SomedaySoon

Someday SoonMs temas en MyspaceNota : las canciones que se incluyen en Les Paradis Artificiels no estn alojadas en este blog, son links a otros sitios o a las webs de los propios artistas que han… (in post Canciones : Someday Soon - The Matthew Bennett Band from Les Paradis Artificiels. )

How do you use guitar chord diagrams? A complete understanding of how to read and use diagrams of guitar chords is essential knowledge for any guitar player, from the greenhorn beginner to more advanced players. The best and easiest path to becoming a competent guitar player is by learning some chords and then applying them to learning the rhythm parts of songs. Guitar chord diagrams help you do just that!

What is a Guitar Chord Diagram?

A guitar chord diagram is a graphical representation of a single guitar chord, often referred to as a chord box. It is basically a box in the shape of a rectangle that shows you how to play a particular chord. It represents the guitar fretboard, and shows you exactly where to place your fingers to form the chord, and which strings to strike to play it. It is truly amazing how much useful information is packed into such a small package.

How to Read a Chord Diagram

There are several different styles and formats, but all chord diagrams have these common elements:

There are six lines that represent the strings of the guitar. Depending on the format of the chord box, the strings run vertically up and down the page (most common), or else across the page horizontally.

For vertical diagrams, the string on the left represents the low E string (thickest one), and the string on the right is the high E (thinnest string.)

There are a series of lines running across the string lines (at a right angle) that represent the frets.

The string lines and the fret lines come together to form a grid representing the guitar fretboard.

Circles or dots are placed on the grid to show exactly which strings to press on which fret to play the chord.

With just this basic information on a chord diagram, you can form and play any guitar chord. The best part is that you dont need to know how to read standard musical notation, or even guitar tabulature, to read a chord diagram. Well enough words! View examples of guitar chord diagrams here.

Here are some additional features of chord diagrams that pack in even more useful information:

At the top of the box is a thicker line representing the guitar nut, or end of the neck

An x symbol above the nut line means Do Not Play This String.

An o symbol above the nut line means that the string is played open (not fingered.)

Numbers (1 to 4) on the dots (or under the box) indicate which finger to use on that string, with 1= the index finger, and 4= the little finger.

A line or bar running across two or more strings indicates a Barre Chord, in which one finger presses more than one string.

Tips for Using Guitar Chord Diagrams

1. Chord Diagrams are the single most powerful tool for learning and improving your guitar playing. Make good use of them!

2. Individual chord diagrams can be combined to form chord charts. These are a practical means to learn basic chords, chord families and sequences, and songs.

3. Make use of the wealth of free online resources to help you learn about guitar chord diagrams and chord charts. One such resource is The Guitar Players Toolbox.

Play well!

Copyright 2005 Peter Bussey of www.guitar-players-toolbox.com

This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and the resource box are included.

Peter Bussey has been an avid guitar player for over 10 years. In 2004 he became Editor of The Guitar Players Toolbox, a website dedicated to helping advancing guitar players improve with practical tools, tips, and information. Visit http://www.guitar-players-toolbox.com for a variety of free, practical resources such as guitar chords, guitar chord charts, song chords, and much more.

Related articles by Peter Bussey on Ezinearticles.com:

Unlimited Music Downloads How To Choose A Good Download Site

Unlimited music downloads sites are one of the most popular membership sites online. The reason for its popularity is simple anyone can download unlimited music MP3s from any part of this world with a few mouse clicks, a computer and internet connection. There are easily more than 10 of such sites online. The question that is more pertinent to us is with so many choices, how do we know which are the ones that stand out above the rest and offer us the best value for money.

Many unlimited music download sites not only offer music MP3 files, but also offer collections of movies, music videos, TV shows, games, wall paper etc. All these benefits are definitely worth more than hundreds of dollars, if not thousands of dollars. Good news is you dont have to fork out a fortune to become a lifetime member. Most membership sites offer lifetime memberships at incredibly low one-time fees in the range of $30 to $40. Are you drooling at the offer now? Lets look at what are some of the criteria that makes a membership site a good unlimited music downloads site.

