Musical Legends - Kishore Kumar

When we start talking on male singers in India, two-three names which first strike in our mind are Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar. These people with their melodious voice had created magic in Indian music. The magic they had created has not been recreated or matched by any of the following singers till date.


Kishore Kumar is the first singer who received eight Filmfare Awards as Best Playback Singer. Kishore Kumar was a versatile singer. He had many moods in his singing. Kishore had a unique style in his singing that is Yodelling, which therafter became Kishore's trademark.

Kishore Kumar was also one of the best comedian actors. Kishore Kumar also had produced 14 films. He also had composed music and written stories for those films. He has also written screenplays for 5 films. Kishore Kumar also had directed 12 films.

Before Kishore Kumar (August 4, 1929 - 13 October, 1987) stepped into Indian film industry, his elder brother Ashok Kumar was already an established actor. Kishore was 20 years younger than Ashok Kumar. Kishore Kumar was youngest amongst four siblings. His other brother Anoop Kumar was also an actor.

As Ashok Kumar was a successful actor in Bollywood, Kishore Kumar was visiting Mumbai regularly. Kishore Kumar's real name was Abhas Kumar which he changed before entering into film industry. Kishore Kumar began his career as chorus singer at Bombay Talkies. His debut film as an actor was Shikari in 1946.

His breakthrough film as singer was Aradhana in 1969 featuring actor Rajesh Khanna. Kishore Kumar came to fame with two songs from the film- Mere Sapnon ki Rani and Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mera. Since then Kishore Kumar sang in many films for Rajesh Khanna. His voice also suited best to actors Dev Anand and Amitabh Bachchan. He was expert in modulating his voice to suit to different heroes.

As an actor, Kishore Kumar is best remembered for his roles Padosan and his home production Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi along with his two elder brothers and wife Madhubala was appreciated by the the film fraternity.

The unconventional, the incomparable singer died on October 13, 1987 due to heart attack. A day before his death Kishore Kumar sang his last song Guru O Guru along with Asha Bhosle, for the film Waqt ki Aawaz (1988) which was composed by Bappi Lahiri. During his life time, Kishore Kumar acted in 50 films and he had sung for 200 films.

Kishore Kumar is considered to be a “versatile genius” with so many outstanding facets of his artistic personality. If overall as an artist, Kishore is versatile, only in singing domain he is a “versatile singer” in a true nature. Right from romantic to sad to soulful to motivating to semi-classical to qawwali to patriotic and to ghazals, Kishore had shown his tremendous variety in his god-given voice each and every time he had stood behind the microphone.

Musical Legends - Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam (born 30 July 1973 in Faridabad, Haryana, India) is a highly acclaimed Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi and Kannada movies, as well as Marathi and Telugu movies. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films. 

                                                           http://sonunigamvideos.blogspot.com/

Sonu Nigam began his singing career at the age of three, when he joined his father on stage to sing Mohammad Rafi's "Kya Hua Tera Wada, Wo Kasam Wo Irada." From then on, Sonu accompanied his father on his singing appearances at weddings and parties. In his teenage years, Nigam participated in several music competitions successfully. He moved to Mumbai with his father to begin his Bollywood singing career at the age of 19. His initial years in Mumbai proved to be a struggle, beginning by singing covers of Mohammad Rafi songs, mainly for a number of "Rafi Ki Yaadein" albums released by T-Series.Nigam's first movie song as a playback singer was in the film Janam (1990), which was never officially released. Sonu also got a break in several radio commercials until he appeared on the popular TV show Sa Re Ga Ma, after which there was no turning back.The format of that show gave him a chance to showcase his singing skills including his later well-known natural charm and audience appeal. Then he sang "Accha Sila Diya" on the album Bewafa Sanam (1995), which established his status as a recognized playback singer. Singing offers poured in thereafter, albeit slowly at first. He rose to fame with the Anu Malik composed song "Sandese Aate Hain," in Border in 1997 and the Nadeem-Shravan composed song "Yeh Dil Deewana" in Pardes in the same year. Since then, he has created a unique style of his own, and has become a role model for emerging vocal talent in India.

