mp3hotties.com

Ringtones Provide Fashion Statement for Women

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:20:02 +0000

Ringtones Provide Fashion Statement for WomenBy Bob Bentz Ringingphone.comWhen it comes to ringtones, the battle of the sexes continues.While ringtones are universally popular with both males andfemales, females tend to purchase them more, according to arecent study by M:Metrics.The measurement firm reports that 11.6 million American femalesdownloaded a ringtone in August compared to 9.9 million Americanmales. There’s also a difference in the genre of music that thesexes prefer. Females purchased 66% of the pop ringtones soldand 65% of the country ringtones sold. Not surprisingly, malesdominate in the testosterone-laden world of heavy metal and hardrock ringtones where males purchase 68% of such ringtones.The findings are not a surprise to Anthony Wayne who publishesthe Cool Ringtones Blog (www.coolringtones.blogspot.com). “Maleswere the early adopters of ringtone technology, but now ringtoneproviders are seeing their largest orders being placed byfemales who want to accessorize their cell phones the same waythat they accessorize their outfits. Ringtones providepersonalization and a fashion statement to females and allowmales to project their masculinity to those around them.”The most popular kind of ringtones is rap ringtones; 6.7 millionAmericans downloaded a rap ringtone in a recent month. The nextmost popular categories are rock or alternative ringtones, popringtones, TV/movie/game theme ringtones, and classic rockringtones. Rounding out the top 10 ringtone genres are countryringtones, hard rock and heavy metal ringtones, voice ringtones,oldies ringtones, and dance or electronic ringtones.”Ringtones are all about making a personal statement of who youare, especially in the teen and young adult demographics,” saidWayne. And 22 million Americans are making personal statementsevery month. ###

Taking Care of your Soul mate: Useful Piano Care Tips

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:20:01 +0000

Your piano is your soul mate. Once you start playing it, you twoare hopelessly entwined, enjoying a world of your own, mindlessof what goes on outside your world. It is therefore absolutelyimportant that you take care of your piano properly.Taking care of your piano does not only entail having it tunedup every two to five years. It would also appreciate a dailymaintenance from the owner himself. What good would it do to apiano if it would just be left at one corner of the house,untouched for sometime? Absolutely nothing, and it would justgather dust and rust. One of the best ways to maintain its good condition is to playit often. Just like a human being, this piece of entertainmentequipment needs exercise so as not to expire soon. Throughregular playing, you are not only practicing to become a betterpianist, you can also play and check if your piano is still inperfect tune.It feels great to let your fingers glide over smooth and shinyivory keyboards. It can’t be helped though, especially when youhave little kids at home, to have little sticky hands poundingon the keys from time to time, unless you have strict off-limitsrule on your piano. So, to keep your keyboard clean, shiny andnon-sticky, try wiping a lemon or lemon-salt paste over the keysand then rinse with clean, wet cloth then polish with dry cloth. Check out some of the things you must do in cleaning and takingcare of your piano:The Keys: It is recommended to clean the keys with a light soapsolution preferably that of Ivory brandThe Cabinet: Some pianos, especially those with high-glossfinish should be handled with utmost care. Use a new soft clothto wipe the cabinet. Do not use old towel converted into rags asthe rough fabric can scratch the finishing. And the smallparticles, even dust can leave permanent graze over the glossycover. To clean, wipe a damp rag over a small portion and thenimmediately wipe the area with dry cloth. The wet portion mustnot be left wet for more than a minute. Repeat process until theentire cabinet is cleaned. To polish the cabinet it is best to use piano polish. Furniturepaste wax will do as well. An old upright piano with an old woodfinish may be cleaned with one of those new orange spraycleaner/polisher. Do not use the usual aerosol cleaner on apiano as it contains alcohol that will react with the finishingor tarnish the varnish or lacquer paint on your piano surface.You can buy specially designed piano polisher and polishingcloth as well in most piano stores. The piano should be positioned by the wall of the home and notalong a concrete block or floor as they can cause unstabletemperature due to dampness. Constant changing of temperaturecan cause your piano to go out of tune. But the foremost causeof the change in tune is the change in humidity. Having a piano at home is achieving a lot of goals. Other thanit being an attraction, most of the time, visitors tend toassume that when a homeowner has a piano in his home he is notonly musically inclined but also knows how to belong in theelite society. It is because a piano is still seen as aclassical and very important musical instrument.