1. Choice of Membership

Most unlimited music downloads sites offer lifetime memberships only. Only a selected few offer 1-year or 2-year memberships. But frankly, the lifetime memberships almost always give you the best bang for your bucks. Even if these sites do offer 1 or 2 year memberships, the price difference is only a few dollars. We recommend that you opt for lifetime membership for a better deal.

2. Music Downloads Selection

All of us have our favorite genre of music. Some dont mind listening to any song. But if you are a more discerning shopper who prefers only specific music such as classical pieces, do check out at the unlimited music downloads site and see if they offer you your choice. Frankly, a safe and lazy way around this is to get hold of a music download site that offers a huge and constantly updated library of music downloads.

3. Downloading Speeds

Downloading speeds are important. Imagine you have a whole long list of music and music videos to download. The last thing you wish for is crawling download speeds.

4. Dummy-proof Instruction Manual

Do you love to read instruction manuals that are thicker than your business/street name directories? No way! There are some download sites that offer simple step-by-step tutorials that are easy to digest. The user interface of several popular download sites are so straightforward that you can even do away from tutorials.

5. Safe & Secured Downloading

People are cautious about downloading files over the internet. This is understandable since the internet is a huge breeding ground for those detestable adware, spyware and viruses. Fortunately, top unlimited music downloads sites go an extra mile to ensure a safe environment for members to download the music files without worrying about possible attacks by harmful spyware and adware.

So much has been said about the qualities an unlimited music downloads site should have. If you are curious to know which online download sites have performed exceedingly well in these criteria, visit our blog to read the detailed review.

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Learn where you can have instant access to unlimited music downloads - all your favorite hits, latest music videos, MP3s and more at unlimited-music-downloads.blogspot.com.

Paddington DC - Kristallklare natta

Paddington DC Paddington DC - Oh no, Oh yes (live video footage) (watch out : this is an old PDC song and not a new one) Rfrences musicales : Paper, The Bear Quartet, Add N to (X), Aphex… (in post THE OBSCURE NEW RECORD OF from Absolut Noise. More by this artist at iTunes)

Are you interested in using search engines to get more website traffic? If so, you might be tempted to pay hundreds maybe even thousands to a SEO firm to get high rankings for your site. Don't make such a move. Even if a SEO firm is proven to increase Web traffic for their clients sites, you don't want to spend money unnecessarily. Instead, consider using Ezinearticles, one of the best sites for webmasters interested in acquiring free website traffic.

How does Ezinearticles work? Basically, you write articles on topics related to your website. If your topics contain popular keywords, Google will notice your articles very quickly and begin ranking them in its search engine results. The reason this occurs is because Ezinearticles is already ranked very high in Google. In fact, it has a page rank of 6, which means it is consistently getting its own stream of organic website traffic.

Of course, like anything there are two catches you need to look out for when using Ezinearticles to get more website traffic. First, beginning authors are only limited to 10 articles. If these articles are found to be worthwhile, the editors of the site will allow you to attain Platinum status, which means you can submit as many articles as you please. But if your articles are poorly-written, overly stuffed with keywords, or contain any other undesirable elements, you will not be eligible for Platinum status.

The second catch involves the types of sites you can promote. Ezinearticles does not allow for affiliate links, third-level domain names, (which are typically given with free hosting), or URL redirects. This means that any site you promote, along with the domain name must be your own.

Yet, don't let this requirement deter you if you're an avid affiliate marketer. You can still promote your affiliate sites, just as long as you use a legitimate website to do it. One technique could involve using a pre-sales page, where you would introduce your reader to your product. If they're interested, they can click through to the affiliate link. Alternatively, you can consider using a squeeze page. This is when you collect your readers names and email addresses in exchange for some type of incentive, such as a product or an e-book. Through this process you can compile an email list, which you can use for long-term promotion.

So, to get the most out of Ezinearticles, make sure your first 10 articles are very solid and don't forget to link to your own website. Hopefully, if you do things correctly, you'll be promoted to Platinum status, allowing you unlimited potential for free website traffic.