Over the years, Sonu has become a major force in the Indian music industry. He has provided playback singing for a large number of Hindi movies and won many awards. His rendition of the title song of the film Kal Ho Na Ho has been highly popular and is considered a modern legend of sorts. He is recognized for his versatile voice as well as excellent emotion range. Sonu has sung with clear pronunciations, in many languages besides Hindi, including Bengali, Oriya, Kannada, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, English, Bhojpuri, Urdu, Nepali and Marathi. He remains particularly popular in Southern India for his Kannada songs and has won a few awards in this particular industry. Sonu has also released a number of pop albums, both in Hindi and in Punjabi. The very recent addition to this list is "Classically Mild".

Stage and Sonu are words which go hand in hand. He has been singing since he was 3 and his energy and zest has only increased with every performance. Sonu has performed not only all over India but almost in every Continent. He has toured America, UK, Europe, South Africa, France, Germany, Pakistan, Dubai, Afghanistan, Africa, Singapore, Bangkok, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Mauritius, Australia and Egypt. He always performs 'Live' with his band which makes him a class apart. The grandeur of his shows is always compared to star shows as no singer has ever been given such publicity and production value. His shows stretch over 3 and half hours with 2 entries where he alone performs in each segment for over an hour. His excellent rapport with the audience and his energetic acts bowled over the audiences all over the world and the magic continues. Some of his recent memorable and successful tours include the Idea Rocks India Tour in 2006, Simply Sonu Tours in 2006 and 2007 ,The Incredibles tour of North America with Asha Bhonsle, Kunal Ganjawala and Kailash Kher in 2007 and the Rafi Resurrected Tour with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2008. In 2006, he was also invited to Melbourne to perform at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games along with several other eminent personalities. A huge landmark in Sonu’s career was being invited to perform at the prestigious Harvard University in November 2007 on the momentous occasion of the Installation of Dr.Drew Gilpin Faust as Harvard University’s 28th president. Perhaps one could say history had been made. Not just Harvard history, which it certainly was, as the first ever South Asian, or any ethnic performance for that matter, at such a Harvard ceremony. But in a wider context, it was a symbolic moment of the next phase for our music on the world stage - one that will be looked upon often for inspiration. Sonu wholeheartedly accepted the honour of the stage realizing the immense potential the combination of his celebrity and this exalted platform held, in launching Indian music into the next orbit. He took Harvard students as his accompanists - a gesture of foresight that was greatly praised by faculty and administrators, and presented Gandhiji’s favourite Bhajan “Vaishnava Jana To” in his own style, transalating it into English as well.

Sonu has done various charity work all over India as well as abroad for Dignity Foundation, Cancer organizations, Leprosy organizations, Blindness organizations, Women's welfare organizations, Kargil war affected families, Earthquake affected families. He also sponsors a child from the organization “Crayon”.

He is often referred to as India's best playback singer and as the Golden Voice of Indipop but he has proved time and again that he is a complete musician and an institution in himself with extra-ordinary talent and a voice to die for. He is a student of music,with a zeal to surpass his own targets and a performer par excellence. Today he is a superstar,an icon to millions of music lovers across the globe. He is a legend approaching the age of 37, and the journey has just begun!


Just visit  http://sonunigamvideos.blogspot.com/  for interesting videos, articles and latest news and gossips of Sonu Nigam.

Reign of Hindi Music

Music can simply be labeled as a blend of various ordered sounds that unite to form a soothing effect, but the realm of music is very comprehensive. In a broader sense music is termed as a magic that flows through your veins and hits both your body and the soul. Various ingredients that make music a touching obsession are Pitch (Tune and Harmony), Rhythm (Beats and Pulse), Dynamics and the sonic traits incorporated with vocal echo. Varied Modes and Themes of Music say Romantic, Sad, Patriotic, Dance and Meditation, have the power to bring immense change to human mood and that too within no time. Music and songs have always been a perfect source of relaxation for all.

Indian music basically originated with some traditional classical compositions but slowly and steadily transformed into modern day Hindi melodies. Nowadays Hindi music is not just confined to India but is making a mark all over the world, thanks to the growing Technology and awareness. And why not as Indian Hindi Music has a history of more than 5000 years which is well above any supplementary variety of harmony. This proves the fact that music follows no traditions, belief, or ethnic precincts.