Singers take note!

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:20:02 +0000

If you’ve ever been hung up about singing in front of others itmay not be your fault. It may be you are afraid. There’s nothingwrong with being afraid. Fear can be a good thing. Nevertheless,hundreds of people are walking around with scars from peers andteachers, family and friends because they have been told to”Shut Up,” or they couldn’t sing. Such criticisms are generallyfalse. If you feel you would benefit from a fresh start and someencouragement, I would encourage you to examine my new CD AmaliaTriebenbach’s Audiomanual for the Soprano Voice (Love is theSoul of Genius) A preview of the work is found atlulu.com/latenitesnak My homepage is amytriebenbach.com Goodluck, and happy free singing! Musically yours, Amy Triebenbach

Blues in the Schools 7th Annual (October 8th & 9th)

admin — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:20:02 +0000

Columbus Day Weekend – About Blues In The Schools Program BluesIn The Schools Mission Statement Our mission is to delivereducational experiences for students of all ages with “TheBlues”, the roots and heritage of modern American music, in aneffort to spark an interest in, and an appreciation for, all ofthe musical art forms.Education Blues music is America’s music, and young peopleespecially, should know about the musical heritage of Americaand of the Blues. Educating them on how America’s music hasevolved and how the Blues forms the roots of today’s popularmusic is important to us. The recognition and exposure thatBlues music has recently received from advertising, and mostrecently from the award winning movie “Oh Brother Where ArtThou” has led more people to appreciate the sound, style, andart that defines the Blues. Nat Dove In 1978, the City of Chicago public schools introduced the”Blues in the Schools” program which is still going strong morethan two decades later and has since spread all around thecountry and even around the world. In this program professionalblues musicians are invited into schools to conduct classes onthe history of the blues, famous blues musicians, differentstyles of blues, and how to write, sing and perform the blues.The ABS is proud to have such a program in place as well. In ourprogram, local blues musicians combined with a culturallydiverse all volunteer staff comprised of former educators, musicprofessionals, and other with a genuine interest in childdevelopment, are invited into schools to conduct differentprograms tailored to specific age groups. While our program isin its infancy and just now beginning to obtain the requiredsuccessful in conducting these session to several gratefulaudiences in many of the greater California School Systems. TheCVBF feels it is beneficial to expose children whose musicalexperience may be limited to just what they hear from oldersiblings or what they may see and hear on commercial radio andTV to small amount of the history behind the blues, a smallamount about how the Blues has evolved to the music of today, atouch of music composition education all mixed together with awhole lot of fun. Nat Dove and Mick Martin, Blues Artist, havebeen very instrumental in the San Joaquin Central Valley andNorthern California areas representing and promoting the BISprogram and can be contacted directly by clicking on their namesto send email regarding information about the Blues In Schoolsprogram. If you are interested in joining the fun and providinga Tax Deductible Donation for financial support for our programclick on the link below. If you would like to volunteer to participate in ourpresentations, arrange for one of our events at your school orjust to let us know what you think of our efforts, pleasecontact us via e-mail at brandjmoffatt@yahoo.com, or call ourCVBF hotline at (209) 383-4958 . Your message will be passed on to the appropriate BITS or CVBFrepresentative who will be happy to answer any questions aboutor discuss our programs with you.

