Juicy Words

How to Buy the Right Guitar for You

If you are reading this article, chances are you are interested in learning to play the guitar. well, the most important thing that you need in learning to play guitar is the guitar itself, of course.

The first thing you should decide on is what guitar you want to learn to play on is ultimately the kind of guitar you will want to buy.

Their are two major types of guitars, they are the electric guitar and the acoustic guitar. There are pro’s and con’s to both types of guitars.

An acoustic guitar (or box guitar) is harder to learn on, but the only extra thing you need to get in order to play is a pick.

An electric guitar (or rock-n-roll guitar) is much easier to learn on and you will see significant improvement in a very short amount of time. But there are a few extra things that you on order to play, and that will more than likely be more expensive than an acoustic guitar. The first thing you need is an amp (or amplifier), if you play an electric guitar without an amp, you won’t be able to hear the guitar very well. Prices of amps have a very wide range of prices.

From a small, cheap amp at around $50 or so to a large expensive amp at well over $2,000. There will be allot of knobs on the amp, which the knobs are used to manipulate the sound of the guitar through the amp. The knobs can give you a nice clean sound to a dirty rock-n-roll sound. whatever you want your guitar to sound like, chances are, you will be able to duplicate it on your amp, with a little practice and experimentation, of course.

Then you will need a guitar cable. A guitar cable is a wire that runs from the guitar to your amp. Lastly, you will need a guitar pick.

How do I find the right guitar for me? First, I would ask around school or work and find someone who can play guitar well and be-friend him then ask him if he would go with you to music stores and pawn shops to find the best guitar for you.

While hanging out with your new friend, ask him if the two of you could hang out together and jam. Maybe give you some pointers and show you some tricks, too. If the two of you are hitting it off pretty well, you’ve already got one thing in common, I don’t see any reason for him to say no. Chances are, he was looking for someone who shares the same interests and enthusiasm that he does, all along.

Well that’s it. I hope you found this article both informative and entertaining. May GOD bless you always, and always.

Larry Ford runs a website providing information for guitars. You can find it at
http://www.guitarsforever.info/

But Practice is SOOOO Boring!

Are your students loathe to practice as much as they should? OK, you can stop laughing and pick yourself up off the floor now. I know it wasn’t the brightest question.

But I asked it to make a point, of course. Haven’t you been guilty of that misbehavior? I personally am a lifetime repeat offender. As adults we all know intellectually that if you don’t practice something, you don’t get better. We tell our students and ourselves this until the bile rises in our throat threatening an embarrassing episode. So why do we keep putting it off?

In the darkest recesses of your psyche a nagging whisper gives you the answer. It’s not fun. And in this day and age nobody wants to do anything that’s not FUN!

Now while I am not an advocate of the ‘everything should be entertaining’ school of thought, it is also true that practicing vies for your student’s miniscule attention span. Practicing is going head to head against the latest video game.

To compete with that there needs to be some pretty excellent mind candy. The very best flavor on the market seems to be success. Generally if you are good at something you like doing it over and over.

In order for you or your student to feel like he’s being successful he has to pass a number of observable milestones. According to studies this is one of the attractions to the ubiquitous computer games. Let’s face it, it doesn’t take long to see some progress on the computer. Most of us know that allure of almost getting to the next level of the game.

To capitalize on that same feeling our students need to have small enough goals to feel great pretty often. Not only that but they need to be able to look back and really experience how far they have come in the short practice times of a few weeks.

And you know what? There are ways to plug into this type of feel good. And a great bonus is that the student will do most of the work to set it up and get himself there.

Here is the trick. No, I am not going to quote any of the success gurus you regularly see on TV. Well OK, I really am, but you know they do have some good things to say and this is one they all seem to agree on.

Goal setting. And I mean setting it down on paper every week in the same little log book. Make up several menus to give your students a few ideas. Initially they will choose the things they want to accomplish. As they become more proficient many goals will become self evident, and they can come up with them alone. Your input will be necessary as they don’t know what they don’t know, but be aware of the fact that a major part of the process is that the student must participate in setting the goals, otherwise it is just more homework.

