There’s a brand new R&B artist who just came into public view who makes hot new music, and he is reconfiguring everyone’s notions of what pop, R&B, or radio friendly music should be like. Traditionally, pop music has been considered fun fluff – meaning, it’s like cotton candy. Enjoyable and fun for the moment but not what would be thought of as substantial or meaningful.
It mostly is about one or two ubiquitous topics, like falling in love or out of it, and it utilizes about fifty words that rhyme that show up in the millions of songs put out by the hundreds of singers that all sound precisely the same (think “love” and “above” – you get the idea). This is the kind of music you would use if you had a personal trainer certification and teach an aerobics class. On the opposite extreme, you have what could be described} as serious music. This would describe types of music like classical or jazz, or even lyrically clever and more grown up style bands like Dave Matthews band. This genre is awesome, but is rarely thought of as fun, or the type of music that would make you want to get up and dance. There’s serious music and then there’s fun music – and never the twain shall meet. Until now.
With his hit single Big for Me, Jd Webb is shifting those ideas and categories around. When I was first given Webb’s single to review as a niche marketing webmaster with many music sites, honestly, I was thinking it would be your typical R&B dance jam. “I give it a 10, it’s got a good beat, you can dance to it,” type of music. And Big for Me definitely is danceable fun for your iPod or for the club, to be sure. But it also explores a deeper concept. It’s not just about that heady sensation of first attraction – it’s about a protagonist who is surprised when seeing himself making changes in his life to accommodate his love interest and be more conducive to their life together. It’s not how he usually acts, which is the reason he says, “That’s Big for Me.”
The song starts with the concept of falling in love and explores it on a level that is deeper and more interesting than the surface. And anyone that’s been in love will say that the feelings on that level of love are equally as overwhelming and exactly as awesome as initial attraction – actually, more so! In the same way, Webb’s music has started with the Pop genre and explored it on a level that’s deeper and more interesting. And, exactly like love itself, that’s made it so much fuller and richer – and infinitely better.
Filed under Music by on Apr 16th, 2009. Comment. 
Lets face it, shopping for an electric guitar or any guitar for that matter is a tedious and time consuming process, and this is especially true for beginner’s electric guitar. What makes one guitar different from another? Is a guitar that costs $1000 better than one that is $500 or$100?
You get what you pay for.
It can be overwhelming especially for beginners looking at all the different electric guitar models trying to make a decision as to what to buy. And when you add amps, effects, and everything else involved you end up saying to yourself?
Well now, what do I REALLY need.
Let me just say for the record that I’m far from an equipment expert. There are plenty of “gear heads” out there that get something new every month. These guys always have the latest and greatest in guitars, but I find these guys can hardly play a lick because they’re too busy buying all their gear!! I’ve always been a “just let me play” kind of guy. But it’s always nice to have friends like this so you can go over to their place and try out all their cool stuff.
This article has the beginner in mind so if you’ve been playing for a while you’re probably going to think “well, duh!” But my goal here is to discuss what you need and your different options. Everything below is solely the opinion of this author.
1) What kind of beginner electric guitar should you buy and how much should you spend?
If you’re a beginner just starting I don’t recommend spending any more that $500, if that much. You can usually find something to learn on for $2-300 or even cheaper at a flea market or online. You don’t need anything more than that, especially if you lose interest. I’ve only gone through 3 guitars in my life, the first being a cheap Dean that I got for Christmas out of a Sears catalog. I then got an Ibanez 560 Frank Gambale model that I ordered from Suncoast music for Christmas when I was 16 or 17. I had that one for a long time up until 4 years ago when I went guitar shopping for the first time and got a custom made Ibanez S-Series that listed for $1500. At that point I was advanced enough that I justified paying that much for something good.
The point is don’t spend an arm and a leg right off the bat unless you are seriously interested in the instrument. I would focus more on playing and getting better than getting all the different gear.
Its tough to make good recommendations but I’ve always been partial to Ibanez. But, there are a lot of good guitars and companies out there. The best thing I can recommend anybody looking for an electric guitar is to go to the store and play different models. This is the ONLY way you can figure out what works best for YOU. Then you can start haggling the sales clerk at the store about the price.
Usually, buying a beginner electric guitars online will give you significant discounts as well as special deals. You can find lots of great bargains here. Here are some great starter packages. Any of the above packages would be perfect for a beginner, whether you want to play electric, acoustic, or the electric/acoustic combo! And the best thing about I bought one of my Yamaha acoustics from them and I’m quite happy with the customer support, and I also received it in a couple of days. I’ve since bought a couple other guitars and a Pandora PX4 and I’ve been 100% satisfied with every online purchase.
2) Should I buy a beginner electric guitars amplifier?