Basic Guitar Chords: How to Easily Master the Guitar Chords You Must Know

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 19:20:01 +0000

One of the first challenges faced by the advancing guitar playeris learning a core group of basic guitar chords. Why is it soimportant to learn these basic chords? Chords form thebackbone of most rock and pop songs, and provide the harmonicaccompaniment to the melody and instrumental solos. Rhythm guitar based on basic chords provides many of the mostmemorable rock riffs… think AC/DC’s “Back in Black” or TheWho’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. What’s really amazing is that bylearning no more than 10 to 15 basic guitar chords, you will beequipped to play thousands of rock and pop songs!What is a Guitar Chord?First let’s establish the definition of a chord. A chord isthree or more different musical notes played together. In thecase of the guitar, this means that at least three strings arestrummed or plucked simultaneously to sound three or more notes.Since the guitar has six strings, the maximum numbers of notesin a guitar chord is six. All chords can be placed in one ofthree groups based on the musical structure of the chord: Major,Minor, or Seventh. Each of these chord groups has its own”sound” or “feel”. Major chords sound stable and complete. Minorchords can evoke a more somber or pensive mood, and Seventhchords are jazzy and somewhat incomplete sounding. There is no standard list of “basic guitar chords” that everyone agrees to. However, there is general agreement that there isa list of somewhere between 8 and 18 basic guitar chords (openstring) that every guitarist must know cold. These chords areused in all musical styles from rock and pop to country, jazz,and classical. No matter where you are on your guitar-playingpath, you should take the time to learn and master the basicchords. Getting these right will ensure you have the basic toolsand skills to learn many songs and increase your playingenjoyment. The List of Basic Guitar ChordsSo what are the basic guitar chords? Our basic stable includesthe major and minor chords from four common musical keys, A,G,C,and D. They are played as “open chords”, that is at least onestring in the chord is not fretted (pressed down with a finger).Open chords are easier to learn and play than more advancedchords such as Barre chords, or complex chords further up theguitar neck. Our list of basic major and minor chords is: A Major (or A), A Minor (or Am), C, D, Dm, E, Em, F, G These chords can be best learned as chord “families” (by key)that can be combined into great-sounding chord sequences thatmake up lots of popular songs. Using this chord family approachis much more interesting and useful than just memorizing a bunchof chords in random order! These chords grouped by chord family (key) are as follows:A Family (Key of A): A, D, E D Family (Key of D): D, Em, G,A G Family (Key of G): G, Am, C, D, Em C Family (Keyof C): C, Dm, Em, F, G Tips for Learning the Basic Chords: 1. Pick a Chord Family and master it. This will give youquick success and let you play great sounding progressions rightaway. 2. Use a Guitar Chord Chart as a reference tool. Achord chart shows each chord as an easy to read “chord diagram”with exact finger positions. See this example of a chart of basic guitar chords. 3. Find the chords and lyrics for an easy song that isbased on the chord family so you can apply your skills. Manygreat songs are based on only three chords! 4. Ensure each string sounds right. Take care to makesure that each string is sounding clearly, and that only thestrings that should be played are played. 5. Practice, practice, practice! Every day, practicecontinually change from one chord to another until you can do itrapidly. Learn the chord families one at a time. 6. Master all the basic chords first. Only then move onto Barre chords and other more complex chords. First thingsfirst! 7. Expand with 7th chords. As a next step you can easilyexpand on your basic chord knowledge by adding 7th and minor 7thchords based on the nine basic major and minor chords. 8. Have fun using your new skills! Enjoy your musicalability by applying it to learning a small set of 5-10 songs youknow really well and can confidently play at any time.