The 12 part E-course walks you through step by step on how to get the traffic coming to your site. This is traffic that you just put your time into, you don't have to spend any money for it. Find out more at http://www.newwebtraffic.com

My Morning Jacket - What A Wonderful Man

Reigniting our popular bootleg feature with a great MMJ set... My Morning Jacket 10-23-2005 Murat Theater Indianapolis, IN Disc 1 01 - Intro 02 - Wordless Chorus 03 - It Beats 4 U 04 - Gideon 05 -… (in post Bootleg Justice - My Morning Jacket Live @ Murat Theater in Indianapolis, IN (10.23.2005) from Musical Justice. Download this at Amazon iTunes More by this artist at eMusic)

PR professionals have taken a lot of heat lately for the ways they pitch stories to bloggers. Some bloggers do not want to be solicited to by PR companies and their stance is understandable.

However, PR does serve a valuable purpose in business and it is certainly not going to disappear in the new media landscape. In this post, I will describe essential elements of a stellar PR pitch to a blogger.

I received an email today from a PR professional this morning that illustrated 8 essential aspects to include whenever pitching bloggers. Here are the good things this professional remembered that too many journalists and PR folks forget:

1. Short: The total email was 130 words long. Already, this sends the message that she respects my time.
2. Introduction: In one sentence, she explains who she is, who the client is, and why she is writing to me.
3. Description: Again in one sentence, she sums up the product with a minimum of the adjectives that decrease believability (best, great, unique, etc).
4. Seduction: I would have made the mistake of describing at least one feature or benefit. Instead, Christina piques my interest just enough and then leaves me two links from which to garner the specs. I had clicked these links before I even finished reading the email.
5. Help: Another one-sentence reminder that I can contact her with any questions.
6. Thanks: She ends by acknowledging my limited time and thanking me for reading. Even if it sounds heavy handed (which it does not), the blogger is getting his/her ego stroked and that never hurts.
7. Transparency: The postscript is not only transparent by again mentioning the client, but also encourages transparency if I write about it. This mentality builds trust.
8. Tone: The tone is helpful, but reserved (not one exclamation point!).

If your copywriting follows these simple rules, you cannot help but improve your response from bloggers. In the end, it comes down to being respectful, professional, and sounding like a human being. (It turns out people prefer other people rather than PR robots. Who knew?)

DJ Francis writes at http://OnlineMarketerBlog.com - drawing upon over 7 years of experience in strategic communications, online marketing, social media, advertising, and the relationships inherent in a Web 2.0 world.

Business is changing, but you don't have to go it alone. Please visit the website for more information.

Learn With Music

We all feel it the pressure to fit in all of those extra-curricular activities for our children. We drive halfway to the moon and back and yet still need to keep the fridge stocked and provide for a stimulating environment to support our childrens education.

I finally found my secret tool! Kindergarten teachers know it, homeschoolers know it, even monks in the middle ages used it for memorization and now we know it! Educational songs with curriculum ranging from math facts, phonics, geography and even history. My children just sing along, have fun and dont even know they are learning facts that will help them later in school. And all I have to do is press play on our CD player. We listen in the car and at home.

Songs that teach are a natural way to learn. Music is fun! Everyone loves music. It is something the whole family can listen to together. Parents and children can sing along - even dance. My own proof is that I can still remember many skip counting songs I heard as a child. And what about the alphabet? Quick - what letter comes before P? Did you just sing part of the alphabet song to find it? Advertisers know the power of learning through music; they use it when they create their jingles. They know that when we remember those catchy tunes we also remember their product.

The power of music is far reaching. Rhythm and music make it easy to remember facts and music can help you memorize them faster. Current neurological research validates that music helps in retention. Researchers have also drawn connections between learning and the arts. For example, a study at Columbia University confirmed that children exposed to the arts develop many important life skills associated with success. Music is even used successfully in therapy for stroke and Alzheimer's patients.

Educational music adds variety to any curriculum. Many of the music CDs weve found have visual booklets to follow along or free worksheets to download from the internet. Its the perfect way to get the repetition you need to teach what normally would be boring memorization facts.

There are other benefits as well. Learning with music can be especially beneficial for a child who is an auditory learner. Listening to music is something children can do besides watching hours of television and playing computer games. Music can be played in the background during activities like drawing or doing chores. Listeners develop an appreciation for music. Listening and learning together brings families closer and even Mom and Dad can learn something too.

So why not use music to help us learn? Its enjoyable, pleasant and easy to use. Learning new topics will help give your child a head start on new topics at school and boost their confidence. Music with a purpose fits so well in our busy lifestyles. There is googols to learn and all you have to do is listen!

