviations of two other Japanese words. "Kara" comes from the word "karappo", meaning empty. "Oke" comes from the word "okesutura", meaning orchestra. So "Karaoke" literally means empty orchestra. Karaoke players play the music of the songs, without the lead vocals. So empty orchestra means you get the music without the voices.

The first karaoke system was invented in the 1970's in Kobe, Japan, by Daisuk Inoue, a musician. He leased his karaoke player for 100 yen, and Karaoke soon became the fun thing to do.

Go figure. Maybe there's something to this karaoke after all. You should try it!

Newest Types of Karaoke Player:

Now you can get Karaoke Ipods, Karaoke Cell Phones, and DVD Player/Karaoke System combos. China has a Karaoke car. Japan, and now spreading to other countries, has Karaoke Boxes - karaoke system/sound-insulated rooms.

What's a new craze without it's own specialized vocabulary to go with it? Here are some karaoke words to know:

Unfortunately, he did not get a patent for his invention, and someone else went on to patent it under a different name, "Minus-One". As you see, his Minus-One system didn't catch on near as well as the catchy "Karaoke", so Daisuk still got his claim to fame. Word of Daisuk's new machine spread, and from Japan it has now become wildly popular all across Asia, Europe, and the USA.

Imagine that! Now you can use your karaoke system to come up with new world records!

Musical Stuff

Yamaha Guitars Welcome to the Guitar-Introduction A' La Guitar

2008-08-28T00:12:00.001-07:00

Join guitarist and educator Tom Duffin for a down-to-earth Introduction to the world of guitar playing.

In other words, a beginning pianist wants to internalize the fundamentals of music as early as possible. If you feel like your ability to play music is proceeding faster than your actual knowledge of piano and music, then there is something wrong with your instruction. Both the skills and the knowledge should go hand in hand.

In short, what I have been driving at is that starting to learn the piano rarely offers instant gratification. When learning how to play the piano, free services tend to offer unrealistic, quick goals. In reality, learning piano is a gradual process that involves lots of practice, lots of repetition, and a strong commitment on the part of the pianist.

Whether you are learning how to play piano using free lessons, or you are using a pay service, any high-quality learning process begins with the fundamentals. It is one thing to show a few diagrams and to instruct the beginning pianist where to put her fingers; it is quite another thing to instill in the pianist's mind a real understanding of the structures, systems, and theories that every great piano player must have internalized.

Thus, when learning how to play piano, free or through a pay service, make sure that the instructions use real musical terms, rather than downgraded proxy terms. That is, for example, an instruction shouldn't refer to notes on the piano as numbers or as fingers; instead, the instruction should use the actual names of the notes -- C, D, B flat, G sharp, and so on.

Beginning Piano Lessons on the Internet - Useful, But Beware

When starting out, the budding pianist can expect to be assigned a lot of repetitive tasks. She will have to play a lot of scales, arpeggios, and simple songs that are designed to help piano students master the complex methods of keyboard fingering. This is normal, and in fact, it is necessary. Any piano lesson program that doesn't involve a lot of repetitive tasks is probably not the best way to learn how to play piano. Free lesson plans are often guilty of this.

Of course, this will all change when you begin to learn about more complex chords, more difficult keys, and more convoluted melodic structures. Once the basics are learned, it won't take long before these fun elements come into play.

This repetition is what leads a lot of beginning pianists to give up very early, but for the more persistent, things do get better. After a while, when you have internalized the fingering techniques that every pianist must master, songs will grow more complex, and then the repetition becomes a joy. For pianists who are a little further along in the learning process, there is nothing more pleasurable than opening a book to a seemingly incomprehensible notation and working at it until it becomes a beautiful piece of music.

When learning how to play piano, free opportunities present themselves all over the Internet. Most notably, many websites offer quick step-by-step lessons, as well as free online sheet music, which beginning pianists can use to learn how to play piano at no cost. Obviously, like any free service, these should be approached with caution, and many should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, they are free for a reason. In spite of everything the Internet has to offer, most of the best ways to learn piano still involve paying money to a highly qualified professional instructor of some kind.

Musical Stuff

ZOOM G1x Guitar Effects Pedal

2008-08-27T18:06:00.001-07:00

* Effect Types: 54* Effect Modules: 8* Patch Memory: User 40 + Preset 40, Total 80* Sampling Frequency: 96kHz* A/D Conversion: 24-bit, 128 times over-sampling* D/A Conversion: 24-bit, 128 times over-sampling* Signal Processing: 32bit* Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz +1.0dB/-4.0dB (with 10kohm load)* Display: 2 digit 7 segment LED* Input: 1/4" phone jack (Rated input level: -20dBm, Input impedance : 470kohm)* Output(Line / headphones combined): 1/4" stereo phone jack(Maximum output level : [LINE]+3dBm, output load impedance 10kohm or higher / [headphones]20mW + 20mW, into 32 ohms load)* Control Input: Expression pedal, Foot switch* Power Requirements: AA size(LR6) battery x 4(Optional), or AC adaptor DC9V/300mA / Center minus type(Optional, AD-0006 recommended)* Battery Life: 12 hours(with alkaline batteries)* Dimensions: 155(D) x 136(W) x 52(H) mm* Weight: 350g(without batteries)* Optional Accessories: FP02(Expression pedal), FS01(Foot switch), AD-0006D(AC adaptor)

The best guitar for the blues is also used for many blues musicians from Memphis, Tennessee. The Memphis blues style is made up of many unconventional instruments like the fiddle and mandolin. More importantly, the style also uses a guitar with the ensemble.