Hindi music consists of various diverse genres like Folk songs, Classical, Melody, Bollywood Songs, Bhangra, Ghazals, Dance numbers, remix, Instrumental, Marriage songs, Oldies, Patriotic songs, Karaoke, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Punjabi. People in India are passionate for their music. Hindi music is one of the greatest reasons behind the success of Bollywood. Movie songs are used to promote the films even before the movie is released.

Over the period of time there have been many Hindi singers who have contributed towards taking Indian Music to the glories like Kishor Kumar, Mohd. Rafi, R. D. Burman, A.R Rehman, Lata Mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh, Asha Bhonsle, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, Sukhvinder Singh, Ghulam Ali, Kavita Krishanmurti, R.D. Burman, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghosal, Anu Malik and many more.

Musical Synthesizer

The invention of the musical synthesizer revolutionized the world of sound recreation. A performer who wanted to recreate a particular sound on stage used to rely on old-fashioned recordings. Today, thousands of sounds, notes and frequencies can be generated in real time on stage at the touch of a button.

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument that can produce various sounds. Its name comes from what it does: it "synthesizes" sound. It works by generating and combining different frequencies. It can produce thousands of different sounds and sound combinations.

Performers who want to add the sound of a car horn to a performance need not use an audio tape of a car horn. Instead, the sound can be generated with the push of a button. The synthesizer can even produce multiple sounds simultaneously, like a horn honk and a bird call, for example.

The earliest known synthesizer was invented by Elisha Gray in the late 1800's. Gray is more well-known for some of his other inventions, most notably the telegraph and a telephone prototype. Gray was a pioneer in electronics and ahead of his time in many respects. His early device, though somewhat rudimentary by modern standards, paved the way for today's models.

The next inventor to improve upon the synthesizer was Robert Moog. Moog was a brilliant scientist who received a Ph.D. in engineering physics in the mid 1900s. He spent his career working with and developing electronic music systems, instruments and devices. Moog is considered by many to be the father of the modern synthesizer.

Moog's device was the first ever to use a piano keyboard as a controller. Previous prototypes used buttons, dials and levers. This is why they have become largely associated with pianos and electronic keyboards today. However, they can actually be controlled through other means. Guitar synthesizers are an example of this.

Early synthesizers were large and unwieldy, not very suitable for transporting. Moog's design, plus evolving technology, led the way for smaller and more portable units. These smaller devices are much more practical for performing, especially when traveling is involved.

Today's synthesizers are highly sophisticated devices. They employ computer technology and are comprised of computer chips and motherboards. The units are compact and relatively self-contained (like today's computers) and can be transported easily.

The keyboard synthesizer is still popular with musicians, particularly those who perform regularly on stage. Today musicians can also use software synthesizers, also referred to as softsynth. This type uses computer software for digital audio generation. Softsynth is often used for studio recording. Another less common device is the saxophone-style synthesizer.

Modern electronic keyboards usually have synthesizer components, if only in limited form. Mass-marketed electronic keyboard synthesizers are usually rudimentary compared to professional models, which have greater synthesizing capabilities. However, even these rudimentary keyboards demonstrate just how far technology has evolved over the decades. Many features available on the cheapest keyboard synthesizers are more advanced than the best of yesteryear's technology.

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Designs are likely to get better and more efficient. Synthesizer sounds will improve in quality. The range of possibilities for sound production and reproduction make the science and engineering a worthwhile investment.

Wherever You go, Carry your Music collection with you.

With the growing popularity of external hard drives, people are choosing to store their music on an outside source. After all, it is likely that you have very little need to bring your music with you as your transport your laptop to and from work. Additionally, keeping your music on an external drive allows you to transport it freely. You can plug your external into anybody’s computer, and jam out to your favorite tune using their computer!

Think of it this way. External hard drives are basically just gigantic versions of the classic thumb drives. While most thumb drives can support around 1 gigabyte of information, the average external hard drive can store 100 gigabytes. That’s like having 100 thumb drives right at your service! Not only can you fit your entire music library on one external hard drive, but you can back up your important files and documents as well.