Susan Jarema is the founder of Googol Learning and the Crazy 4 Math Contest. Susan visits schools and libraries to promote family learning. The Learning with Googol Power website has many FREE resources such as music downloads, online videos, printable games, worksheets and e-books to promote family learning and inspire mathematics in your home. http://www.googolpower.com

[NEW RELEASE] LACOSTE - ECLAIR

Another re-issue from Lacoste's stable of early '80s performance tennis shoes, the Eclair features an outsole designed for hard court use and a chunky as hell midsole that is reminiscent of the Puma GV. If you squint hard enough, it might even tempt AF-1 lovers looking for a spring fling. The upper features suede overlays linked into the lacing for support and the tongue branding is an authentic replication of the Lacoste Crocodile from this era. As part of a triple pack, this jaffa is only a hint of what's to come – if it had a cream centre and choc icing, we'd be in heaven. Smash!

 

It can be a challenge trying to find your niche. There are a lot of aspects you have to keep up on to get the work you need to stay busy. In the DJ mix, however, a few skills are universal to us all. These are simply a matter of practice, and the time you're willing to dedicate to your craft, regardless of your particular genre, or which dj scratch samples you decide to use. DJ scratching is more than just an art, it is a trade skill that if honed properly will serve you well and give you the freedom to create your own sound.

SELCTING SAMPLES

Digging in and of itself is a labor of love. You might as well become used to the dry eyes and the dusty fingers. To procure the samples that you will need to find an original sound, you may have to search the darker reaches of the music world. Finding the best samples means going where no one else had trod, and having an ear to see beauty where others passed by. This is a skill that only comes from taking a broad variety of samples through the motions.

WORKING YOUR SCRATCH

There is no shame in learning from the best. In fact, there is not much point in re-treading the leaning ground that others have worked. In short, it's ok to learn the skills of other DJs. To push our art forward you need to do this, so that you can effectively pick up where they have left off. This apprenticeship type learning is true throughout all music and it no different with scratching. Watch the videos, talk to whoever you can, and practice. That is where everyone starts and it's the quickest path to walk to get down to the business of finding your own sound

FULL CIRCLE

There is a world of mix waiting out there to be discovered and played with. DJing can only be pushed forward by your listening, and your hard work. The only thing keeping you from defining your own sound is you, so go hit the stacks, pick your tracks, and go home and get to work. I'll be listening.

This article was written by Sam Marshall. He is an accomplished DJ that has performed internationally, as well as across the United States. Sam Marshall is now writes articles and eBooks to provide training for newbies and professionals.

Still looking for more DJ information? Visit his website http://www.startadj.biz/

Learn about Gear (equipment), lighting, turntables, DJ scratching samples, DJ amplifiers, records, CDs, Mixed tapes.

Get started today, http://www.startadj.biz/ is the perfect resource for any DJ.

7 Basic Guitar Chords That Will Get You Playing Songs Fast

Learning some of the basic guitar chords as soon as you start learning how to play the guitar is so valuable because it builds a strong foundation. Also, when you learn a few chords and piece them together, you will be able to figure out which chord combinations sound great together and make up your own songs. You will enjoy learning guitar a lot more if you can at least play one of your own tunes and this will keep your momentum going. You would be amazed how many people can play bits and pieces but can't play a whole song.

And even more important, you will be able to choose from thousands of other people's songs that use the same chords.

The best thing is that they really aren't that hard to learn... you just have to practice!

These chords are also called open-position chords and are used in many types of music such as rock, country, folk and heavy metal. Yes that's right, even heavy metal. The big differences in these types of music are the effects that are used and the strumming.

Here are the Top 7 Basic Chords to Get You Playing Fast:

O = play string

X = don't play string

1. A Major

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

X |-----|-----|-----|---

2. D Major

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|--x--|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

X |-----|-----|-----|---

X |-----|-----|-----|---

3. E Major

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |--x--|-----|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

4. G Major

O |-----|-----|--x--|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|--x--|---

5. C Major

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |--x--|-----|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|--x--|---

X |-----|-----|-----|---

6. E Minor

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

7. A Minor

O |-----|-----|-----|---

O |--x--|-----|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|--x--|-----|---

O |-----|-----|-----|---

X |-----|-----|-----|---

These 7 basic guitar chords are more than enough to get you going and you'll be playing your favorites in no time. Once you memorize all these chords, listen to some songs that you would like to play and try to figure them out on your own. This is a great way to train your ear!