The best guitar for the blues can bring out the real beauty of the music genre. This is because the modern day blues is known to be based off the mixed musical traditions from Europe and Africa, where the artistic effects of vocals and guitar are wonderfully blended into a new genre that incidentally, is also responsible for acting as the foundation for so many popular music genres. Conversely, these popular music genres also use the best guitar for the blues when they make music. For example, genres like electric blues and rock and roll focus on the guitar's base strings for accompaniment such as the shuffle rhythm, a cool but steady way of playing the guitar's base.

The term "blues" for the music genre is taken from the fact that it is music generated from blue notes. These notes are the kind that is sung in a lower pitch relative to the major notes in the musical scale. Other than that, there are really no common characteristics to the music genre since it is integrated into many music types itself. Among the many popular music genres that uses the blues are jazz, rhythm and blues, bluegrass, rock and roll, hip-hop and many others. In truth, the blues has become the foundation and root of so many popular music forms.

For the music genre, it seems that the best guitar for the blues really depends on the style in which every blues artist wants to express in the music. Because the blues does not really have strict common characteristics, it becomes one of the more versatile music genres of its kind.

Best Guitar For the Blues

Amplifiers Guitar

SP Acoustic Guitar Strings: Phosphor Bronze Light/Medium

2008-08-26T17:20:00.001-07:00

Martin s SP acoustic guitar string series (Studio/Performance) are made by craftspeople from an ultra-high quality steel core that resists breaking much better than average acoustic guitar strings. Both the core and the plain acoustic guitar strings are plated with a smooth acoustic bronze finish. They stay bright, have long lasting tonal qualities, and look absolutely beautiful on an acoustic guitar.
Customer Review: PERFECT FOR MY GUITAR
I own a Martin D-15 acoustic guitar (the all-mahogany dreadnought) and found that with the medium strings (the 13-56) I was getting AMAZING volume and tone but that they were exerting a bit too much tension on my guitar. It was a very tricky guitar to set up, and I didn't want to fool with it any more. I switched to the light gauge (the 12s) and found that I lost too much volume and tone and that they weren't exerting ENOUGH tension on the the guitar--the strings were "bottoming out" and rattling against the fingerboard. I despaired of getting my guitar set up the right way, (didn't want to spend the extra moolah for ANOTHER set-up) but then I found out about the "light/medium" gauge, which i believe goes from .0125 for the high "E" to .055 for the low "E." I ordered, they arrived, and they are PERFECT for me. They exert exactly the right amount of pull on my guitar (the tension is midway bewteen the lights and the mediums) and the tone and volume are FANTASTIC. These stings are bright, even, and somewhat chimey-sounding on my guitar, and nicely LOUD. With this gauge, you get the booming, bluegrassy bottom (although nicely balanced overall) but with a bit more "play" in the strings--therefore, lead runs are a bit easier, less "stiff," especially high up on the neck. I would recommend them to anyone who finds mediums too stiff and lights too quiet. The best of both worlds. They are, it seems, easier to find on-line than in stores. Not many people are hip to these strings, but it is well worth seeking them out. Of course, they are Martin strings, and people either like the sound of Martin strings or they don't. If you dig Elixirs (and I DO NOT) then these aren't for you. The treble strings (bronzed in the SP sets) have a very nice tone, slightly mellower and at the same time louder (less sharp and trebly/shrill) than the plain steel strings of the other Martin sets. And they last. Two weeks so far, and they sound as good as when I put 'em on. As far as I am concerned, these strings are the best I've used, and without question would sound GREAT on a Martin guitar, or any dreadnought for that matter.

Well, sort of. Many of the most popular MySpace "discoveries" -- Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys, Colbie Caillat, Sean Kingston -- are misleading ones. For while there are notable exceptions (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus), most of these sensations had backing prior to their miraculous MySpace launches. For instance, Lily Allen already had a contract with Parlophone, an EMI subsidiary label, before she became a MySpace phenom. Arctic Monkeys had retained the services of the same PR company and radio promoter as the famous UK bands Ash and the Kaiser Chiefs long before they got signed and weren't even on MySpace until just before their first single's release. "Bubbly" singer Colbie Caillat, while genuinely unsigned, had inside help from her father, Ken Caillat, a veteran producer who worked on Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors," and executive produced her album. Sean Kingston had some industry guidance as well, from no less than his uncle, iconic reggae artist Buju Banton and his grandfather, Jack "L Lindo" Ruby, producer for reggae legends Burning Spear. So with few exceptions, this new music biz looks startlingly familiar to the old one. There are certainly more faces and new names, but it's still all about PR -- but hype has always been only one part of the big music industry picture.

1) Government Grants

Unless you are planning on somehow becoming a charitable organization (and no, being broke doesn't qualify) then don't even bother applying for government grants. They accept 501c3 non-profits only and applying will just waste your time.

3) Fans

Why not approach the people that appreciate the very essence of your musical genius? They might be very willing to help since they are already financially supporting your career. And it always pays to ask around: you never know whose fan's cousin's brother might be interested in this unique type of opportunity.

3) Traditional Lenders

Business bank loans are very tricky to get. One of the first questions a lender will ask about, aside from your credit score and what type of collateral you have, is what the loan is for. When you mention "band," "music industry," or some combination thereof, all a lender hears is "high-risk." So why are loans in the "realistic financial options" category? Because your lender may be able to help you come up with some creative solutions that would satisfy your financial objectives.

"So, what?" you might well be thinking. "Who wants to be signed to a label anyway? I'd rather do everything myself and keep all the money. If I sell 10,000 CDs, I'm raking in a lot of money!"

1) Personal Finances

Though this suggestion might make you blanch, if you're not willing to bank on yourself, why should anyone else? It does not look good to any outside party if you lack so much confidence in your success that you're not willing to put your own money where your mouth is.