We all know music can be very expensive. On Itunes, most songs are sold for about $2, and full albums cost around $13. This may not seem like much, but trust me, it adds up. Most people don’t realize how expensive their music was until they have lost it all and have to start recollecting from scratch. So whether you choose to store it all on an external hard drive, or simply back it up using an external hard drive, you should take steps to ensure its safety.

External hard drives are also often utilized be professional DJs. When attending events, DJs often have a specific external hard drive which contains music tailored to the specific event. For some weddings, this may mean having an acceptable variety of songs which are unedited. Now, when the same DJ spins at the local nightclub, he will want to use the raw, uncut versions of the songs. By separating them onto two hard drives, he will no longer have to worry about playing the wrong version of a song at an event which he is spinning.

Additionally, some hard drives are claimed to be virtually indestructible. These hard drives, which often will hold over 500 gigabytes of information, are flood and fire proof. If there’s one way to ensure the safety of your music, it is through the use of one of these super external hard drives!

Improve your Guitar Strumming Today !

Guitar strumming is easy for some, but can be quite difficult for others. Add singing and/or chord changes to the mix and things can get really interesting! It's like trying to chew gum and walk at the same time. :0)

So, what should a person do who is having problems strumming the guitar?

First of all, you must learn how to RELAX. Tension in the body will only contribute to an uneven, choppy, abrasive sound.

Second, you must learn how to SIMPLIFY. Don't worry about singing or chord changes.

Give yourself a chance to learn one thing at a time. Focus only on strumming.

You can do this by holding one chord while you practice different strumming patterns using various combinations of whole notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes. Begin with simple 3/4 and 4/4 rhythms. When this feels comfortable, experiment with 6/8, 12/8 and other Time Signatures.

Once you are able to maintain a smooth, even strum while holding one chord, try adding a simple chord change such as: G D7 G, or A E7 A. Be sure to begin with chord changes that are easy for you to execute so that you can continue to keep your primary focus on strumming.

As your strumming improves, try playing a few common chord progressions. Then find an easy song that you would like to learn how to play.

I recommend the E-Z Strummer guitar course because you will learn how to strum 40 of the most popular songs ever. Songs like "3 A.M." by Matchbox 20, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, and "Knockin On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan.

Another important aspect of strumming the guitar is learning how to FOLLOW THROUGH. Most beginner guitar students tend to emphasize the bass strings when they strum and miss the treble strings altogether. So, when they play a series of open, "primary" chords, it becomes difficult to distinguish one chord from another.

When your are playing primary chords in and around first position, you should be emphasizing the treble strings when you strum your guitar, not the bass strings.

Try this simple experiment:

Part 1:

1. Hold an open D chord

2. Strum down using only the 3 lower bass strings (don't strum the top 3 treble strings)
1.-----------------
2.-----------------
3.-----------------
4.-----^-----------
5.-----^-----------
6.-----^-----------

3. Now move to an A chord

4. Strum down using the same 3 bass strings

Did you hear a difference between the two chords? Probably not.
Part 2:

5. Go back to the D chord

6. Strum only the 3 higher treble strings

1.-----^-----------
2.-----^-----------
3.-----^-----------
4.-----------------
5.-----------------
6.-----------------

7. Move to the A chord

8. Strum the same 3 treble strings

Did you hear a difference this time? Yes, you probably did.

If you do the exercise correctly, you should notice a distinct difference between the two chords when you strum the treble strings.

The exercise given above is simple, but it illustrates the importance of FOLLOW THROUGH.

In summary, if you apply the three things mentioned in this article to your strumming...

1. RELAX
2. SIMPLIFY
3. FOLLOW THROUGH

...you should begin to notice an overall improvement in the sound of your guitar playing within a relatively short period of time.

 

-By Kathy Unruh

www.abclearnguitar.com

Kathy Unruh is the webmaster of AbcLearnGuitar.com. She has been providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years.

Why people are attracted by Music ?

Music is a universal language; a beautiful language that your soul and heart responds to amazingly well. It appeals to you. You can always depend on music to take yourself through some instances in life when everything else fails. That is why we love music.

You love music because it is beautiful. You can not express the beauty of music as in a flower, a lovely face staring at you or the satisfaction you get from a lovely meal. You know that it is wonderful. That is why you cannot get enough of it. You play your emo, indie or folk songs every time and everywhere. You take it with you to work, to jog or to shop. You find it everywhere. It is all around us because it is beautiful and exquisite.

