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New Age Piano Tricks
One of the things that makes New Age piano so enjoyable is that it's easy to get started. One of the "tricks" of the trade is to play an ostinato pattern in the left-hand while the right improvises a melody. Just listen to George Winston's lovely piece Colors/Dance to hear an excellent example of this technique. He uses just two chords in the beginning. But just look what he does with them! He maintains interest for a good couple of minutes before any contrast is introduced. Remarkable! And not as easy to do as many people think! The artistry in this is how he maintains interest. The improvised right-hand melody carries the music through and propels listener attention forward. The left-hand however, is just playing the same ostinato pattern. Complicated? Hardly. A beautiful piece of music? Absolutely. And all that's required is the ability to trust your intuition. Trusting intuition is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A TEACHER CAN HELP YOU LEARN! Why? Because when you trust yourself, you allow the music to come as it should - naturally and easily. Technique can be taught by most anyone and can be learned readily. However, the ability to trust yourself is something that takes a bit of introspection. Most of us have an internal critic that tries to condemn any creative effort. We must learn to listen to what we say to ourselves and allow for the creative impulse. 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. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic .com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!
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How To Write A Song Did you ever wish that it was your song playing on the radio? It could be. It is not that hard once you know the formula. With a little creativity, a little knowledge, a little luck and a good formula to follow, your song could be one of the next biggest hits. Songwriting comes easy for some, and is very difficult for others. I have actually written songs in my sleep, and immediately upon awaking, written it as quickly as I could get the words on down on paper. What I want to discuss here is popular songwriting, like the songs you hear on the radio. A good pop song, whether rock, country, middle of the road, is composed of two things: a catchy tune and some good lyrics. There is a formula that most great songwriters use to write great songs. It regards the structure used to write a song. Granted, it is music and it is art, so the rules are not hard and fast. But if you want to increase your chances of getting your song on the radio, it is a good starting point. Here is the formula. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Write that down on paper leaving plenty of space between each word and this will be your script. Verse The verse is the part of the song that tells the story, the part that leads to the chorus. Each verse is usually different, telling a different part of, or adding to, the story. It usually explains how you got to the things you are singing about in the chorus. Chorus. The chorus is the part of the song that is repeated after each verse. The lyrics are usually the same each time the chorus comes around. The verse usually leads to the chorus, and the chorus is usually the pay off for listening to the verse. Does that make sense? Here is a lame example (you did not think I would give you my best work, did you?): (verse) My dog is sick, he's got a tick He's my best friend, don't let it end (chorus) Oh, woe is me, can't you see Woe is me, will I ever be free (verse) My car broke down, just out of town It got towed in, but it's broke again (chorus) Oh, woe is me, can't you see Woe is me, will I ever be free Now, if you would kindly stop laughing at my lame song for a minute, I want you to think about whether or not you understand my point. Songwriting is story telling. The verse tells the problems, the chorus expresses the results or the emotions. All right, now that you have that mastered, let's tackle the bridge. Ah, yeah, there is more to the song than the pain and the release. We need the diversion. That is what the bridge is; it is the diversion from the verse and the chorus. The bridge may have a slightly different melody to it, or it could even have a different rhythm or a different tempo (Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" did a great job on this technique). Let's go back to the lame song and add a bridge: (verse) My dog is sick, he's got a tick He's my best friend, don't let it end (chorus) Oh, woe is me, can't you see Woe is me, will I ever be free (verse) My car broke down, just out of town It got towed in, but it's broke again (chorus) Oh, woe is me, can't you see Woe is me, will I ever be free (bridge) Tomorrow is a better day, I've got a new truck on the way My dog just had a flea it seems, so once again I'll live my dreams (chorus) Oh, woe was me, can't you see Woe was me, but now I'm free The bridge offers a solution to the problems I was having. You don't want to leave your listener on the edge of suicide, you want to give them hope. Notice, I also changed up the wording of the chorus. This was done to reflect my new found joy. One more thing on formula. It can be anyway you want, but most verses and chorus come in lines of 4. So, instead of this: (verse) Oh, woe is me, can't you see Woe is me, will I ever be free (verse) My car broke down, just out of town It got towed in, but it's broke again it would be: Oh, woe is me, can't you see Woe is me, will I ever be free My car broke down, just out of town It got towed in, but it's broke again The same goes for the chorus. Again, if you are creative, do it however you want. But for a new songwriter, this gives you some guidelines to scratch out and start carving out your new creation. One more thing, do not make the notes to the melody so high that your fans cannot sing along. We are certainly all not Stevie Wonder. RIAA Files Second Wave of Lawsuits The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a second wave of lawsuits against users of internet2 (a specialized high speed version of the internet that makes it ideal for file sharing). By adding 20 new schools to the list, RIAA has greatly expanded the number of students involved in the case. Health and Beauty Tips for Your Brass: Keep It Shiny! Did you know that the health and beauty of your brass instruments require extra special attention? It's true-their wellbeing and happiness depend upon it. While we're not talking about putting your tuba on a weight-loss program or taking your trumpet to the spa for a makeover, you do need to treat your brass instruments with care or they'll refuse to come