As of this writing, there are over eight million bands on MySpace. There are countless articles, books and companies that tell you, in various overenthusiastic ways, how to launch your band to the top social networking sites of the moment. But the unasked question remains: "What good does all this online hype really do a band in the real world?" And it's a good, if dreadfully unpopular, question. Millions of profile views, 90,000 friends and 200,000 plays alone aren't enough for a career.

2) Friends and Family

Just like any early-stage business, experts suggest that your first source of outside financing should be to approach the people that know you best-your loved ones. After all, they want you to succeed and there's nothing better than someone that truly believes in you supporting you. There are also reasons to be wary of this situation, however; experts also recommend never mixing family and friends with money.

2) Sellaband.com

In my opinion, any band able to raise $50,000 ought to be spending it on more than just recording. Of the required $50,000 budget Sellaband requires to be raised through a band's "believers" (their fans) before any money is distributed, $30,000 is spent on recording an album with a Sellaband "Expert" producer and $20,000 goes to manufacturing and distributing 5,000 CDs. Artists get a store front with ad revenue split between the band and their "believers." In exchange, Sellaband claims 40% of the album's publishing. All this begs the question: how many more copies of a $30,000 album will you sell when there's no money spent on radio, distribution, publicity, marketing or anything else that stimulates sales?

Bands and the Old-School Problem With New Media and MySpace

"But there are tons of bands discovered on MySpace every day!" you protest. "Bands that went from nothing to being famous in, like, a month!"

The following are financial options that bands might want to reconsider:

3) Selling Your Organs and/or Soul

Call me prude, but selling anything your body cannot reproduce on its own does not sound like a safe idea. And selling your soul just comes across as trying too hard.

Regardless of the path chosen, money remains a necessary need for most bands, despite the plethora of free, new media methods available. By treating your band as a business, others will begin to do the same. Surround yourself with people who value your band as much as you do and find those with both the ways and means to help you succeed.

(Disclaimer: Any financial consideration ought to be looked over by your accountant or other financial advisor and you should never sign a contract without having an attorney preview it.) Now, with that said, the following examples provide a few potentially viable options for a band to consider in funding their future:

This brings us to the next point: nearly all artists reach a point of regional saturation where they need to get to the next level -- and that takes money. Careers take a financial investment of some sort, whether it's a degree for college, a certification from a tech school or some type of specialized training. In this way, the music business is no different: it takes an investment of not only a band's time, talents and sweat equity, but also capital to get bands to that oft-spoken about "next level." A financial infusion will allow you access to the marketing muscle and promotional opportunities necessary to boost your sales to the point where music is your full-time gig. So what are your financial options for pursuing your band like a serious career?

Musical Stuff

Got Drums ? Drummer T Shirt Small thru 5X

2008-08-25T19:45:00.001-07:00

Features the print on the front. 100% cotton, pre-shrunk shirts.
Customer Review: nice shirt
The shirt was a Christmas gift for a great drummer and he really loved it. He thought it was unique.

Battle of the bands competitions and side stages at major music festivals have also proved to be effective marketing tools for the promotion of a bands music. It may take a lot of time and effort, but a relentless touring schedule may be the only avenue left for an indie band to make their mark.

Effective Indie Promotion

It used to be that independent musical artists could start with their local scene and create an in to bigger fame that way, a sort of osmosis effect. However, the modern era has seen a huge rise in conglomeration, where most radio stations, even those touted as local, are in fact owned and their programming controlled by corporations. Like the big labels, these media giants have business, and not necessarily quality, governing the bottom line.

Without being able to count on a lot of local support in the form of airplay, independent artists are now forced to rely on the other tool to get their message out: touring. Again, the life of an indie group in this area is made more difficult due to the lack of support. Venues need to be sought out and sealed by the band or individual themselves, and events are hard-won.

One of the hardest things about choosing the independent route for any artist is how to get your product out to the masses. Rejecting the road the big labels have paved (and blocked!) means that you retain control over your product, but it also means that all of the advertising techniques used by the big guys to flood the market with the latest hit are not available.

Musical Stuff

Guitar Bk & Sides,Jumbo,RW,A 2 parts

2008-08-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

Indian Rosewood - Dalbergia sissoo

Some groups however felt that they needed to add a more spiritual dimension to their music and construct a narrative that would allow them to discuss the concepts that filled their heads. For The Who Tommy was their first sustained attempt to expand on the promise of the mini-rock vignettes they had released on previous records.

A Landmark For "The Who" - Tommy Set the Stage For 1970's Rock

'Tommy' gave Townshend a release for the spiritual topics related to his tutelage under Meher Baba that felt he needed to write music about. The entire production was scored for the orchestra, and then later brought to the silver screen in 1975 as a film starring the lead singer of the group, Roger Daltrey. The movie was a critical and commercial success, and Daltrey was also instrumental in bringing 'Tommy' to Broadway in the early 90's. This rock opera continues to be regarded as an important part of rock and roll's maturation process and a harbinger of the concept albums which would flood record stores in the 1970's.

The late 60's were a transitional moment for rock and roll. Many bands were attempting to stretch their wings and experiment with the kinds of material that they could release to the public. Some bands turned to composing with orchestras in mind, while others focused on spreading a social or political message.

In today's entertainment culture this plot may not sound all that risqu, but when it was released in 1969 there were many who felt that the entire scenario was far too relentlessly dark. The themes of child abuse, religious manipulation and spirituality were new territory for rock music. Some of these criticisms were made quite vocally, but they were countered by an equal number of people who celebrated this new form of artistic expression, dubbing it 'rock opera'. In terms of records sales for The Who Tommy was a smash, and remained on the charts for 126 weeks.

