Music Articles

Music | By Maxine Clarke @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 2:51 PM

It is often said that 'music has the charms to soothe a savage beast', and certainly there are a great number of musical greats to please the masses. Yet for many, the need to uncover an hitherto unheard of artist is something that excites and inspires. In an effort to aid those looking for something new to experience, this article can provide a number of recommendations. So why not take a read of the Top Five Bands Beginning With G, nip out to the local music store and treat y... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 2:02 PM

In the world of electric guitars you may well hear a good deal about harmonics, but ask anyone exactly what is meant by harmonics, or how harmonics effects are produced, and more often than not you will be met with silence. Harmonics in the world of electric guitars are almost a science, and indeed when it comes to modern digital systems, and computer controlled manipulation of electric guitar signals, it is a science which requires a fair bit of understanding. The strings of a guitar can... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 1:39 PM

There are a wide range of pitch related effects which can be used by players using electric guitars. One of these popular effects is the octave effect, often referred to as an octave. An octave takes the note being played by the guitar, or more accurately, the electronic signal, and then combines this note with a copy that is either one octave higher, or one octave lower, than the original. In some cases these units can also synthesise intervals as well as the octaves, and in these cases the uni... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 12:44 PM

You may often hear people discussing electric guitars and electric bass guitars use the word 'effects' when talking about the things which can be achieved with these instruments. However, for beginners it isn't always clear what is meant by the word effect - so exactly what are the effects that can be achieved by playing either an electric guitar or an electric bass guitar? Since electric guitars of all kinds are, by their very definition, electronic, most of the effects th... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 12:43 PM

The word wah is used a great deal when discussing electric guitars and the various effects that can be applied to the sound generated through the playing of an electric guitar. The wah sound is actually very similar to the sound made by a person pronouncing the word 'wah', and creates a nasal, wide note or tone to the guitar's sound. If you are looking for equipment to go with an electric guitar, then you may come across several tools and utilities relating to wah. One of t... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 12:05 PM

Many bass instruments are played upright, as a direct result of the fact that the bass strings are usually the longest, and therefore the instrument is naturally much longer than standard ones. However, electric bass guitars are played in exactly the same way as a standard guitar, and the length of the instrument is roughly the same. This is of course an advantage achieved through the fact that the actual sound heard is produced electronically, and the overall tone, pitch and frequency of the no... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 11:53 AM

Electric bass guitars require external amplification in much the same way that standard electric guitars do - and for the same reasons. There are several electric bass guitars with a hollow body, similar to that found on acoustic guitars, and this helps to provide some extra tone to the voice. However, electric bass guitars still require external amplification to be heard, and to provide the voice which is required. There are two basic types of amplifier that can be used by those who play... more...

Music | By Craig Chambers @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 7:25 AM

Looking for an easy way to give your home decor western or Native American flare? Try using Shaman drums along with your western home furnishings like I did. My love for these beautiful, American Indian drums started right after my husband and I bought our new home last year. We knew that because of our love for the old west, we wanted true southwestern and Native American style decor with unique rustic home furnishings. Once that was determined I started filling my new home with unique western ... more...

Music | By Craig Chambers @ Thursday, 30th October 2008 @ 7:20 AM

Did you ever think about the meaning behind the pow wow drums used in native ceremonies? I have, but never really knew that they played such an important part in the Native American culture until I had the opportunity to attend one of these events, and began talking to the American Indian singers about the significant part the pow wow drum has in the ceremony. Native drum groups understand the significance of this type of drum in their culture, but most people I come across have only a vague ide... more...

Music | By Amy Nutt @ Wednesday, 29th October 2008 @ 1:39 AM

It's extremely difficult for anyone to determine exactly what piano will be the easiest for any beginner to start off playing. A beginning piano player will play any variety of piano exactly how he or she is taught to play it. With that in mind - each brand, type and style of piano can sound differently and the sound and feel of each instrument may appeal differently to different players. When considering purchasing a piano, especially when you don't have a whole lot of ... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Tuesday, 28th October 2008 @ 9:42 PM

In some modern hi-fi equipment or digital music players you may often hear the phrase 'graphics equaliser', and perhaps if you have bought an electric guitar and use a well equipped amplifier unit, you may have graphics equalisation as an option included. But what is graphics equalisation, and in what ways does it affect the performance or sound made by an electric guitar? The notes of a guitar are produced in response to assigned frequencies, with each frequency relating to a d... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Tuesday, 28th October 2008 @ 7:44 PM