The goals need to be in several categories. Daily, weekly, monthly, for the term, for the year, for several years. Once a system is put in place and there is some small amount of class time devoted to it every week then the thrill of achievement will be built in. The pleasure loving student will begin to find practice can be fun because they can check off items and see success written into the book a mere few weeks after starting. The amount that can be accomplished with this miniscule discipline is amazing. The book fills up and your young musicians are impressed with their industrial strength production levels.

The trick is to put the system in place and then work with it for several months. A session at the end of the month where students get to share what they have accomplished does wonders for everyone’s feel good quotient and spurs more goals and more success.

Try it. You and your students will all be much better off for the experience.

Suzie Hammond is a teacher turned writer and factotum for: http://www.musicalcompositions.net

There you may purchase and download sheet music for concert bands, choirs,chamber ensembles,jazz groups. See it,hear it,download it, rehearse it. FREE Newsletter and FREE Special Report written by Carl Hammond a 35 year international music veteran.

Well written interesting music for your groups to play right now via download. Score pages, MP3s to help you decide suitability.

So You Want to be President? Learn to Play a Musical Instrument!

President Harry S. Truman, the man in the White House when the United States intervened on behalf of the millions of innocent people who were being displaced and massacred by Hitler’s Nazi Germany, claimed to have practiced his piano lessons for two hours every morning during his childhood. Likewise, President Warren Harding was said to be able to play every instrument except the trombone and the clarinet. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) played the organ. Of course we all remember President Clinton and his saxophone, but did you know that President Nixon was an accomplished pianist?

And more recently a girl who was a musician long before she became an academic and then a world-famous diplomat, our own globetrotting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a very accomplished classical pianist. As she was growing up in the Rice home music was a family affair, and as early as age 3 Condi played piano at family gatherings. Her Dad was a minister and she often accompanied her organist Mother in church. The name “Condoleezza” is from the Italian phrase con dolcezza, which refers to playing music “with sweetness.” While other kids in her neighorhood were playing outdoors, she was more likely to be found practicing the piano or reading a book.

The list goes on, but the real question is why do people with musical training tend to achieve more in life? There are differing theories about that, but studies have shown a direct correlation between music and the brain’s ability to adapt to the world around it. One such test showed that people that had listened to just ten minutes of Mozart’s “Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major” and then took a spatio-temporal reasoning test (which is a part of a standardized intelligence test) scored 48% higher than the control group while a second study done at the University of California, Irvine on what has been called the “Mozart Effect” shows a increased IQ score of nine points.

In another study the Bulgarian psychologist George Lozanov discovered that playing Baroque instrumental music in the background had a profound effect on student’s ability to learn and retain a foreign language. The key is that highly structured, highly organized music seems to help the human brain to function in a more organized and efficient manner while further studies have shown that discordant music actually has a negative effect on the brain.

Studying music is the perfect way to derive its benefits. At least one study has shown that young children can gain the spatio-temporal reasoning effects mentioned above just by learning to play the piano or organ. Likewise, through the study of music we have the discipline of practice to expose us to great music regardless of our age. Besides for the effect of the music, studying music teaches discipline and the relationship between hard work and reward and there is little in life more rewarding than to hear beautiful music coming forth as a result of one’s own effort.

“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” Gerald Ford, former President, United States of America

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He can be reached at http://www.chordpiano.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” with over 56,650 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com

Acoustic Guitars - Laminated Wood Versus Solid Wood

A lot has transpired through the years in the debate over
acoustic guitars in the area of laminate versus solid wood
construction. It is not a secret that the type of materials and
craftsmanship affect the quality, durability, sound and price of
acoustic guitars. However, there is probably no other discussion
bigger than this.

The question that many players ask themselves is whether a solid
body is worth the price? Despite the better sound, they require
care and regular maintenance to prevent cracking. When using
laminated you run the risk that it will separate over time.
There is no clear answer to this question and as long as there
is a discussion about acoustic guitars, it will always be at the
forefront.

The Debate - Uncut

Laminated is several pieces of wood glued together and solid
body is exactly that, one piece. There are pros and cons to both
kinds. It is a fact that laminate is known to produce a ‘dead’
sound that does not sustain or project sound very well and the
one-piece body is known for its richer tone. Laminate is more
used because it is more durable and less sensitive to humidity
and change in temperature. A body that is made from one-piece
timber is very sensitive to humidity and climate change. The top
is like a sponge that you can’t let dry out.

