Tag Archive for ‘art’

Beginner Guitar Songs – Learn Them, Play Them, Master Them

by Joey Berkin

Beginner guitar songs are actually a lot easier to play than most people would think.

Many of us try to learn as many chords and scales as possible and try to work on finger exercises when we first begin to learn the guitar.

But this approach may not always produce the best results for your future as a guitarist.

Although it is certainly a wise move to try to develop your technique as much as you can, as a beginner you would be more prone to get frustrated when you find out that those drills that you've been working too hard on do not actually sound like music to those around you.

A simple yet very effective and fun method to use while learning the guitar is to play songs.

Actually, playing and writing songs comes really down to knowing commonly used chords and a few common chord progressions.

A chord progression is simply a series of chords played in a certain order.

Chord progression is determined by looking at the key chord, which is the first chord played.

For instance, if you start with the key of C (which means the first chord you'll play will be C), you can use chords F and G and voila, you have just played one of the most common chord progressions used in almost any genre of modern music.

And writing your own songs is very easy once you know the progressions. This is especially true if you can write lyrics and sing while playing.

This all may seem a little bit challenging or confusing at first, but once you understand some basic rules like the "I - IV - V" chord progression, you can easily begin to understand how most of the very popular songs are written and actually start to impress people with your own songs.

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Eight Most Popular Guitars

by Amy Nutt

There are literally dozens of guitar brands on the market, some good, some bad and some unbelievably excellent. If you want the best sound and quality, then it really does pay to choose a good brand name. You`ll pay more initially, but it`s worth it since you`ll just have to replace a cheap guitar pretty quickly. Going with an established name will pretty much ensure you`re getting great quality. If you`re serious about playing, then you should definitely take a look at one of the following guitars.

Fender

This company is probably the best known when it comes to top of the line guitars. This is where the famous Stratocasters come from . . . the original guitars in this line are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fender also produces custom guitars, many of which can be seen in the hands of famous musicians like Santana.

Gibson

Another very popular guitar brand is Gibson, running almost neck in neck with Fender for quality. This brand has pretty much cornered the upper levels of the electric guitar market, though they also produce high quality acoustic instruments. Among musicians who use Gibson brand guitars are Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and the Allman Brothers Band.

Yamaha

Well known as a musical company, Yamaha isn`t just a keyboard brand. They also turn out some great guitars that are sturdy and well suited to the life of a musician. Many of their designs are actually copies of more popular designs from the US, but they also have some original designs of their own that sell very well. It`s a brand name that is trusted, so many new musicians opt for this brand.

Ovation

These guitars are quite distinctive in how they look. With a rounded back and fibrglass body, Ovation guitars can`t be mistaken for any other brand. Besides the bowl-like back of the instrument, the sound holes are also different. Rather than one large hole, as other guitars have, these instruments tend to have groupings of smaller holes. Despite the odd looks, they are considered precision and provide great sound.

Martin

This brand is also known for its superiority in the world of guitars. Martins are usually more affordable than the top of the line guitars, but still produces excellent instruments. These guitars tend to be larger than the average acoustic guitar and are very popular among players who enjoy playing acoustic.

Alvarez

When it comes to acoustic guitars, Alvarez is certainly one of the first guitar brands that comes to mind. With over 60 years of experience in making precision instruments, Alvarez actually comes from a long Japanese line of well made classical instruments.

Jackson

Best known for the unique design of their guitars, Jackson instruments were originally meant to look like the Fender Strat, but quickly became a hardcore version made for rockers. The Jackson guitar line is usually associated with rock and metal music.

Guild

While perhaps not as well known as some of the above guitar brands, this is a good, solid company with years of excellent guitar making behind it. Guild is 100% American and has been around since the 1940`s. They are best known for making jazz guitars, but have since expanded into other areas, providing distinctive musical instruments and guitars.

There are plenty of different guitar brands to choose from, but if you want an instrument that will give you the quality of sound that you want and something that will last for a good long time, then it`s worth looking at the best in the business. The brands above are all top of the line and excellent guitars.

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Piano store Toronto and Music school offering voice, guitar, and drum lessons Mississauga and the GTA area. We sell new and used pianos.

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How Piano Lessons Benefit Children

by A Nutt

It's a rare parent who wouldn't love their child to take piano lessons. We've all heard of child geniuses like Mozart who began playing and composing at a very tender age, and who wouldn't want their little one to have that same opportunity?

While you may be thinking about investing in a piano and lessons for your children, it's also a big expense. Most people want to be sure they are doing the right thing if they are going to spend the money and that is precisely the point of this article. Here you'll find a number of reasons piano lessons are beneficial for children.

Boost coordination: In order to make music sound like it should, children will need to have full control over where their fingers go and how they move. As the piano lessons get more complex, they will need to coordinate both hands to play a piece, something that is very useful in other areas of daily living.

Increase math skills: It's no secret that music and math are connected, but did you know that many children find it easier to tune into music, and then end up being better at math because of it? Piano lessons could easily help your child who is struggling with math in school, though this shouldn't be the only reason to take lessons.

Language and thinking skills: Music is basically a foreign language. Kids have to translate the strange marks on those bars of music and turn them into a smooth-flowing song. This can actually enhance the area of the brain that processes new languages . . . also easing the way for your little one to pick up another language like French or Spanish in the future.

Sense of pride: Too many children these days have a low self-esteem, so anything you can do to encourage them is great. When a child participates in a piano recital or graduates to the next level of piano books, his self-esteem will also improve. There's nothing better than seeing a thrilled youngster, with his eyes glowing as he recounts how he won a ribbon for his piano playing.

Develop a lifelong skill: Playing piano is much like riding a bike. When children take lessons while young, they develop musical skills that will last them a lifetime. They may not stick to the piano . . . in fact, many kids end up moving on to other musical instruments with piano as their base instrument. However, you'll be setting your child up to be successful in musical endeavors forever. Even if he doesn't become a rock star or a famous pianist, it's always good to have a skill like this where you can sit down at a party and entertain!

Enhance concentration: With kids these days being diagnosed with ADHD left and right, an activity that not only enhances concentration ability but makes it interesting and a challenge is an activity you want your kids in. Piano lessons will provide that option and while small children might start out with just 15-20 minute lessons and practice times, they will soon be able to practice for longer and longer periods of time, as their attention span lengthens. This obviously has benefits in many areas, not just on the piano.

About the Author:

Music School offering piano, voice and guitar lessons Mississauga and the GTA area. Visit our music store to find new and used pianos.

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