We enjoy music because it is great company. Think of that instance when you are driving on the highway. The stereo blurts out your favorite folk song and all you can do is tap on the driving wheel. Music makes good company. When listening to it with a loved one, you don't even need to talk. It keeps you locked in the moment, taking you through that time until you are blessed again to enjoy it. As company, you exercise with it, work with it and dance to it. That is why you love music so much.

Music keeps you connected with people who matter to you. Your spouse, loved one, friends and family all know what you love listening to. When buying you music as a present, they are the ones who know what will put a smile on your face. Listening to your best songs with friends or family helps you create closer bonds. You all make the time to share a beautiful thing. You sit together making light conversion and just taking in the moment. This creates memories that will always keep you connected to your loved ones. It is yet another reason why we adore music.

Celebrations and parties would never be the same if were it not for music. The music builds the mood. It helps set the pace. Whether it is a national event or a simple anniversary party at home, music makes or breaks the event. When it is just right, it lifts our moods and takes us to another high. At that moment everything is possible. And your love for music just keeps increasing.

Finally, you love music because it appeals to you and you know you can share it with people around the globe. When a song about hunger is done, you respond to it by making your contribution. This is because you love music, it is great company, it makes you laugh, and unifies all people as humanity.

Want to become a Drummer ?

Several websites offer beginning drum lessons videos. These drum lessons are usually designed to educate novices to learn how to play drums. Further, many sites offer help to even seasoned professional drum players to learn new fills and beats. Normally, the drum lessons start from the simplest beats, gradually leading you to learn beats that are more complicated.

At the outset, you would be expected to learn how sheet music is to be read and how time should be counted. These drum lessons form the essential basics of music as well drum playing. The next set of lessons would teach you the simple beats that every drummer needs to learn in the beginning. They would be followed by the several variations in the drumbeats that form the higher levels. The next levels are generally classified as intermediate levels and advanced levels.

The first step in beginning drum lessons is to understand the importance of hi-hats and playing them properly. These hi-hats could be played either with the drumstick when the hi-hats remain closed. For this, you need to use your left foot on the pedal of the hi-hats. Otherwise, you could play the hi-hats with the help of your foot also, by using your foot to open and alternatively close the hi-hats.

Next, you should learn to play the ride cymbal. The main purpose of the ride cymbal is to keep the timing steady in playing the drumbeats. The ride cymbal stokes are played with the drumstick on the part lying between the bell and the edge of the ride cymbal. This part is known as the ëbowí. After that, you would learn to play the snare drum and the bass drum. This would be followed by drum lessons on playing the Tom Toms.

The most important point in learning how to play drums is to count time. Time counting should come naturally to a good drummer. Unless you are able to count time properly, you would not be able to play the notes of the sheet music properly. You should be able to understand the counting of drumbeats and the relationship of the subdivisions to each other. Initially, you could start with tapping the timing on a single drum. The first lesson would be on the quarter notes and the eighth notes. Learn how to play the drum with these notes separately. Then you should learn how to combine the quarter and the eighth notes. This would be followed by the lessons on sixteenth notes and combining the sixteenth notes with the eighth notes and finally combining all the three types of notes.

Another chief aspect in beginning drum lessons is to keep you highly motivated all the time. Any lacking in motivation would adversely affect your interest in learning the drum lessons in real earnest. Constant practice and keen interest in learning more and more complicated drumbeats is also quite significant in drum lessons.

Always keep in mind that beginning anything is very easy but to complete it successfully needs dedication, patience and hard work. Good luck!!

Guitar Basic Music Theory

For the purposes of this article let me assume that you've taken the first step towards learning theory and learnt where all the notes are across the neck. If not, then you should do that first. Knowing the notes is extremely important to start applying theory.
The first thing is to learn scales and how they are put together starting with the major key, let us take C major.
The major scale is made from seven different notes. The first note is called the root note, the note that you start the scale with. The root note is where the scale gets its name from. In this case the root note is C, and so the scale is C major. Each fret on a guitar is a half note, or a semitone. To play a major scale go up the neck in the following increments;

Root, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, and then a half back to your root one octave higher. The third note in the scale is the note that decides whether it is a major or a minor scale. In a minor scale the third note is one semitone lower in pitch than in a major scale. Try playing it to hear the difference. The notes in a C major scale you should notice are; C, D, E, F, G, A, B. See a pattern? There are no flats or sharps in the C major scale, which is why C major is easy to start there when you begin learning.