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Seven-Pad Digital Drum System

2008-08-24T19:05:00.001-07:00

*Seven touch-sensitive drum pads *174 percussion voices assignable to any pad *100 built-in rhythm and general MIDI *50 programmed drum kits and large 3-digit LED *Hand percussion mode adds realism when playing with hands *Uses PA-6 power adapter or optional six C batteries *Includes two assignable foot pedals, drum sticks, and headphone jack

Zen Guitar And The Way Of The Rock Warrior

The Way Of The Warrior Is The Same As The Artist. I am a Rock Warrior and an Artist, but I'm a Warrior first because I feel Warrior encompasses both. Just as when you play guitar you don't concentrate real hard but you have an active awareness of everything your doing. Within this awareness lies the concentration. Within guitar lies Zen and this is how your true style comes about. See Zen Guitar To Fully Understand.

These words are from the book Soul Sword:The Way and Mind of a Zen Warrior. In order to be a Guitar Warrior or any other type of warrior one must live in the moment and not in the past or future. This does not mean ignore the past but rather understand it for what it was and how it helped shape the moment. Focusing on the past as if you can change it or as if it still exists will create a division in the present. Like the quote says, a Warriors path is one of action. You can't be fully committed to the action of the moment if you are thinking about past events, your attention becomes divided. How can you claim to be learning guitar if you have a thousand thoughts running through your head. The rock warrior must use patience when learning the ways of rock. There is no need to focus on what one has played in the past only what one is playing now. This is useful when you improvise.

"The Warriors path is one of action...The artist like the warrior, must capture the essence of life as it flashes past or lose it forever...The True you emerges when there is no attempt to prove anything to anyone."

When you improvise it should be like breathing. Your breathing is automatic most of the time yet we have control over it if we choose. Let the Mind-Body-Spirit take over. The shred should spring forth from your hand like lava from a volcano if need be.The Rock Warrior knows he could die at any instant. The Warrior and The Artist are one. The Guitar is a tool of the warrior. It is an extension of his body. The guitar can be said to play the man when he is one with what he is doing. Ask Yourself "What am I doing right now?" The Warrior knows action is based upon the Now and not the Experiences of the past or predictions of the future. The Warrior is careful not to lose his focus on anything he is doing at the moment. The Artist and the Warrior are one. If Mind-body-Spirit are not one than the Warrior is divided within himself. He will be doomed forever to be a Jack of all Trades Master of None.

Cheap Musice Euipment

Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals Vol 2- Creating Your Own Arrangements

2008-08-22T18:06:00.001-07:00

Martin plays, sings and analyzes "Jock O'Hazeldean," "Banks Of The Bann" and "In The Bleak Mid-Winter," featuring the intricacies of dropped-D tuning. You'll learn about arrangement and structure, finding the basic melody, chord shapes, voicing, altered chords, right-hand patterns and more.

Practice, Practice, Practice. That's how to play acoustic guitar.

Don't promise yourself that you will practice for an hour every day. Make that a promise of twenty minutes everyday. Little and often is best I find. Have your guitar and chord books or tabs to hand if you're watching TV, that way you can have five minutes practice during the commercial break (and sometimes longer). I find that this works really well as it's sort of unplanned (and far more enjoyable than most of the commercials).

If you have enjoyed this article you can find more great information at:

Play On.

"Google" your favorite song and see if there's a result that offers chord charts for them. Study the charts to find a song you know that has a simple chord progression, these will be chords that you can already play or would like to learn. Download the chord charts and start practicing. You'll be amazed at how good you will feel when you are playing along to your well loved songs.

1# Because you will need to practice often (and sometimes you wont want to)-, playing along to a favorite song can be a great motivator. Even if you are a raw beginner you will be surprised at how many songs you can play along to.

To make sure your guitar is in tune you can use a set of inexpensive pitch pipes. Learn to tune from string to string. Use an electronic guitar tuner or tune from a piano or another guitar. To save room in this article I wont go into detail but you can find some excellent information here:

3# Decide on what type of pick (plectrum)you want to use. This is one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment. Picks come in various gauges. A very thin pick will give a much softer sound than a thick one so try experimenting and choose the pick that achieves the sound you want. Some guitarist wear a pick on there thumb and some guitarists just use their fingers. It's all a matter of choice and something you do need to be aware of.

If you want to learn how to play acoustic guitar there are some things that you need to know right from the start. Believe me when I say that they will save you a great deal of frustration.

How To Play Acoustic Guitar

4# Now you'll have to excuse me here as I'm going to use a word that some people find quite upsetting. Are you ready? The word is "practice". I'm sorry but it just had to be said. Of course, we all promise we will practice but there's always a good film on or the big game just about to start and a hundred other excuses. I'm no different, so here my suggestion.

I hope that these tips will help you on your way to becoming a great guitarist.

Here are some great tips that should help:

2# Make sure that your guitar is tuned properly. You may not believe this but I've met people who wanted to know how to play acoustic guitar that didn't know that each string on a guitar had to be tuned to a specific pith!. It's not a case of getting the tuning nearly right either, you need to get it "spot on" why? because you will judge your playing by the way you sound and if just one string is slightly of pitch, your "sound" wont be as good as you would like or indeed would have been had your guitar been in tune.

