Blog Music

Product DescriptionInformation needed to function within a jazz band. It is important to understand that while jazz is played on the same instruments as other types of music, it has its own language. This book deals with specific jazz idioms: swing, shuffle, bebop and Latin. A basic working knowledge of the guitar through rock, blues, or folk music, (including barre chords), will produce gratifying results. Knowledge of the note locations on all strings, (especially the E and A string. . . More >>

Mel Bay Presents Jazz Band Rhythm Guitar

Ever heard of the ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’?

Basically, it is slang for the tendency to criticize highly successful people (i.e tall poppies), and ‘cut them down’.

New Zealand has a terrible case of tall poppy syndrome with people constantly being knocked down, simply for letting themselves shine. People are criticized by their peers for merely striving to achieve the best, yet society wonders why a lot of Read more…

Download Rock Band for Nintendo Wii. Learn how to get Rock Band on your Nintendo Wii. Download unlimited Nintendo Wii games including Rock Band.

Click Here & Sign Up to Download Rock Band for Nintendo Wii

Rock Band is one of the most popular games in the world for the Nintendo Wii. If you’re looking for a new game for your Wii, then Rock Band is the p Read more…

So Rock Band has finally been released for the great Nintendo Wii. But with the Wii lacking the graphical ability of the PS3 and Xbox360 is the game going to be able to compete?

In my opinion, the PS2 and Wii versions are more comparable than to try and compare the Nintendo Wii with a PS3 or Xbox360.

Graphics:

Obviously, the Wii isn’t known for it’s amazing Graphics, it is al about the fun-ness and playability Read more…

The shoegazing genre of the early 90s was based around a loose sound description by the music press for bands that often used heavy echo guitar effects and soft, often indecipherable vocals mixed with almost classic Brill Building pop melodies. Here is a list of the most underrated and often forgotten great shoegazing bands, some of which are still making great music to this day mixing odd sounds and loud train horns into something of beauty. Cranes The British group Cranes were often lumped in with the shoegazers during their early years but were more indebted to the industrial and gothic dream pop spectrums due to the childlike and almost creepy vocals of Alison Shaw and the sometimes brutal sounding backing tracks. The group’s 1991 album “Wings of Joy” received acclaim in Britain and American for its dark tone and Shaw’s distinctive voice. Their followup, “Forever” became known as their best work with its mix of shoegaze and gothic rock akin to bands like The Cure and Bauhaus yet filtered through a more melodic styling. The band released a few more albums in the 90s but fell silence for awhile until the early 2000’s when the started playing music again and released “Future Songs” in 2001, “Particle Waves” in 2004 and “Cranes” in 2008. The new decade saw them experimenting more with ambient and electronic sounds which kept their sound exciting and fresh. They are still one of the most underrated shoegazing bands that is due for a revival. His Name is Alive This experimental/shoegazing rock band from Michigan is named after a quote about Abraham Lincoln is one of the stranger bands labeled as shoegaze. Starting out as a home project of Warren Defever who sent tape after tape of home recordings to 4AD label president Ivo Watts-Russell, the label eventually signed him and released his material in a remixed and reworked format. It wasn’t until 1993’s “Mouth by Mouth” that His Name is Alive got a suitable studio to record in and the sound is much improved, still mixing shoegaze and sampling and experiemental noise into a sound unlike any other. They’ve got through a number of lineup changes which saw a remarkable turn in 2001 with the release “Someday My Blues will Cover the Earth” which sounded like a straightforward soul and R&B album thanks to new vocalist Lovetta Pippen. In 2007 they receieved new fans and acclaim with “XMMER” a dream pop album like their early recordings. They are still making music and will undoubebly keep fans on their toes with their refusal to be lumped into any one category.

Product DescriptionThe EASY way to learn the hits on guitar!

Learn to play “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” as performed by The Band. Let our world-class instructors break down every section of the song, teaching you the correct fingering for every note and chord, and what strings to play with the proper picking patterns and strumming patterns.

Do you find reading sheet music or tablature too time consuming? We do! We want to have our hands on our guitar. . . More >>

Play-it-Now Tunes: Audio CD Guitar Lesson for “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by The Band

Rock Band game series will no doubt eclipse all others in popularity. This is a music game so no shooting or guts and zombies here. It gives us all a chance to rock out like a star. The coolest game option by far is playing together with pals. You can each pick either singing or playing on drums, guitar, or even bass and play together like a real band. It pulls the old guitar hero out of history and totally ramps it up. People of all ages will Read more…

One of the reasons that people devote their time to learning the guitar is that they love the idea of making up their own songs and music. Simply by sitting down at an inspired moment, a guitarist might come up with a great song in only one session. Some guitar styles differ greatly from another, but it is by learning the jazz guitar that many musicians have experienced the liberty it brings. The deviations in styles that somehow hold to one rhythm and work together in the name of improvisation are why jazz musicians are said to be filled with “soul”.

When training your ear or your mind to learn how the jazz guitar fits into an entire ensemble of musicians, it is important to first know how jazz music works, at the root level. Much like an athlete prepares for a race, a jazz musician also prepares for a performance. The jazz musician needs to warm up, have an introduction, and be allowed to have some time to get used to the atmosphere of a place and an audience. Some musicians, however, especially those who have played a long time together will jump right into a tune without warming up, giving listeners an awakening into what’s about to take place.

A jazz guitarist in a band may or may not lead the group through a melody. Many jazz performances may not have a singer, but instead a trumpet, or some other horn instrument will take this lead. If a horn isn’t present in the ensemble, then the guitar or piano might work to lead a session. Since jazz music is made up of a band, each person in the band has a certain role to fill before they begin their improvisational role. The jazz guitar tends to hold the players together within a certain chord so that other band members can stick to what’s being played. A jazz guitarist in this role, will not necessarily strum a rhythm such as in other forms of music, but will instead move rhythmically with the rest of the players involved.

In the game of jazz music, improvisation is key. If you know how to play another instrument, learning the jazz guitar might be a little easier. And, if you love improvising on the piano, for example, then you might love it on the guitar. “Improv” as it is sometimes referred to, is one way music can be highly addictive and liberating. When that liberation happens with a group who is playing together, the soul and reaction from the audience involved can be magical. Overall, learning to play the jazz guitar will be rewarding on many levels. Learning to play the necessary chords and knowing when and how to strum to the rhythm of others in the group takes time and practice. Give yourself plenty of time and dedicate yourself to listening to and learning how jazz music works and you’ll be on your way to playing along with a jazz group in no time.

One of the dreams of every aspiring guitarist, drummer or bass player is to start a band. It is something they hold onto even into adulthood as they pray they will ‘make it’ and become well-known rock musicians, full of fame and wealth. However, how does one go about starting a band that will make it big?

Well, first of all there is formula for success, and much of it is hit and miss. Look at it like this, in 1992, Nirvana’s Sme Read more…

Cindy “Rodeo” Steedle, finalist for Rock of Love, wasn’t chosen to be Bret Michael’s love of his life, however, she admits her unwavering support and love for the rock star. In fact, Steedle is to hold an end-of-tour party for Michael’s band, Poison, next month in Georgia. The event will commence after Poison’s concert at the HiFi Buys Amphitheatre.

Surreal Life star C.C. Deville, who is the band’s lead guitarist, will be host Read more…