The next step takes a lot of time and a lot of practice. Take these notes and find them all over the neck. Try to learn the scale in as many places as you can, make sure you get really comfortable with it. You'll find that once you're totally at home with the C major scale it should be quite easy to move the shape and patterns around to find other scales. Try moving every note you know from C major up two frets on the guitar. You're now playing the D major scale. Move one half step down from C major and you're playing the B major scale. Take shapes and patterns you know and simply move them round the neck, learning each key one at a time. Over time you will learn which notes are the fourth note, the third note, etc. As you play more you'll get a feel of what notes are good to start and end phrases on, where you can bend to and just generally what notes will sound better over each chord.

The next thing  is to start learning the minor keys. Start, say with A minor, the notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Notice anything familiar? The notes of A minor are just the same as C major. In fact, if you take the 6th note of any major scale and play the notes up to the 6th one octave higher you're playing the minor scale. So after learning the major scales you will realise that you knew all the notes for the minor scales as well. Obviously they share the same notes but of course, you need to phrase them differently when you play.

If you're looking to learn a minor scale then the increments are;
Root note, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step and then whole again to the root note one octave higher.
There should be plenty to get you going here. Ideally after some practice you should feel comfortable jamming in any key. Best of luck practising and remember that slow and steady wins the race.

Play piano classically

If you are interested in learning classical piano lessons online, then you can find a variety of sites offering these courses. If your quest for learning classical piano has been stalled due to time or financial constraints, now is the time to take advantage of online classes that are offered at flexible timings and at affordable rates.

In fact, there are many sites that offer free lessons too. All these online classical piano lessons start by teaching you all about basic notes and chords. They teach you how to read sheet music. If you already know how to play on the piano, you can find websites that offer classical piano lessons online featuring a variety of sheet music. You can simply download them and play at leisure.

If you are a beginner, your classical piano music classes will first teach you how to use your keyboard first. You will be taught all the basic chords and notes before reading sheet music. Certain sites make it easy for you to clarify doubts by offering you the opportunity to interact with the instructor through email or live chat.

You can join one of the classical piano lessons online offered for free to see the extent to which you are interested in this genre before deciding on opting for paid classes with expert professionals.

Online piano lessons teach you all the nuances of playing classical music and you can impress your friends, relatives and other guests at any get-together with your talent. Even if you just have ten minutes a day to spare, you can learn how to play this instrument and by mastering the art of reading sheets, you can start playing many different classical melodies in a short period of time.

After you learn how to play chord piano and acquire basic piano playing abilities, the next step is to learn how to play classical music from one of the best classical piano lessons online. Classical music is invigorating and relaxing and can complement every individual style and mood.

Importance of Guitar finger exercises

The hardest part about sounding good on guitar is getting your fingers to do what you want them to do. Learning how to play guitar chords is one thing, being able to switch from one chord to another quickly and smoothly is another. The more you practice switching between chords, the better you will get. But doing some guitar finger exercises every day will make a marked improvement in your guitar playing.

As with any other work-out program, in order to get the best results you need to warm-up and stretch the muscles you will be working on. It is no different with the muscles and tendons in your fingers, and the best way to warm them up is by doing some guitar finger exercises.

Before doing any guitar finger exercises you should stretch your fingers first. You can do this by bending your fingers back to the point of resistance and hold it there for about ten seconds. Do not bend them back to where it is painful. Once you have stretched your fingers you can now do some exercises.

The most basic guitar finger exercise is a four notes per string routine. Starting on the sixth string play the first fret with your first finger, then second fret,second finger,then third fret, third finger, and fourth fret fourth finger. Now repeat this on the fifth string, and then the fourth string and so on to the first string, and then back down again. Now move up one fret and repeat the whole sequence starting on the second fret. After each sequence move up one more fret and do this all the way through up to the twelfth fret. You should do this as slow as you have to in order to maintain an even tempo and making sure each note is played cleanly. One tip I would like to add here, and this might sound strange, but if you say the number of each finger out loud as you use it, this will help with the muscle memory connection between your brain and your fingers. In order to give your right hand a workout to you should use alternating picking while doing these exercises, meaning down up down up down up.