One of the many different ways in which the sound produced by an electric guitar can be influenced is through the use of various time based effects. Typically a player will use a pedal, operated by foot, which will affect the sound of the guitar once pressed or rocked. These time based effect pedals work by producing a copy of the sound made by the guitar, and then plays back this copy either once, a fraction of a second after the original has been played, or by playing back the copy several tim... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Tuesday, 28th October 2008 @ 7:10 PM

Whilst looking at the massive range of effects equipment and accessories that can be used to help affect or adjust the sound of an electric guitar, you may have come across a suite of tools called modulation related effects. Modulation on its own makes little sense, and unless you are an experienced player of electric guitars, or know fair bit about electric guitar music, you may well wonder what modulation effects are, and how they work. One of the earliest examples of a modulation effec... more...

Music | By Victor Epand @ Tuesday, 28th October 2008 @ 6:50 PM

An electric guitar can have any number of a range of extra features, accessories and gadgets used to adjust, distort and affect the sound that it produces. But one item is an absolute necessity: no electric guitar can be performed or make any decent sound without an amplifier. A good quality amplifier can make a huge difference, and if you are looking to buy an electric guitar, or perhaps move on from a basic starter model, then a good quality and flexible amplifier unit to match the guitar will... more...

Music | By Duane Shinn @ Sunday, 26th October 2008 @ 9:05 AM

One of the all time greats of jazz is William "Count" Basie. He was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Widely regarded as one of the most important jazz bandleaders of his time, Basie led his popular Count Basie Orchestra for almost 50 years. Count Basie was born William Basie on the 21st of August 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. He was formally taught piano in his younger days. A dreamer, he always fantasized about a life on the road always traveling inspired by th... more...

Music | By Duane Shinn @ Saturday, 25th October 2008 @ 4:02 PM

From his earliest memory, Isaac Watts, author of Joy to the World and numerous other hymns, recalled being competitive. Albeit a bit on the cocky side, Watts' confidence in his own talent gave the world some of its best-loved and timeless hymns. Watts' own mother recognized his outstanding gift when he was just a young child. To encourage him and her other eight children, Mrs. Watts devised a family writing contest. The child who composed the best poem would receive a prize... more...

Music | By Patrick Omari @ Thursday, 23rd October 2008 @ 10:25 PM

Rock music is generally based on the sounds of an electric guitar and rhythm section. However, some of the best rock bands rely heavily on the charisma, style and voice of their frontman. The frontman will traditionally just sing vocals, although some have played instruments such as the guitar or moog synthesiser. The perfect frontmen must be captivating and demand the audience's attention with outrageous or intriguing behaviour. An example of this would be the Sex Pistol's Joh... more...

Music | By Phoenix Delray @ Wednesday, 22nd October 2008 @ 3:27 PM

Music from Memphis has forever made a profound impact in the music world, and the city of Memphis has earned such nicknames as Home of the Blues The Birthplace of Soul, The Home of Rock and Roll, and Soulsville, USA. The music from Memphis has always been thick, rich, heart felt, and varied. Beginning with jug bands and Bluegrass, music from Memphis would become a permanent presence in the music world. Music from Memphis really began in the early 1920s when jug bands played on the str... more...

Music | By Phoenix Delray @ Wednesday, 22nd October 2008 @ 2:57 PM

Over the years, musicians from Memphis have had an enormous impact on the sound of the music that we listen to today, no matter what genre it is. Without musicians from Memphis, rock and roll would not be what it has become today. If it were not for the contributions of musicians from Memphis, modern jazz and rhythm and blues as we know them today would not exist. These musicians from Memphis who have had such an influence on the sounds that Americans know as revolutionary in music are many, a... more...

Music | By Phoenix Delray @ Wednesday, 22nd October 2008 @ 2:54 PM

Memphis soul music was shaped by many talented voices that are still famous in the music business today. People like W.C. Handy, Frank Stokes, Willie Nix, Furry Lewis, Sleepy John Estes, Junior Parker, Ida Cox, Memphis Minnie, Rosco Gordon, Howlin Wolf, Robert Wilkins, Big Mama Thornton and Bobby Sowell all worked together to create, shape and define what Memphis soul music was, and the impressions that they have left remain strong in the city still today. Memphis soul music began to ta... more...