Buy Music Equipment

Zoom G1X Guitar Multi Effects Pedal with Expression Pedal

2008-08-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

The G1x significantly increases the versatility of the G1 with the addition of an expression pedal for flange, wah, and other effects. The new Zoom G1x pedal features 24-bit/96kHz digital multi-effects and an incredible 40kHz frequency response. The G1x also includes a built-in drum machine, harmonized pitch shifter and an astounding 46 effect types. Incorporating the sleek, flowing design and vivid colors that the Zoom guitar effect pedal series is renowned for, the pedals are made with extremely durable, lightweight plastic. The new G1x also brings the speed of Zoom's powerful ZFX-3 processor for low latency when changing effects. The pedals operate on 4 AA batteries or the included AC power adapter.
Customer Review: Mucha Calidad
Un articulo de exelente calidad, muy buenos efectos y facil usabilidad, a relacion con su precio, el articulo vale mucho la pena, se los recomiendo. Como guitarrista les puedo decir, este pedal de efectos no tiene nada que envidiarle a otros de precios mas altos!
Customer Review: lots of fun
this is a good product for its money and gives lots of new ideas on how to play but the only downfall is its tends to fart when hittin lower notes

Tunings were originally developed and kept within the family, then handed down to succeeding generations as a family secret. Nowadays, tunings continue to be developed, but the veil of secrecy is gone and ideas are willingly shared by all good players.

The development of the Hawaiian guitar through these early electric years is a complicated story as leading players tried and tested new tunings and technical approaches.

The name was used by the Hawaiians to describe the method of tuning - several strings were loosened or slackened down to spell out the sound of a basic triad, usually major. Many tunings exist, but the original and still the most common, is called - "taro patch" tuning ..

The very year that Kekuku died saw the birth of the electric guitar - the first Rickenbacker Frypans became available in 1932 and a new era began. The steel guitar was more suited to electrification than its "Spanish" counterpart - a large magnet could be placed above and below the strings without impeding the player's right hand movement; and since this breakthrough was solely associated with the Hawaiian players, their music spread to even wider fields. Thousands of recordings were made and magnificent players such as Sol Hoopii, Dick McIntire, Andy Iona, Danny steward and Bobby Nicholls were much sought after. These men, plus a few others, created music of great beauty that is now virtually non-existent. If an opportunity to hear the music of these now-forgotten pre-war Hawaiian artists arises - grab it!

He progressed from this comb a railway bolt, a knife or tumbler, and finally to a steel bar which he designed and made in the school workshop. To increase the volume he designed metal finger and thumb picks shaped to fit his right hand. When after some experimentation, Kekuku realized that this new style of playing was more than a novelty, he became determined to tap its potential and master whatever his findings brought to life.

Slack Key and its "Taro Patch" tuning were taken one step further when an eleven year old Hawaiian schoolboy, Joseph Kekuku, as early as 1885, placed the guitar flat on his lap and using a comb discovered the sweet sounds of the slide guitar.

Today, the pure Hawaiian style is best preserved in the playing of Jerry Byrd - an American guitarist living in Honolulu. Electrification itself made the steel guitar a force to be reckoned with in Country music and it's sound became an essential ingredient in the style known as Western-swing. Leon McAuliffe, guitarist with Bob Wills Texas Playboys, McAuliffe the first great player in this area.

Since 1960 there has been a tremendous upsurge of interest among young Hawaiians in the traditional slack key methods and a great deal of wonderful music can be found within the recorded works of Gabby Pahanui, Atta Isaacs, The Breamer Brothers, Raymond Kane and other masters of the style. Their music is tightly locked into the modern Polynesian psyche as Flamenco is interlaced with the Spanish, and Jazz with the Afro-American way of life.

Today, steel guitars come equipped with two necks of ten strings, usually tuned to E9th and C6th, plus pedals and knee levers to raise or lower each string - a formidable instrument indeed. Few men can claim to have mastered its complicated mechanisms, but those that have are giants of the first order. To hear pedal steel guitar at its best, listen to Buddy Emmons or Curly Chalker (both have one foot in the world of Jazz and the other in Western Swing). For the best of Country style, catch Lloyd Green and Australia's own Kenny Kitching.

Thanks to Joseph Kekuku and the early Hawaiian steel-men, the instrument and its associated musical forms soon established an identity of their own. But, Joseph's very effectiveness in focusing attention onto his steel-type playing detracted from its original source - Slack Key. This form remained virtually unknown to the non-Hawaiian' music world until the 1950's.

Origins Of "Non-Classical" Guitar

1 2 3 4 5 6 D B G D G D

In 1865 a number of Portuguese arrived to work the mighty Pioneer Sugar Plantations and through them, the island musicians were exposed to the first "non-classical" guitar styles - some 50 - 60 years before it moved into the limelight of American popular music.

The guitar quickly became part of island life and because European music or technical approaches offered little that suited the Polynesian's expressive needs, they literally re-invented both the instrument and it's music, to bring forth a style know as "Ki ho alu", or "slack key guitar".

He worked hard and while still at school, gave professional concerts in Honolulu. Many classmates learnt from Joseph and took his method of playing back to their homes throughout the islands, and from there it spread throughout the world. In 1904 Joseph Kekuku moved to the American mainland and begun a full-time playing and teaching career. His ability to communicate with audiences opened the doors for the international acceptance of Hawaiian and steel guitar music. Between 1919 and 1927 he toured Europe and played before the Kings and Queens of many countries' - he set up effective teaching practices in Chicago and Boston and finally died in 1932. He was considered to be "a great teacher of the steel guitar and the possessor of the sweetest-toned guitar in the world."