It is also very beneficial to use a metronome if you have one when ever you do any guitar finger exercises, as this will improve your sense of timing. Start out with a slow enough tempo to be able to play each note cleanly and then keep increasing the tempo a little at a time each time you do this exercise.

From Bathroom Singer to a Good Singer

Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes and the skill of singing is no exception to this rule. First of all, you should practice for at least thirty minutes each day. Once you have disciplined yourself to do this, there are certain guidelines you can follow during your practice sessions.

- Find a music teacher who will teach you in the style you choose. Ask as many questions as you feel necessary and meet up with your teacher to get a feel for whether of not he or she will be the right music tutor for you. Your tutor will assist you with your goal setting and guide you in how to achieve those goals.

- Make sure you warm up properly prior to starting you practice session.

- Make a recording of your voice singing a certain song along with the vocal exercises which you want to learn during your practice session.

- Choose your song and sing it as properly and beautifully as you can when making your recording and you will be able to use this as a reference to monitor your improvement by.

- Throughout your practice session concentrate fully on one difficulty. This way you will work through each part of singing, improving steadily instead of trying to solve all your frustrations at one time.

- When you feel like you need a break, take half an hour out. Sometimes the repetition can result in you feeling a bit like a robot and you will not accomplish anything when you feel this way - it will only lead to more mistakes.

- Makes notes throughout your practice. That is, notes of your progress and your mistakes.

- Cold drinks are not recommended after your practice.

There are some other important factors which affect your singing skills and one of them is smoking. This will swell and aggravate your vocal chords. Your career relies on your voice, so make sure to take the best care of it. Alcohol is also not good for your vocal chords. If trying to put some volume behind your voice involves straining, then it is best to use a microphone adjusted to meet your particular requirements.

The fine tuning and conditioning of your voice, as well as your actions, definitely affects your singing. When you perform your singing, at the same time practice your body actions because singing isn't just about what comes out of your mouth. Positive body language is essential when connecting with your audience.

If you practice on a regular basis your singing will improve no end. Try to integrate your singing practice into your daily routine because little and often is far more effective than once a week practicing for a longer period of time.

Enjoy Singing and Have fun !!

Learn Music and add a refreshing enhancement in your life

Learning to play music can be as simple or challenging as you want. Whether you want to learn the guitar, the piano or the tuba doesn't matter. Just challenge yourself and you'll be making music before you can say embouchure.

First of all, there are many instruments that are very easy to learn. The simplest is the kazoo. The pitch of a kazoo is entirely controlled by your mouth. No fingerings to learn. Just put it to your mouth and buzz.

Moving up the scale are other mouth instruments, such as the harmonica and melodica. The harmonica takes seconds to learn but a lifetime to master. Harmonicas come tuned in a certain key, so that there are no out-of-key notes. As long as you use the proper harmonica for the key, you'll sound musical. Of course, there are many other techniques to learn, but for the beginner trying to learn to play music, the simplicity of the harmonica is great.

The melodica is a keyboard instrument that is powered by air from your lungs. You blow into the mouthpiece and play the keyboard like a piano. The only difference is that the keyboard is facing away from you, perpendicular to your body. Most melodicas cover only an octave or two, giving you a smaller range.

The piano is another great instrument to start learning to play music. Every note is laid out in front of you, with nothing hidden. Using the white keys, you can play anything in the key of C. The amount of musical expression attainable on the piano is unmatched by other instruments, as it's both a melodic and percussive instrument.

There are many benefits of learning to play music as an adult. Increased confidence, mental stimulation and sheer joy are just a few of them. Imagine entertaining friends with your new skills! Maybe you always wanted to have your own band and never pursued it in your youth. Learn to play music as an adult and have the musical fun that you missed. It's never too late to stimulate your mind in new and exciting ways.