out and play. So, grab that brass and get ready for a workout-it's time to clean! Learn Piano the Easy Way! There are essentially two ways to learn piano - note reading or chords. For those who want to spend years learning how to play other peoples music, note reading is the way to go. For those who want to create their own special music, chord understanding is a must - and much easier to learn. It is far better to learn how to make music first than it is to read it on a piece of paper. Launch Pad Introduces Subliminal Who would have ever thought that a call out for a guitar player from the audience would turn into such a wow! Beginning the night off at Launch Pad playing excellent covers of Eagles and Jimi Hendrix it could only follow by something as extraordinary as beat boxing. Win Friends & Influence People Through Music -- Is It Possible? The idea that studying music improves the social development of a child is not a new one, but at last there is incontrovertible evidence from a study conducted out of the University of Toronto. Visualization Techniques for the Pianist Controlling the images of the mind through image projection has proven valuable not only for psychotherapy, but also as a learning aid. Visualization can have as much impact on the subconscious, memory, and entire body as a "real" experience. Creating Your Own Compositions The idea of actually creating a complete piece of music to play frightens many students. They just don't understand how someone could come up with something, put it down on paper, and call it their own. Silent Discos! The press have reported this week that silent disco's are now the in thing, saying: Your PC Is An Awesome Singer... If You Let It! As an amateur songwriter, who struggles with a computer far from powerful enough to run the necessary software to record vocals of good quality, I have looked for good solutions. And I've found a few. Benatar and Geraldo - Still Rockin on a High Note Most people look forward to the summer months because they bring warmer temperatures, vacations, outdoor gatherings, and longer days. Those are all fine and dandy, but what really gets my fires stoked for the warm season is when the Queen of Rock (a.k.a. Pat Benatar to the uneducated) takes her show on the road. Always the dutiful parents, Pat and her husband/producer/lead guitarist Neil Geraldo wait for school to let out before beginning a tour so that they can bring their children along for the trip. Some kids get to visit Disneyland or the beach during their summer breaks; these kids get to see the country and the throngs of fans who think their mother is the bomb-diggity. Music: Uniting Nations, Dividing Generations Cultures around the world since the beginning of time have appreciated, enjoyed, and incorporated some form of music in their everyday lives. However, just as one man's trash is another man's treasure, one man's music can often be another man's noise, and vice versa. Still, certain universal aspects of music can serve as a means of communication between two people who have little else in common. If Seals Can Sing, Why Cant You? It sounds like a side show, doesn't it? It does to me. But it's true; researchers have discovered that some varieties of seals really do sing. Indeed, male leopard seals have been heard singing complex melodies in their lonely search for a mate. Likewise, male Weddell seals, which are a very social creature, lure their mate by improvising original melodies the way a master musician would in front of an audience. Legal Free Music Downloads - Songs You Want at No Cost It's all over the news these days. Download music from the Internet and you could be sued, fined, and/or go to jail. The truth is free music downloads, done correctly, are completely legal. Music Downloads: Free & Low Cost Ways For Musicians To Get Their Music Known All Over The World Music downloads are highly compressed audio files transferred onto a personal computer from an Internet website or P2P (peer to peer) program. From IPOD's to MP3 players galore, music downloading is seen as the fastest way for a musician to get his or her work out to the public. Many musicians have developed world-wide followings by adding downloadable music files to their web sites. Guitar Practice (Part 2) - Does Practice Make Perfect? You've probably heard the saying "practice makes perfect" and it sounds true enough, but is t really? We all know the importance of practicing a new skill in order to become proficient at it. This is especially true when it comes to playing the guitar, or any other musical instrument for that matter. But, practicing incorrectly can actually be a detriment to your progress. How to Create a Multi-artistic Piece - Part II In the last article, the creation of a theme, its development, and the use of a libretto were discussed. As one may recall, the theme is the kernel of a production, which dictates the nature of the piece. And in relation to the theme, is the thematic structure that serves as a guide as to how the production will manifest. Ultimately this information is transferred to a libretto. In contrast to the previous article, the strengths and weaknesses of the arts will be addressed. Before one can choose the various media for their multi-artistic production, one must understand the arts in part and as a whole. There are three general categories that the arts can be classified, which include the auditory, visual, and linguistic. Although some art forms can be placed in two or more categories, such as poetry, fundamentally it is made of words, but can be executed vocally. Celtic Music: The Japanese Connection My friend, guitarist Brian Hughes, toured with the Chieftain's in Japan as an opening act with Loreena McKennitt. He then went on to perform with the Chieftains in North America and Europe when they were promoting their album Santiago. In Japan they played about ten shows between Tokyo and Osaka, mainly at soft seat classical concert halls. The seating ranged from 1500 to 4000 capacity. They were booked through the agent Plankton who specializes in Celtic music. Although the audiences were enthusiastic Brian felt that Celtic music was still a niche market in Japan. 10 Music Download Legal Points Everybody's doing it: downloading music and sharing files. People who share music files on the Internet argue that downloading is legal; today they can be sued by the record industry. Can one be sued without a great intrusion into personal lives of an individual? Lori Nuic Sparkles A soulful vibe along with an amazing voice is what Lori Nuic is gifted with, she got the crowd grooving as she performed at Launch Pad at the Cameron House for the first time.
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