The Truth Behind Press Kits, Bios, and Controlling Your Image

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:20:02 +0000

The Truth Behind Press Kits, Bios, and Controlling Your ImageA lot of what you have been told about creating your image isfalse. This article is meant to be a simple list of things thatmight surprise you as a musician. Some of you have had”managers” misguide you. You know the drill. Your guitarplayer’s girlfriend has a connection at some local club so nowshe thinks she is fit to orchestrate your entire career. Maybeyou have a know-it-all singer who spent 5 minutes glossing oversome music industry website and now he is writing your bio chalkfull of transparent lies and over-exagerated descriptions ofyour rock fury. No matter what the case may be, I can guaranteeyou that you have at least a few misconceptions about how toproperly present your image. This article will briefly outlinesome of the major issues on writing better bios, press kits, andpress releases.YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN YOU THINKThe most important thing I can tell you is you have more controlthan you think. If you really get the hang of image presentationand playing this game we call the music biz you can virtuallycreate any image you want of yourself or your band. First andforemost I want to talk about the press. Ever surf the net doingsome research of some new band your friend told you about? Evernotice how multiple music sites will have the exact samedescription of the band? Of course, you aren’t an idiot, yourealize these sites simply rip what the band wrote in their bioon the band homepage. But do you realize the POWER of this?Basically, you have the power to syndicate your image in a way.These websites simply don’t have the time, nor intimateknowledge of your band, to create some pseudo-bio for you. Theyrely on you, and what you have to say about yourself. This ispower. Use it wisely. But you already knew that. What I’m aboutto tell you is something you may not know, but could drasticallyaffect your bands promotional campaign. PRINT MAGAZINES DO THISTOO. Yep, a lot of those long write-ups you see in your favoritemagazines about your favorite band, have content ripped straightfrom the bands’ bio. The trick is that this only applies to wellwritten bios. If you do in fact have such a bio, this can be themost powerful weapon in your promotional arsenal.THE SECRET BIO SAUCE RECIPEOk. So let’s recap real quickly. You know that your bio can helpcontrol your image on the net. And now you know you can evencontrol how the print media presents you. But how do you writesuch a bio? First, let’s go over what NOT to do.INFLATE: Do not inflate your image beyond the reality of yourband. Don’t be all flash and no smash. In other words, don’ttalk about what you can’t back up. This is the most commonmistake in bio writing. I call it “inflation”. This is prettymuch adjective abuse. Avoid phrases like “intense live show” or”super sonic blast from the future”. This is stock. This is notcreative. If you aren’t the biggest drawing band in your ownmarket, don’t say “this band is taking the nation by storm”. Thepress and online community have been reading bios with suchinflations since the beginning, they see past this very well. QUOTE FANS: If you can’t get someone credible to say somethingnice about your band DO NOT resort to using a fan comment.Ever…for any reason.LIST SONG DESCRIPTIONS: If you are already an “inflator” thentalking about your own songs will only cause pain and tragedy.SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON PREVIOUS BANDS: If your last banddidn’t have a record deal or tour, don’t bother. If you havesome leverage with your “former member of…” status use ittastefully and only in brief.Now that we have got those cardinal sins out of the way you areprobably thinking “jeeze, what else is there to write about”.This is where we start digging. Time to put on your thinkingcap. You have to think like a reporter looking for a refreshingangle. You have to find the one thing that can create an imagethat will stick. You have to find THE STORY. By this time I havelost some of you. You either don’t know what I mean by “thestory” or you have a bio that breaks every rule I just outlinedand you can’t admit it. The best bios read like a good music ragwrite-up. If your bio is written correctly it should make astaff writer’s job easy. It should be easy for him to “rip” or”cop”. It’s no co-incidence that many pro bands use these kindsof writers to pen their own bios! Perhaps you have aninteresting story about how you came together. Perhaps you havesome gimmick, like Siamese twins or 3 bearded lady bassists. Buthopefully you have something that connects your band tosomething going on in the world of music. You need somethingthat will get people’s attention. Maybe your band is the onlyDeath Metal band for 100 miles in the Bible belt. You get thepicture. I am going to list some things that can make greatstories (and double as press releases). - Being produced bysomeone reputable - Being managed by someone reputable -Breaking some mark in online CD sales or downloads - Getting asupporting slot on a festival or tour - Having a reputableperson as a quoted fanA PHOTO SPEAKS 1,000 FLAWSI want to get one thing out of the way: I’m not going to tellyou how to dress. But I am going to tell you that it may be yourbiggest problem. I am not a stylist. I can not solve thisproblem. I can tell you this though: The camera will exposeevery flaw you have in your style. With that said, let’s get onwith at least getting a quality photo. I am not a professionalphotographer. I am not going to tell you how to take a photo ofyourself. I am going to tell you where to get one. Your best betis to find a local photographer that you see at local shows.More often than not, they are either legitimate press,legitimate artist, or a legitimate student. Browse their catalogof band photography and if you think it stands up, there ya go.This may all seem like common sense, but I want to stress thatthis is abandoned and somehow your guitar player’s girlfriend isyour “photographer” because her mom has a camera. Do not letthis happen to you. Find people with pro gear. Get aprofessional or at least a digital arts student. These arealways your best bets. If you are going for sheer impact withyour 8 x 10 one good tip is to at least look like you are in thesame band. I’m not saying get a gimmick or wear make-up. I’msaying that even if you think your personal look is “plain”,your band as a whole can benefit from at least being on the samepage. LOGOThe miracle of Adobe Photoshop has given birth to some of themost breathtaking digital art we have seen. It has also, to themisfortune of bands mostly, created total rubbish. If your logosucks it says many things about you. It shows you have hightolerance for bad art. It shows you yourself might be a badartist and were not smart enough to hire a professional. Itshows you have a very distorted view about the genre of yourband. It shows some of you are totally unprofessional and don’tcare about your image.You might be surprised how many ways there are to find gooddigital artists to create your logo. In my personal opinion,even paying up to $100 is worth it for a good logo. Bottom line,the sites below are the best place to find killer artists.DeviantArt.com Mylkhead.com AngryBlue.com PlayWithKnives.comEyeSuckInk.comPRESS KIT SECRETSOne very strong tip I can offer is to try to think of your imageas “dynamic”. It has to be all things to all people. You mighthave to add something extra to that envelope before you send itoff. If you are sending your kit out to an artist rep at aprospective endorsee you ALWAYS want it to contain tour dates.This is the most important thing in your attempt to get gear forcheap and say those lovely words to all your loser musicianfriends playing crappy guitars… “I got an endorsement deal”. Agreat add-in is a DVD. There are a lot of affordable ways tomake a DVD these days. Again, this is one of those things thatwill expose your flaws. You don’t want to put your life story onthere. Live footage is great if its done right. Fake smoke andthat cheesy “page turn effect” are not. Don’t make a weddingvideo. This will be valuable in your arsenal when try to bookgigs. Ask First. Send. Follow Up. This is your best way to makesome impact and get a solid contact in the biz. Your press kitwill always have more impact if the person is expecting it (sendit promptly). Make sure you are to the point when callingsomeone you’d like to send a press kit to. You are Jon Doe fromThe Doetones. You are going to be in town around this time. Youwant to send a press kit for a possible gig. If you are sendingan email and have an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) NEVER send thepress kit in first. Always try to get a response before sendingthe press kit. If you are sending to a possible endorsee putyour upcoming dates in the initial email. Following up iscrucial. Many of the people you will be dealing with in thisbusiness are either busy or forgetful…mostly both. You mustinitiate contact. Be tactful and patient. Do not hound people,but make sure you give yourself a chance to make someopportunities and pick up the phone yourself. Remember, you arein essence, trying to self yourself to a company or consumer.You have to be a salesman. Try to connect to people and havethem want to talk to you. If you can do this they will alwayswant to help you or get you involved in something that will. Orbest of all, spend money on you and your product.ABOUT THE AUTHORBruce Prokopets is co-founder and editor of music news blog http://www.scenejumper.com. Bruce had his first live gig at 15 and has had various jobs inthe industry since. He spent years as a guitar tech, tourmanager, endorsement liaison, bassist in a national act, andpromoter in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