Classical Guitar Store

Fender GMP Replica Mini Stratocaster® - Sunburst - Replica Model

2008-08-21T02:45:00.001-07:00

GMP has captured the essence of the Stratocaster in outstanding detail with this 1:3-scale replica, the first in the series. Features include a real wood neck contoured to match the real guitar, an accurately contoured die-cast body, moveable pickup selector switch, volume and tone controls, accurately scaled steel strings and a moveable tremolo arm. Each miniature comes with a display stand, wall mount and full-color collector's box.
Customer Review: The shrunken Strat
Really nice. I got the sunburst strat model, and the paint on the diecast body shows woodgrain. One detractor though, mine could have used a little more red in the sunburst - almost looks like the two tone fifties sunburst pattern - but I am just nitpicking. The things is beautiful. I think they should offer a fifties strat with a maple fretboard......
Customer Review: Mini Strat
This is a great looking collectible! A perfect looking tiny strat, right down to the last detail. I love the look of the finish - just like the real thing! I also love the wall hanger - it looks just like a regular guitar wall hanger, only small! Great detail and craftmanship in this item!

How to Play 6 String Guitar

As with anything else in life, it is going to take some practice before you can call yourself an "expert" but that does not mean that the practice needs to be monotonous or boring. Continue learning and adding to your knowledge about guitar playing and you will be surprised at how quickly you are able to play almost anything.

As long as you have your own guitar (or are able to borrow one while you are learning), you are ready to get started. By learning just a few of the basic chords, you will soon be able to play a wide variety of songs even before you learn any of the intricacies of guitar playing. For example, a three chord combination, such as the D, A7 and G chords will enable you to play quite a few songs. This should keep you interested as you learn other more complex chords and deeper methods of guitar playing.

I'm sure you will agree with me that he guitar really is a beautiful sounding instrument. Learning how to play 6 string guitar will not only enhance your enjoyment of the instrument, it will also open up a whole new world of music to you. Many people shy away from learning the guitar, simply because they feel that it is outside of their reach. It doesn't matter who you are, you can learn how to play the guitar in a relatively short period of time.

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Fender Stratocaster 3 Pack Pickup Covers, Black

2008-08-20T17:13:00.001-07:00

We have just what the doctor ordered. Pickup cover sets to spruce up your favorite Fender(R) instrument. Includes three black pickup covers for Fender Stratocasters(R).

Bass Drums - Preventing Slippage

Many people find that doing this with their kick is enough to stop the creeping, but if it continues to move there are a few more things that can be tried. Try adjusting the the front legs so they are elevated at an angle that is slightly steeper.

Creeping is what happens when the kick slowly begins to move away as the drummer uses the pedal again and again. This is something that usually happens gradually, but by the end of a set of songs, the drummer is sometimes needing to contort his body just to be able to reach the pedal.

Anther thing that some people do when the have problems with creeping is they will place a heavy item in front of the drum. This could include anything from a large rock to another musical instrument. Even though this can help keep it in place, there are problems associated with doing this.

After the bass has been set up on the rug or carpet, it might be best to install legs that have sharp ends. The ends of the legs should be positioned so that the spikes are able to dig into the rug. You do not need to stab the rug, but it can be helpful to gently press down on the top of the drum after you have it in place on the rug where you need it to be.

One of the biggest disadvantages is the fact that an item that touches the front could alter the sound.

The creeping of bass (also called 'kick') drums is something that can be remedied. Many consider playing bass drums to be the most fun part of playing a set. There is just something about kicking the pedal that is a little more fun than hitting the toms with drumsticks. Because kicking the pedal can be so fun, a process called "creeping" occurs that can affect how you perform.

For best results, include enough space between the front and back of the drum so that you can insert the palm of your hand. If it continues to creep after this is done, try increasing the gap and see what happens. Having a steeper angle will help to move more weight to the feet. This, in turn, will help the pointy legs be more effective.

12 String Acoustic Guitar

Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plain Top Electric Guitar, Ebony

2008-08-19T17:12:00.001-07:00

The Les Paul Standard Guitar features 2 humbucker pickups and chrome hardware. The body material is made of Mahogany/Alder and has an Ebony finish.
Customer Review: Very Nice For The Price
Now while I can't say that this is just as good as a Gibson its close enough. Bought this guitar from American Musical Supply for $319.99 (with free shipping) and for the price it is not bad at all. I ordered it on Sunday night arrived Wednesday playable right out of the box!!! Looks Its truly beautiful not as detailed as Gibson but who cares. I got the ebony with chrome hardware the picture does not do this guitar justice. I swear it looks three times as good as it does in the picture. Sound For a guitar of this price the pickups are great. On a clean channel the neck/rhythm pickup provides a nice thick rich warm bluesy tone with sustain that seems to last forever! While the bridge/treble pickup provides a bright perfect tone. When mixed with my Big Muff Pi & Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion pedals (both are a great buy) it provides deep smooth rhythms and ear scorching leads. Durability The guitar it self is very well made and can take quite a beating. My only gripe so far is it goes out of tune with the original strings. So I swapped them out for a new set haven't had a problem since. Overall If your looking for a cheap alternative to a $2000-3000 Gibson Les Paul without sacrificing sound or durability this is by far your best bet. If something ever happened to it without a thought I'd replace it in a second.
Customer Review: awsomely sweetly wicked!!!!!!
This guitar is the best guitar ever! It is a sweet guitar! It feels, soundS and looks like a real les paul. It is a great investment! I have played a lot of real les pauls and other guitars and this is the best! I even have my own little Squire Strat which is a good guitar, but I think this is the best guitar on earth!!!!!!!!!! I would definately buy this guitar if I were you!!! But I got mine from a store, so I think you should go and try some out. I got mine for around $400 and it is sweet! I played it for 12 hours straight after I got it, plus a ton during the rest of the week and it hardly went out of tune. It has great sound and sustain and as someone said in one review for another guitar, I have to look down to make sure it is me playing it because it sounds so good!!!!! I LOVE THIS GUITAR! IT ROCKS AND IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guitar strings are strung parallel to the neck, whose surface is covered by the fingerboard. By depressing a string against the fingerboard, the effective length of the string can be changed, which in turn changes the frequency at which the string will vibrate when plucked. Guitarists typically use one hand to pluck the strings and the other to depress the strings against the fretboard. Traditionally, the dominant hand is assigned the task of plucking or strumming the strings.