"Teach Yourself Guitar The EASY Way" - grab your FREE report that Reveals "How to Avoid the Top 7 Mistakes That Most Beginners Make When Buying a Guitar Learning Product"

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The Handsome Family - 20 and 21

My cherished iRiver H120 is broken and I am rather depressed about it. Its last will and testament was a frustratingly obscure Kurtz-like ata error -32 My efforts to revive it have been rather cack-handed and have only… (in post But Mary you are with me now, all around me in the waves from Partly Porpoise. More by this artist at eMusic Amazont iTunes)

Some things just never go out of style. Blue jeans and T-shirts. They’ve changed very little over the past 50 years. Sure, they endure phases ranging between menacingly large and precariously scant, but for the most part they are a staple of modern day attire and are a pretty safe bet.

Be warned that most fashion is not this way. It is commonly known that one should never chuck yesterday’s styles in the bin. This is because the universe, extraordinarily goofy as it is, has created the mystic fashion-recycling program, known to seers as “Trend Reincarnation.” This perplexing phenomenon manifests itself in the miraculous reappearance of such cosmic foibles as platform shoes, tie-dyed shirts and (shudder) powder blue polyester bellbottom tuxedos.

The catch is you have to hold on to these garments for 20-30 years until they are supernaturally reinstated to popular acceptance.

Shucks. If only I knew this tidbit at the tender and impressionable age of six, I would have stored my Star Wars pyjamas and Scooby Doo underoos in a cryogenic vault for successful and stretched reappearance in my late twenties. Alas. I do have a few pairs of my mom’s old hip-hugger bellbottoms from the early-seventies, along with an original “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” T-shirt, circa 1967. And though those charming antiques are older than I, remarkably they are the height of current fashion!

My MTV generation, “Gen-X,” has seen fashions come and go as fast as a radio jockey can change a record. Or is that reel-to-reel? Tape? 8-track? CD? DVD? MP3? Blue-Ray? Sheesh, in my short 29 years on this planet I have gone through more than eight playback mediums!

I can unflinchingly confess to a simpler time when we'd drive our olive green leaded gas "boat-mobile" with artificial snakeskin trim to the beach listening to the fresh sounds of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Madonna, Michael Jackson and other 80’s greats. Soon enough MTV had new replacements on the top forty and we moved on.

I was driving my new non-snakeskin foreign import SUV along the other day when some familiar sounds came through the car speakers. There was my old pal, Stevie, singing about love lost with a … what’s that? Techno beat!?!

It seems a new fad is to take old 80’s tracks and spruce them up with heavy techno beats and booming bass. My goodness, anyone from ABBA to Elvis have been recycled by techno geeks! Elvis didn’t die, they just stuck him in the blue bin!

Then there are comebacks I never would have expected in a million years. Purple-haired, gum-smacking 80's icon Cindy Lauper has recently been recycled with a new album of sultry jazz covers. On the idea of recycling music, the now-50-year-old artist said, "a song is like a dress... you try it on, you can’t wear that dress sometimes because we’re not all built the same so you have to take it in here, let it out there." Sage wisdom from the girl who just wanted to have fun back in '84.

My mother realised she was getting old when she heard “Stairway to Heaven” on an easy listening station. Just recently I heard a real heavy punk tune from my childhood on a tame CBC Sunday afternoon program and simultaneously my life flashed before my eyes.

In any event, I can safely say that there are some classic bands that will never go out of style. Maybe they’re not on the top-40, but they’re still tops in our collective musical consciousness. The symbolic “T-shirts” of pop music culture, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, are just as hip, groovy, and totally bitchin’ now as they were back when those words actually meant something.

What’s next, you ask? Well, it won’t be something I haven’t heard already!

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is a professional violinist and music teacher who has enjoyed creative writing for years.

She currently writes columns for two Canadian publications and has been featured in Australia's "Music Teacher Magazine." Writing allows her to teach people that the world of music is as fun as you spin it to be!