Sananda Maitreya Releases Chapter I of ‘Angels & Vampires - Volume II’

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:20:02 +0000

Sananda Maitreya starts recording Volume II of his “Angels &Vampires” project and the first six songs are available todownload from his online music store.Milan, ITALY October 8, 2005 — Rock artist Sananda Maitreyareleases 6 new songs of his project ‘Angels & Vampires – VolumeII’, called Chapter I: ‘The rise of hetero-sapiens’. * PrettyBaby * South Side Run * It’s Just My Pain * Anesthesia *Floodwater * When Night Was Calling All songs are written,arranged, produced and performed by Sananda Maitreya.’Floodwater’ is dedicated to those who have endured the risingtides of indifference: from New Orleans to France to Asia, FREEto download at:http://www.sanandamaitreya.com/ecommerce/catalogo_2.php “Angels& Vampires” is Sananda’s 6th project after the release of:2002/2003 “WildCard -The Jokers’ Edition” 1995 “Vibrator” 1993″Symphony Or Damn” 1989 “Neither Fish Nor Flesh” 1987″Introducing The Hardline According To ..” Over the next monthsSananda will release more Chapters of “Angels & Vampires -Volume II” on his website http://www.SanandaMaitreya.com ###

Should I Buy an Electric Piano or an Acoustic Piano?