Acoustic electric guitars

Electric bass guitar

The bass is typically used to provide the low-pitched bassline and bass runs in popular music and jazz. The electric bass is also used as a soloing instrument in jazz, fusion, and latin.

The electric bass guitar is an electrically-amplified fingered string instrument. The bass is similar in appearance to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and scale length, and, usually, four strings tuned an octave lower in pitch, in the bass range.

History of the electric guitar

The first recording of an electric guitar was by jazz guitarist Beddie Durham in 1937.

Electric guitar cases

Electric Guitar

Electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses electronic pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cord strings into electrical current. The signal may be electrically altered to achieve various tonal effects prior to being fed into an amplifier, which produces the final sound which can be either an electrical sound or an acoustic sound. Distortion, equalization, or other pedals can change the sound that is emitted from the amplifier.

Electric guitar strings

Case is where the guitar is kept to protect the guitar as well to carry it from one place to another in order to protect it some of the cases available for guitar can be listed as follows:

Onyx Forge custom electric guitars based in California, USA is the one stop for all the custom electric guitars. Their ideal custom guitar includes 6, 7 and 12 string standards guitars. Also specializes in exotic woods and custom switching for active, passive or piezo pickups.

The electric guitar is used extensively in many popular styles of music, including almost all genres of rock and roll, country music, pop music and also in some classic music.

An Introduction to the Electric Guitar

Calton Electric Guitar Cases will accommodate most electric, acoustic electric and electric hollow body guitars. Due to the shaped nature of a Calton case, the instrument's horn length and headstock offset are critical measurements that may be requested for your case to be made.

Custom electric guitars

Some steel-string acoustic guitars are fitted with pickups purely as an alternative to using a separate microphone. These are called electric acoustic guitars, and are regarded as acoustic guitars rather than electric guitars. These should not be confused with hollo body electric guitars, which are more of electric guitars fitted with hollow sound chambers.

Adolph Rickenbacker invented the electric guitar.

The AME-30 is designed to fit Archtop guitars. Featuring the revolutionary Ameritage Humidity Control System, which protects instruments against climatic effects which cause swelling?

In electric guitars, transducers known as pickups convert string vibration to an electronic signal, which in turn is amplified and fed to speakers, which vibrate the air to produce the sound we hear.

12 String Acoustic Guitar

Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty Electric Guitar

2008-08-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

The classic "tuxedo" look and world famous features that has made the Les Paul Custom a hit since 1954, plus an additional 3rd humbucker, are now available in a great price range, with the Epiphone Black Beauty.
Customer Review: I love this Guitar, best I've ever owned!
I played in a cover band for many years, before I started writing my own music, so I needed a guitar that had the versatility to switch from Heavy Metal to Blues and back to Alternative Rock with a twist of Electronica. The Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty was perfect for this need. The three pick ups make it versatile enough to play anything you want and it still sounds amazing. Its made in Gibson's Epiphone Factory in Quindao, China, but don't let this put you off, the craftmanship to top notch and is head and shoulders above guitars in the same price range built in America. Probably because the expansive work force in China under the training and direction of American master guitarists allows Epiphone to devote more time to making the best guitars possible. I highly recommend this guitar to everyone from beginners to advanced players. It looks even better in real life and sounds twice as good as it looks.
Customer Review: Awesome
I bought this guitar a while back now and it LOOKS awesome, really cool, it plays really well too i like to play like classisc rock and stuff like Led Zepplin, Guns n Roses and then theres stuff like Lenny Kravitz, Muse ETC and it handles them well. The only thing i was concerned about is the Treb and Rhythm Swith it was a bit wobblie..... but its ok hasnt gone wrong yet :D.

Another very popular style of guitar playing is jazz. Although acoustic guitars with steel strings are the most frequently used guitars to play jazz, many players also prefer to use an electric steel guitar. Jazz musicians learn how to play several different chords and also to cobble together the use of scales, arpeggios and modes within the tune's chord progression, known as "comping", which is an abbreviation of accompanying.

Guitar styles are categorized into defined varieties and each has their own individual flavors. Folk, bluegrass, and country are some of the other well know styles and they all have their die hard fans.

Some guitarists can perform all of the many different styles of guitar playing whilst others just concentrate on their favorites and leave it at that. The majority of styles can be played on either electric or acoustic instruments. However, heavy metal music would be played on an electric guitar and styles such as flamenco or classical require the nylon strings of an acoustic model.

Guitar Playing Styles - Which One Is For You?

The distorted and severe sound and speed of heavy metal is appreciated by many guitarists and you will often hear a guitar solo being played in the middle of a song with the vocals and drumming featured around the solo.

Playing "classical" music requires no pick, so if picks are your thing, it would be appropriate to choose a different style. This music is played on a classical guitar and is usually well known and long lasting amongst its audience as opposed to music styles which come and go quite quickly. To play this style of music all four fingers are placed on the frets and the thumb and three fingers of the "picking" hand are used. As the player uses fingernails and the fleshy part of the fingers when playing classical music, it is necessary for the guitar strings to be made of nylon. If you try it with steel strings you are likely to remove your finger nails and the sound would be totally ruined.

When you are new to playing the guitar its best if you stay with the one style you know until you are confident with it, and then, if you so choose you can move on to learn another one. For example, if you like the blues make sure you learn the techniques of slides, bending the strings, hammer-ons and pull-offs and the vibrato that is required. Playing the blues on a guitar with steel strings will involve a different technique as there is not a great deal of room between each string and the fretboard is narrower. In order to get the right tone pitches when playing the blues it is important to master string pulling.