You'll meet new people when you become a musician. It's surprising when you learn who secretly always wanted to play in a band or hold an audience enraptured through a Debussy piano piece. From CEOs to maintenance workers, there are part-time musicians everywhere you look. Maybe your boss, the secret guitarist, will find out that you're learning to play music. Suddenly you're a new blip on the radar and you have a buddy to jam with on Sundays.

Whatever your reasons for learning to play music as an adult, you'll love it. Pick up a simple instrument like the kazoo or a vast one like the piano and practice. Find a cheap guitar, some online instruction and learn your favorite songs by the Who. Buy a harmonica, start a campfire and play the blues. The possibilities are endless, as long as you keep your enthusiasm and continue to practice.

Good Luck!!

Simple Steps of Learning Guitar

Learning to play guitar is definitely a serious business that you should take lightly. Once you have a little physical hands on experience with the guitar you can relax and make choices about what style of music you want to learn and how you want to learn it. Once you have learnt the basic chord shapes and how they can be moved up and down the fret board, you can experiment with strumming patterns if you get bored with that, you can start on learning a few finger picking patterns. You must never lose sight of the goal of personal satisfaction behind your musical efforts.

Part of learning to play guitar is, unfortunately, the wondering.

1.Which way of learning to play guitar is the best for me?
2.How many ways of learning are there?
3.Are books the best source of guitar learning information? Or is it better to pick some of my favorite songs and concentrate on learning how to play them?

What makes learning guitar more confusing is the fact that everybody who learns seems quite happy to have taken the path that they took and, in hindsight, would not have done anything different. Anyway, maybe talking to friends who already have been through the learning journey would probably be a good start. Did they learn to play by starting on chords? Or scales? How do people feel about their abilities as a guitar player after a few years of fooling around in a non-disciplined way?

Many guitarists have made their way by watching and talking to friends and making use of the free tabs on the internet. Choosing tabs should be a fairly stress-free job if you are guided by your personal musical tastes but there could be a problem with learning from friends. If you have a bunch of friends or family members who think they know a thing or two about playing the guitar, you are talking to someone who may or may not be aware of their own limitations.

A guitar playing friend can show you how to play a chord or a riff but they will have only limited ability to provide you with the guidance you need to chart your own guitar learning path and to judge your own progress.

If you do take the unstructured route for learning guitar, you can always take a lesson or two from a professional teacher just to make sure you have not acquired too many bad habits and to help with charting a course for your guitar music progress.

One experience you could do well to share with a guitar teacher is learning from a printed guitar tutor. If you choose one of good guitar lesson books you already have a structured learning program and sharing the learning with an experienced guitarist who can add his own perspective to the info in the book.

The five essentials steps to getting started playing your guitar.

1. Sitting Position. In order for you to feel relaxed when sitting playing your guitar you need to adopt the correct sitting position. Take your guitar and ensure the guitar body is supported by your leg. Ensure you are sat at the edge of your chair and your back is straight but relaxed. Your guitar should be leaned back towards you slightly. Just doing this alone will be the start to make playing your guitar easier.

2. Standing Position. When standing playing the guitar you need to ensure its held securely and your body is relaxed. Take you guitar and put the strap over your shoulder. The strap should be adjusted so your guitar is positioned over your mid-body. Your left hand will be supporting the neck of the guitar and your right hand at the bridge of the guitar. These quick steps will ensure you are relaxed and have free control of the guitar.

3. Hand Position. In order not to cause strain on your wrist or thumb which could cause injury the hand position is vital. The wrist and hands should always be in a relaxed state to prevent strain. The thumb should never be placed too low on the neck. The fingers should be placed on the fret board making sure you do not need to stretch to play any on the strings.

4. Fretting. To ensure you press the strings on the fret board correctly here are some essential tips. Make sure you cut your fingernails as short nails are a must. Only the tips of your fingers should be used to press the strings. Ensure all strings sound clear and are not muted or buzzing.

5. Holding the Pick. The pick needs to be held in the correct way which is between the thumb and index fingers. If you are not holding the pick correctly you will not make the correct sound when playing the guitar.

You will be soon playing the guitar on a regular basis. Playing the guitar in front of a crowd is not a pipe dream or only for those who are natural music players. Use these strategies and very soon you could be playing in your own band.

All the Best !!