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:20:02 +0000

Should I Buy an Electric Piano or an Acoustic Piano?Electric pianos sound nothing like a real piano. acoustic pianostake up too much room. There is a lot of conflicting advicefloating around. I will give you the right piano buying adviceso you can make your own decision on whether the electric pianoor the acoustic piano is right for your needs.A brief history of the electric piano.Electric PianosElectric pianos were invented about 20 years ago and when theywhere first introduced they were pretty terrible, the keys weremuch too light, spongy and nothing like a real piano. The soundwas incredibly bright and the sampling was quite dreadful. Youcouldn’t really say that it sounded much like a piano at all.These electric pianos also looked nothing like a real acousticpiano, they had ugly, plastic looking cases that didn’t matchany type of furniture in the room. If guests came around it wasalmost an embarrassment to have this ugly plastic lookingmachine in the living room. My how things have changed over thelast 20 years! A brief history of the acoustic piano.Acoustic PianosThe acoustic piano was invented in 1709 by the ItalianCristofori. It was a four octave instrument compared to theseven and a quarter octave instrument of today, with hammersstriking the strings just as they do on a modern acoustic piano.The instrument was invented to meet the need to control dynamicsby touch, which could not be achieved on the harpsichord. Theearly acoustic piano went through many changes before it emergedas the instrument we all know today. The Cristofori piano waswing shaped like grand pianos, it had a curved body and a lidthat could be elevated. There were also square pianos in whichthe strings ran from left to right as on the clavichord. And by1800, there were acoustic pianos whose strings ran perpendicularto the keyboard. Other names commonly used are: vertical pianoor acoustic piano, they mean essentially the same thing. Atypical old fashioned acoustic piano, tall acoustic standing,ivory keys, beautiful wood, moulded carvings, stylish legs andbrass candlestick holders. The old pianos always had a beautifulwarm tone because they were made with quality materials and realwood. The soundboard was seasoned for ages which in turn createda resonant and sustaining tone. The superior quality meant thatyour piano would easily last a lifetime.Moving on to modern times These days your typical starterpiano is mass produced in China, Indonesia or Korea with verycheap materials, soundboards made out of trees that wereprobably knocked down the day before and thrown together asquickly as possible to get distributed around the world. Wellmaybe it is not quite as bad as this, but anyway i am sure youget my point.You can find a list of electric pianos here: Electric Pianos For Sale in the UK. Lots ofinformationADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRICPIANOSAdvantages of Electric Pianos:1) You can plug in headphones so nobody can hear you play. 2)You can turn the volume up or down. 3) You can record your musicon the instrument itself, or to disc, smart media, floppy etc.4) You can experiment with lots of different instrument sounds5) Due to their light weight, electric pianos can easily bemoved from room to room 6) Your electric piano will never needtuning or maintenance, which will save you a small fortune. 7)You can download songs from the web and play them on yourinstrument. (Normally the more expensive electric pianos offerthis facility). Electric pianos are very reasonably pricedfor what they are. You can pick one up from as little as 400.9) Electric pianos take up less space than the acoustic piano.They are slightly shorter in length, much lower in height andmost importantly about 2/3rds the depth (front to back) of anacoustic piano, thus saving you valuable spaceDisadvantages of Electric Pianos:1) The value of your piano depreciates very quickly. 2) Newmodels are introduced every 2-3 years making your piano evenless valuable and harder to sell 3) The sound is electronic andalthough improvements have been made, it will never sound likethe real thing. 4) The touch is slighter lighter than a realpiano and the key balance isn’t perfect. 5) The electric piano’sappearance is not as appealing as an acoustic piano and is madefrom plastic and chipboard. It can easily get damaged if movedaround. 6) The outer casing is difficult and expensive to repairif damage has been done 7) Electric pianos are very expensive torepair if anything goes wrong with the mechanics or electronics9) The warranty is normally quite short, anything form 1 year to3 years.Advantages of Acoustic Pianos1) Your piano will hold its value over time and if it is lookedafter it will normally increase over a longer period (normally20 years plus) 2) The piano has natural acoustic sounds which isproduced by the hammer striking the string and then amplified bythe soundboard. 3) The piano is made from wood, sometimes MDFand is very strong. 4) If the piano’s outer casing is damaged itcan be repaired easily and fairly cheaply by a French polisher.5) If there is a problem with the piano mechanically, it cannormally be fixed by a piano tuner very quickly and cheaply.(With the exception of old pianos that normally need a lot ofwork). 6) The touch of a real piano is second to none. The deep,rich natural tones enable you to really enjoy playing music. 7)You normally get a long warranty with acoustic pianos, anywherefrom 5-10 years.Disadvantages of Acoustic Pianos1) The acoustic piano is extremely heavy (can weigh 175kgupwards) and is almost impossible to maneuver without the helpof professional piano movers 2) The volume of the piano cannotbe turned up or down, it is reliant on the player to controlthis. 3) The piano needs tuning regularly (normally twice ayear) and can cost in the region of 40-60 a time. 4) The pianowill need the occasional maintenance (every 5-10 years) 5) Agood, well made piano can be quite expensive (Usually 2500upwards) 6) Acoustic pianos take up a lot of room, especiallythe grands and the taller acoustics. 7) They can mark your floorif you try to move them even the slightest bit and because ofthe immense weight, the wheels or feet leave deep indentationsin your floor over a period of timeIf you need any more information I can recommend a very goodwebsite that has comprehensive information on all types ofpianos -Soundsmusical.com. Low Price Electric Pianos – find piano articles andinformationI hope this article has helped you in your piano buying quest.