A Bit Of History

Years ago the debate was not about sound quality or durability,
it was about price. The one piece timber body guitars were very
expensive so many musicians did not have a choice but to buy one
made of laminate. A one piece is coveted because of its rich and
beautiful tone that only seems to become better over time.
However, times have changed quite a bit in the world of laminate
including the craftsmanship. Better quality laminate is being
used and more detailed craftsmanship has been applied so they
are sounding better and better everyday.

It is evident why this debate is becoming less spectacular, but
the fact will always remain the same that a laminate will never
be able to sound as good.

The Main Problem

When building a guitar you want the soundboard, better known as
the top, to be as lightweight and strong as possible. Creating
this ratio with laminate is often difficult because in order to
make it strong it ends up too heavy. The wet glue used to secure
the pieces of timber together can become to heavy when too much
is used. Unfortunately, when too little of the glue is used, the
timber pulls apart. Recently new adhesives have been introduced
that have helped to solve this problem and ensure lightness.
This is one of the ways that laminated construction is becoming
more popular and competitive.

Necks, Sides & Backs

Acoustic laminate necks are very common and widely accepted.
This has become a popular way to make the neck stronger. Hybrid
guitars are also extremely common. Many models are made with one
piece body tops and laminate sides and backs. The sound quality
is 90% dependent on what the top is made of, so as long as the
soundboard is one piece the rich sound will be present. This is
also a great way to make solid body tops affordable.

How Do You Tell The Difference?

Depending on how dark the timber or stain is, telling the
difference between them can be a difficult task. First, you need
to look at the inside edge of the sound hole on the top of the
body. If the edge has a natural finish it is a one piece body
and if it has two or more layers it is made of laminate. To
determine what the back and sides are constructed with you need
to first look at the back of the guitar. Next, look inside the
sound hole at the same spot on the back and see if the wood
grains are the same. If they are the same it is a whole body.
You can do this same technique with the sides.

It’s a Wrap

Everyone’s opinion is different. Many believe that there is no
need to buy an acoustic made of laminated timber when solid
bodies are so affordable now. Others believe that the sound
quality of laminate bodies on their own and in a hybrid model is
comparable. Each individual needs to evaluate the pros and cons
of both, and decide what makes sense for them. For example if
you travel often, perhaps it makes sense to purchase a laminate
model for its durability. When buying there are always a lot of
questions that need to be answered, this is just another one.

Dennis Kyne Releases Rock CD “I’m Not Resisting”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Revealing Album That is Locked and Loaded and Setting its
Sights On Our U.S. Military

October 24, 2005–San Jose, CA– It wasn’t until Dennis
Kyne returned to the US to finish his civilian duty that he
learned the most painful lessons of 15 years served in the US
Army. His own Military and his own countrymen let him down. Kyne
was shocked to return home and learn about the side effects of
his exposure to depleted uranium weapons. He was thankful that
he did not swallow Pyridostigmine Bromide tablets, a requirement
set forth for all military personnel during the Gulf War I. He
decided to disobey orders and threw them all away. His comrades
who did swallow them are now suffering from un-diagnosable
diseases. Now all he wants to do is Support The Truth.
With a revealing book with the same name under his belt, it was
time to let the music do the talking.

Kyne makes his way through 11 tracks of emotional fist waving at
our government and military on his new rock album I’m Not
Resisting. “All We Want Is The Truth” opens the album with
Kyne sounding like Iggy Pop, a real ear catching start to an
album. His high energy level bites like a pit bull and it hangs
on without letting go throughout this solid release. Five of the
tracks were recorded at KZSU Stanford Live and they are
crackling with that live off the floor spontaneity that every
artist yearns for while in the studio. The entire album has that
feel from start to finish. That essential gritty edge and
undying tension is just what the doctor ordered to convey such a
distressing message.

This CD is jam packed with powerful eye opening messages and
good music to back it all up. It does not get any more sincere
than this. That was the intention of Kyne all along, to carry a
message to his fellow man while rocking your soul every step of
the way.

Contact Person: Dennis Kyne

Address: PO BOX 720254, San Jose CA, 95172

Telephone: 303-817-9878

Website

Email

CD Baby Link

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