Musical Stuff

Jimi Hendrix (Playing Guitar) Music Poster Print - 11" X 17"

2008-08-18T05:34:00.001-07:00

We bring you the best selection of Movie Posters, Music Posters, Sports Posters, Art Prints, Television Posters, College Humor, and more! This is the premier destination for finding entertainment posters. Find authentic movie advertisements, increase your celebrity photo and poster collection, locate that missing pop idol piece you need to complete your set, or discover rare concert sheets from your favorites musicians and bands. Whether its that one rare framed art print youve been looking for, or you need to wallpaper your dorm room with the hottest, sexiest posters, this is the place to find everything. Brand new, perfect condition, fast shipping! Buy from the best!!!

Its easy to become overwhelmed when learning how to play the guitar too. Frustration and time constraints can short circuit your progress and leave you feeling discouraged. The temptation to give up may become very strong and you might think to yourself: "I'm too busy for this right now; perhaps I'll take a break and pick it back up when I have more time." Don't be fooled into making this mistake! People who think like this will probably never find the time to really learn how to play the guitar. Instead, try to look for creative new ways to bring the fun back into the learning process.

FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? That's how I've been feeling lately (especially when it comes to playing my guitar.) Perhaps it's just the summertime blues, but it seems there are far too many things to do and not enough time! Take my garden for instance. It's full of weeds even though Ive spent many hours on my hands and knees pulling them out. No matter how hard I try to get rid of them, they just keep coming back! It's almost as if those nasty weeds are laughing at me - "ha, ha" they say, "you'll never get rid of us!" Sometimes I think of Solomon and how he felt when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

Try a couple of these ideas and then see if you can come up with some more of your own. Remember, the important thing is that you want to learn how to play the guitar, not just work at it. Summer is a natural time to think about vacations and doing other things you enjoy, so relax a little and let your guitar be part of the fun!

Here are some ideas:

After mowing the lawn, why not sit down under a tree with a refreshing glass of iced tea and play a song, or something else you enjoy, on your guitar. Even fifteen minutes a day is better than nothing. Being outside can help provide a fresh new outlook too.
When you're relaxing in front of the tube (TV), pick up your guitar and noodle around during those long commercials. You'll be amazed at how much practice time you can get in and it won't even feel like practicing! You might even have so much fun that you'll forget about the show you were watching. :)
Invite your friends over for a Bar-B-Q and provide some live entertainment. No need to make a big deal out of it. Just casually bring out your guitar and start playing. Show everyone what you've been learning on the guitar and offer to let them try playing it too. That way your guests will appreciate how much you already know.
Give a concert for your family in the living room after dinner.
Experiment with different things on your guitar just for the fun of it. Slide up and down on a string. Strum fast and slow. Try finger picking. Listen to the new sounds that you create. Pretend you're Jimi Henrix (try playing the guitar behind your back or picking the strings with your teeth. :)
Try standing up while you play. Look in the mirror and imagine yourself performing on stage. What would you say to the audience?
Practice in a different place than you usually do. A change of environment and/or surroundings can work wonders for your state of mind.

Acoustic Electric Bass Guitar

The Artistry of Wendell Harrison Interview

2008-08-17T17:30:00.001-07:00

How to Download Music to PSP

And remember, PSP Blender gives you all the software needed and detailed instructions showing exactly how to download music to PSP with ease.

1) Download the music files you want to your computer.

2) Transfer the music files straight to your PSP using a USB cable or compatible memory stick reader.

How to transfer MP3 files to PSP:

How to Download PSP Music From a CD:

It's easy too transfer MP3 music files from your computer to your PSP, here's how:

All you need to supply is a PSP USB cable or a compatible memory stick reader, and at least a 256MB Memory Card.

How To Download Music To Psp The Easy Way

Yep, it's really that easy! PSP Blender provides all the software you'll need, and gives you complete step-by-step instructions making the psp music download and transer process so simple even a child can do it!

Important PSP Music File Tip:

Yep, there's no doubt about it, the new Sony PSP handheld has amazing features! So if you're looking to get psp music, here's an easy psp music download guide...

Connect your PSP to your computer using the USB cable.
Make a new music folder in your PSP with any name you want.
Copy your MP3 files from your computer folder
Open your newly created PSP music folder and paste the the MP3 files into the new folder.

Easily learn how to download music to psp right now and get important psp music listening tips.

Plus, all psp music downloads are in MP3 format and are fully compatible with iPod and other leading media players on the market.

Using PSP Blender, and their free psp software downloads, makes it a breeze to download music to your PSP. They provide you with a cd ripper, psp video converter and step-by-step psp downloading instructions.

Downloading PSP music from a CD calls for an extra step of ripping the song from the CD. A cd ripper allows you to extract music from a cd and requires CD ripping software.

To Sum Up:

Most computers now days come with cd rippers already installed on them, or you can search the Internet for free CD ripping software programs.

Using free psp software from PSP Blender is an easy way to download music to your PSP. You'll get a cd ripper, psp video converter and complete step-by-step instructions showing you exactly how to download music to PSP.

You just supply a PSP USB cable, or a compatible memory stick reader, and at least a 256MB Memory Card and you'll be downloading files to your psp like a pro!

When creating a PSP music folder, DO NOT create a folder inside the folder you made in PSP/MUSIC because PSP will not recognize the folder. So when making your new psp music folder, it's critical to use the following path:
PSP/MUSIC/your folder/your music

2 Easy Steps to Download Music Using PSP Blender:

12 String Acoustic Guitar