You will have to go to the store and try for yourself before you make a decision. I have a Crate GT-200 that I played my Ibanez through at the store when I went shopping that day 4 years ago. For amps you most definitely get what you pay for. Mesa Boogie are the best amps I’ve heard, but I never could afford them. Depending on your budget, try to make the best decision based on quality vs. your spending budget. Like I said earlier, you will get significant discounts online, but you will definitely want to hear how your electric guitar sounds with the amp you’re looking at.
3) What else do I need?
Well if you have a beginner electric guitar and amplifier you’ll need a few other things. Some of them are optional…and mostly a matter of preference. But for that lets go to a different page.
The easiest way of choosing a low cost electric guitar is to find an instrument with good quality wood, and at least reasonable workmanship. Guitar manufacturers tend to cut corners with cheaper guitars, by using cheaper pick-ups, and hardware, but these are usually upgradeable parts.
Filed under Instruments by on Apr 18th, 2009. Comment.
With so many guitar lessons dvd out there, it can hard to know where to start as a beginner. The best way to figure out what lessons are right for you is to evaluate just what you want out of playing guitar.
One of the first decisions a guitarist has to make is whether to learn to play electric or acoustic guitar. Some guitar instructional dvd are explicitly for one or the other instrument. The two types of guitar are not completely interchangeable with anything beyond very basic techniques, and how a guitarist plays one is influenced by the instrument. However, some pretty basic classical guitar techniques are very difficult to use on an electric guitar, because feedback issues sometimes develop due to the heavier use of open strings.
Acoustic guitars are much more forgiving instruments than electric, which is part of the reason this is a common view. That isn’t to say acoustic guitar doesn’t require the same level of skill to play well, just that not having to deal with issues like feedback make the basics easier to pick up.
So the choice becomes a matter of picking advanced blues guitar lessons on the type of guitar you want to end up playing. If you want to be an electric guitarist, learn to play on an electric. It will save headaches later on. However, switching from acoustic guitar to electric guitar is actually more difficult than learning an electric style from scratch. The two project sound so differently that playing the two the same way can lead to unpleasant results.
Guitar is not one homogenous instrument where the techniques are the same for any style, unlike say a piano or drums, where composition is the bigger issue between styles. Focusing on the style you want will ultimately make it faster and more enjoyable to learn playing guitar.
Some beginner guitar scale chart for beginners start out with the basic open chords, strumming patterns, and similar techniques, which is a great way for most guitarists to start. However, funk, blues, metal, and classical guitarists won’t find this the best starting point. The general approach is a good starting point for people not sure what they want to do or want to be more well rounded, but people with a focus on a particular style may want to focus on that particular style.
Even if learning that style is more difficult, you will be far more motivated to put in the practice and time if you enjoy what you are playing then the generic approach. Taking the time to think about your goals is a good way to make the right selection of free guitar scales. As helpful as the advice of others can be, deciding what you want out of your guitar playing will help to ensure you can learn to play what you want in far less time than you might expect.
Be sure to visit our website to find the right blues guitar lessons for you. The variety and information available through us is sure to please any new guitarist, be they beginner, intermediate, or even more advanced players.
Filed under Music by on Apr 27th, 2009. Comment.
learning guitar isn’t done overnight. It requires hours of practice as well as know-how. Gone are the days you only had two options; either learn if by yourself or hire a guitar teacher. Today it is both less expensive and much easier to learn how to play guitar.
The web has lots of resources from which you can learn guitar playing. Elementary issues such as holding the instrument the right way, finger placement and playing chords can be learned online. Playing chords is difficult to learn, yet the most important part of guitar playing.
If you start with electric guitar you’ll run the risk of distraction by the synthesized sound. Learning to play the guitar online will help you master your instrument fast.
Benefits
One of the great benefits with learning guitar online is that you can learn from the comfort of your home at your own pace. You will need a computer with internet connection though. You go to a certain URL and push a bottom and the page you need will display for your eyes. Follow the instructions exactly, practice slowly and stay focused.
If you have questions most websites have user forums, FAQ pages and online support. Use them.
What are the Cons?
As a matter of fact there are cons about learning to play a musical instrument online. How can you know whether you are playing properly or not? You don’t have a teacher to correct you instantly With a guitar teacher standing over your shoulders you’ll get instant feedback and can correct any mistakes on the spot. You can do the same with an online learning program or DVD.
The fact is that many online resources have videos and provide tutorials that tell you exactly what to do to obtain a certain sound. You should choose an online resource with such options. If you want to boost your progress do the right things the first time. Practice slowly so that mistakes are kept to a minimum. The more times you practice something wrong the slower your progress will be and vice versa.
Take your resource’s instructions literally, do exactly what it tells you to do, exercise a strong self discipline . Only this way you will develop good habits of practice. learning guitar online is fun. Start now.
Filed under Instruments by on Apr 29th, 2009. Comment.