Best Music download site

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:20:01 +0000

Best Music download site Ever since I first begansearching for the best music download site on the internet, Iused to get lost. It was because I was searching for free mp3downloads. I was asked for the monthly subscription fees whichirritated me How can we rate a website as the best music download site? Ihave some criteria to decide about it. 1) Easy to download. It should not be necessary to go to thewebsite and search for our favourite music. It would be great ifwe have some software installed on our machine which helps us ineasy and fast download.2) No Subscription fees. I do hate paying subscriptions everymonth. It should be all-time free download portal.3) I should be able to find all my favourite music on theportal, eventhough my favourite music is not that popular.4) Its great if I get the movie downloads also 5) If I have to pay something to the site, then it should be amoney-back guarantee scheme.6) I should get a friendly support from the site to help me findthe tracks I need. Am I expecting too much?7) I should be able to download the music from any type of cableconnection.8) My registration info should be kept confidential. Ah!nowadays the I am getting spammed I have found some sites which keeps me happy with all the aboveconditions. You can check out at Music Site for more info.

THE CLASSICAL GUITAR- A Rich Heritage

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:20:01 +0000

The “classic” or classical guitar that was firstdeveloped in Spain by Antonio de Torres, sometime during the1800s, is considered to be the foundation stone and model forall modern guitars. Torres broke new ground in the world ofguitar making by using an innovative “fan-strutting” techniquethat he applied underneath the top for better sound distributionand strength. His unique method is still the basic standardadopted by most luthiers today. He is credited with improvingthe overall design, volume and tonal quality of the instrument,thus making Torres guitars a popular choice among classicalguitar enthusiasts.These guitars were originally strung with “gut” treble-strings(made from cat gut) and metal-wound silk bass-strings. As timeprogressed, the old strings were eventually replaced with nylontreble-strings and nylon steel-wound bass-strings which lastedlonger and produced a better sound. The classical guitar has a wider neck than the averagesteel-string acoustic guitar in order to facilitate fingerpicking. Each finger of the guitarist’s right hand is identifiedwith a letter from the Latin word which represents a particularfinger.P = Pulga (thumb)I = Indicio (index)M = Medio (middle)A = Anular (ring) Favorite woods used in construction often include Brazillian orIndian rosewood for the body, cedar for the neck, andsilka-spruce or cedar for the top. Well made classicalguitars produce a beautifully deep, rich, mellow tone. Thesound resonates clearly through the woods and can be easilydistinquished from the brighter tone of it’s cousin, thesteel-stringed acoustic. Because the strings are made of nylon,they are usually softer and easier to play as well.The guitar probably originated from the “Vihuela,” an instrumentthat was used during the 16th century to entertain royalty.Early songs were written in tablature and used for accompanimentas well as instrumental pieces. The classical guitarfell into a brief period of obscurity during the 18th centurydue to the increasing popularity of the piano, but this didn’tlast for long! Virtuosos such as Dionisio Aquado, MauroGuiliani, and Fernando Sor began to appear on the scene, keepingthe music alive by demonstrating their creative genius andtechnical skills. By the time the 19th century arrived,Fransisco Terrega was teaching a school of students andperforming the works of great classical composers. Next in linewas Andres Segovia of the 20th century who almost singlehandedly re-established the classical guitar as animportant concert-hall instrument. He also went on to become themaster-teacher of one of todays most popular classicalguitarists- Christopher Parkening.Many styles have since developed, either directly or indirectly,as a result of those who made the effort to preserve ourclassical guitar heritage. Techniques used for blues,folk, flamenco, rock, and more can find their roots here.Tablature, scales, glissando (slides), tremelo, etc. are notnew, they have been used for hundreds of years! Now it’s up tous to keep this music alive, in our hearts and in our fingers,so that we too can share it with the next generation.