Rhiannon, age 29, has worn the hats of businesswoman, performer, events promoter, classical music radio host and school orchestra music arranger in rural British Columbia, Canada.

Her business, Fiddleheads Violin School & Shop, has won several distinguished young entrepreneur business awards for her commitment to excellence. Her shop offers beginner to professional level instruments, accessories and supplies for very reasonable prices: Visit http://www.fiddleheads.ca

Rhiannon is also Founding President of the Shuswap Violin Society which promotes violin & fiddle music and helps young musicians in need: http://www.violinsociety.ca

Sneaker Freaker

Sneaker Freaker Magazine - Global sneaker news, info & exclusive updates - everything sneakers.

So here is a quick guide comparing legal music sites with p2p file sharing sites. So now, sharing free MP3 music and downloading them from legal websites is completely legit. Amount of Music Downloads Available to: The p2p file sharing networks heavily out number the legal music sites when it comes to the amount of files available for download.

If you download music over file-sharing networks and are caught, what will be your legal defense? Since it's impossible to determine which free music downloads may be legitimate, the only sure way to stay legal is to avoid these type file sharing programs altogether. Research in Austria suggests that consumers fear legal action against file sharing (illegal music downloads).

Furthermore, when searching online for music download sites, it can be very hard to tell the difference between legal music sites and file sharing sites. The ease of downloading all types of music, and particularly wedding music via the Internet and through both illegal and legal file sharing programs has gone up exponentially as the availability of such programs has increased. In answer to this first question, there is nothing such as free music downloading from the Internet, unless you have some file sharing software installed on your computer, some of which are legal and others are not.

Although there have been some questions raised on the legal issues involved with online peer-to-peer file sharing, continued patronage of free MP3 music downloads has never quite died down.

Get Your Music Files from Legal Sources

If you've been downloading music using P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing programs like KaZaa, you will very likely get music files which have strange names like HeyjAck. John Kennedy, IFPI (International Federation of Phonogram and Videogram Producers) Chairman and CEO, had this to say, "We are now seeing real evidence that people are increasingly put off by illegal file-sharing and turning to legal ways of enjoying music online. The message is simple: if you're hungry for music but don't want to break the law, there are numerous legal alternatives to file sharing.

Soli Katir

http://www.i-need-money-fast.com

If you are looking for quality information on "i need money fast" and in particular on the products, please visit the above site.

[ARTICLES] MELBOUNE LAUNCH FOR PUMA BLACK BEAST!

Come join us Friday the 27th of June at PROVIDER TRAINERS for the Melbourne launch of the BLACK BEAST Blaze of Glory! Only 12 pairs will be for sale, so get there nice and early! There'll be giveaways, free booze and maybe, a special appearance. See you then!

If you are like many people, you have long contemplated learning to play the guitar.
If for whatever reason you have not learned yet, it would be wise for you to remember
that there is no time like the present to learn to play. All of the rockstars and
famous musicians have one thing in common with you ... they all had to learn the key
steps for learning to play the guitar somewhere along the line. A good guitar guide is
just the first step.

There are three fundamental lessons that you must learn in order to be able to play the
guitar well. This will allow you to begin playing real music on your guitar even while
you are still learning to play well and improving your guitar playing. The three lessons
are strumming and picking, tuning and chords.

Some people strum the guitar and others pick the strings. Some guitar players will combine
the two methods in order to enhance their range of skills and the types of music that
they can play well. Strumming usually involves raking your thumb across one or more of the
guitar strings gently causing it to vibrate and create sound. Picking is when individual
strings are plucked. Good guitar players can combine the two often at the same time. However,
you need to learn how to do both separately before you concern yourself with combining
the two guitar playing methods.

Tuning the guitar will be important if you want the guitar music to sound right. If you are
playing the guitar alone, you will not have to tune your guitar perfectly but if you are playing
in a band or with other people, you will have to be certain that all of the musical instruments
are in tune with each other. If not, then it is not very likely that the resulting cacophony of
noise will be confused with real music.

Learning the chords will be important so that you can produce the proper tones to match the other
musicians or if you are just learning, so you can learn practicing the guitar by playing real music
instead of endless days of playing musical scales. Learning to play the guitar by playing real
music will allow you to impress your friends and make the entire guitar-learning process much more
enjoyable for you. Finding a good guitar guide will help you to learn the basics and make playing
guitar music immediately possible.

To learn more about guitar playing, grab your copy of "Play Your Guitar In 48 Hours Or Less!" immediately before it's gone for good... http://www.GuitarGuide.com

The Handsome Family - 14 and 15

My cherished iRiver H120 is broken and I am rather depressed about it. Its last will and testament was a frustratingly obscure Kurtz-like ata error -32 My efforts to revive it have been rather cack-handed and have only… (in post But Mary you are with me now, all around me in the waves from Partly Porpoise. More by this artist at eMusic Amazont iTunes)

Music Theory and Music References So how does Music Theory apply to reference products? These days, there are a lot of decent music theory books, tapes etc. on the market, and many of them feature good technical content. There are no real replacements for these guides. However, most of the information in them seems to lack specific details that, otherwise, never really get you to the point of playing your instrument.

For example, many music theory publications do a good job of explaining Key Signatures and the history of music, yet, these subjects might not interest you as much as getting your instrument out and actually getting down to the matter at hand... playing it!

How can music theory be both educational and fun and interesting at the same time?

The thought of having "all" references to music theory... like: chord structures, melodic notes, scales, all-in-one hand held device (dial) was born in the form of a reference dial (see reference below).

"Implied" music theory is a technique that while you play your instrument, you are consciously and sub-consciously learning insightful music theory information, naturally. And indeed, you're having the enjoyment of playing your instrument at the same time.

All songs are played in a key. Most songs for most styles can be played using only 8 chords for accompaniment and 6 scales for melodies or solos in each key. Music Dials instantly show you the chords & scales you need in each key.

The 8 chords in each key you should know...

The 6 common chords come from the major scale notes in each key and are called scale tone chords (I = do, IIm = re, IIIm = mi, IV = fa, V = so, VIm = la). The 2 optional chords (bIII, bVII), commonly used for rock & blues, come from the flatted third and flatted seventh (notes of the major scale and can also be used to play songs in each key.)

Except for jazz, most songs use only major, minor and seventh chords and these are the basic chords you should learn in each key. Experiment with and have fun playing, creating or improvising great sounding chord progressions in each key.

There are four chord types: major, minor, augmented, diminished. There are many extensions of these chord types including: suspended, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords. Chord formulas define which major scale notes are contained in the chord (1 = do, 2 = re,3 = mi, 4 = fa, 5 = so, 6 = la, 7 = ti).

The specific scale you use to play solo in each key depends on the type of sound you want to create. Here are the 6 most commonly used scales including 2 for "melodic" sounding solos, 2 for "blues" sounding solos and 2 for various other sounding solos.

Scale formulas define which major scale notes are contained in the scale (1 = do, 2 = re, 3 = mi, 4 = fa, 5 = so, 6 = la, 7 = ti).

I hope this section has shed some light on music theory and how tools like the Music Dial and other music reference guides could assist with your resolve to play better, whether you are a guitar player, bass guitar player, keyboard player, mandolin or banjo player, or any instrument for that matter (like horns, etc.).

Painting with Sound

Whenever I go to a Borders bookstore here in San Diego, I make it a point to look at the art instruction books. I'm not a visual artist, but I've always enjoyed the step-by-step approach authors of the better books take to teach students how to create a finished painting.

You get to see it all demonstrated within 2 pages or so. Everything is explained and while I may not understand it by just reading about it, (you have to do it!) a complete finished painting was always the goal - a very attractive goal too for someone wanting to learn how to paint!

You have something worth working for by doing this. I've always
wondered why music instruction couldn't be more like this. If you
could explain, in a step-by-step approach, how to complete a piece of music, then students would be able to sidestep the tiresome harmony and theory courses taught at college and University.

This is what I've tried to do with my online piano lessons and while there is nothing wrong with learning theory, it's not the end all be all that many piano teachers would like you to believe.

Instead, a step-by-step method, where students get the materials they need to create with right away (scale, chords, technique) can be used with great success! Students are able to use these materials to create unique compositions and improvisations of their own!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit http://www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!