How To Play The Guitar - for Beginners

The guitar is one of the popular musical instruments that most persons would like to play. In this lesson, I will be sharing some very useful information for persons who are interested in playing the guitar. First, it is very important for the player to know as much as possible about the instrument he or she is playing. The guitar has several parts and it is a must that you know them because several books will make reference to some of these areas when teaching specific techniques. The illustrations below should help you.

The diagram shown above is an Acoustic Guitar (Brand: Epiphone Hummingbird Acoustic Guitar - visit http://www.zzounds.com/ to get yours).

An acoustic guitar is perfect for beginners because it is easy to carry and makes adequate sound with out plugging it into an amplifier. Let us look discuss some of the parts on the guitar.

The body is the largest part of the guitar it contributes to the sound that is created whether it is an acoustic or electric guitar. The Neck and Bridge is connected to the body of the guitar. The Neck is the longest part the guitar, it carries the fret board. The Fret Board has some short metals on it, these small metals are called the Frets. The letters of the musical alphabet are located on the Fret Board. The Frets are use to separate the letters or notes on the Fret Board of the guitar.

The Head is connected to the Neck and it includes a very important technology on the guitar call the Tuners.The Tuners tightens and tunes each string on the guitar. The Bridge is a support for the strings on the guitar it also lift the strings away from the Fret Board. The Nut is one of the smallest part on the guitar it also helps to lift the strings away from the Fret Board and is used to place the strings in accurate location. The Nut and the Bridge works together if one is not functioning properly then other will be affected.

The Strings are the most popular part of the guitar and is stretched accross the body and the neck to produce sound. The guitar has six strings on it, each string is label or named numerically. Lets us now have a discussion on the layout of the strings.

 Layout of the Strings on the Guitar

The strings on the guitar are laid out in a particlar order. Look at the illustration below for a better understanding.

The illustration above is telling us that the guitar has six strings. The strings are named from the smallest to the largest. For example - The first string on the guitar is the smallest and is located at the lower part of the neck while the six string is located at the upper part of the neck and it is the largest. So the strings are named from smallest to largest. Each string as a particular letter name which is taken from the musical alphabet. The strings are named in open position. This means that these notes are preset and are named without the player placing his or her fingers on the fret board. "Close notes" exist when our fingers are placed in specific fret and strings on the fret board. In our next lesson, we will look at the letter names of each string and fret on the guitar.

!!!Remember to practice!!!

Learn to play the guitar with:

Jamorama Guitar Courses - Click Here Now!

(c) Copyright 2011 by Carlinton Singh. All Rights Reserved.

LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEXT LESSON!!! FOLLOW US ON THIS BLOG AND KEEP UP TO DATE WITH NEW ARTICLES EACH WEEK.

Letter Name for the Black Keys on the Piano/Keyboard

In this lesson you will learn the letter names of the black keys on the keyboard. Now remember that the keyboard is made of black and white keys and that we have already done lessons on how to find the letter names of the white keys.

The black keys on the keyboard are called sharp or flat keys. The black keys on the keyboard are enharmonic because each black has two names. This we will discuss as we progress. Both sharp and flat are represented by symbols in music.

Sharp  

Flat   

   

The black keys on the keyboard or piano take the name of the white keys that are next to it but are followed by the signs of sharp and flat. The name of the black key is determined by the direction in which the player moves on the keyboard.

The illustration below should explain further.

The term enharmonic is used to describe the black keys on the keyboard because a black has two names. Below is another illustration to re-enforce this concept. 

The diagram below covers the letter names for all the black keys on the keyboard. These names apply to every keyboard instruments including the piano and organ.

Like the natural keys, the letter names of the black keys are repeated. You now know the letter names of all the keys on the keyboard, it is very important that you study them.

Music Lessons: Basic Piano/Keyboard Lesson

Music Lessons: Basic Piano/Keyboard Lesson: "In this lesson you will learn to play a simple but popular melody 'One Love' by Bob Marley. Please use the keyboard illustration below to he..."

Basic Piano/Keyboard Lesson

In this lesson you will learn to play a simple but popular melody "One Love" by Bob Marley.
Please use the keyboard illustration below to help you. You should know all the letter names of the white keys on the keyboard.

If you are visiting this site for the first time you can go to previous lessons I have posted about the keyboard.

 (Use the keyboard above to guide you if you are having any difficulties in playing this song. Remember to start playing from "Middle C" which is located within the center of your keyboard.)

One Love

By Bob Marley

One love, one heart,

  E     E     D     D

Let’s get to-ge-ther and feel al-right

 F      E   D  C    D   C     E    D   C

One love, one heart,

  E     E     D     D

Give thanks and praise to the Lord

   E      F         F      F     E   D    C

And I will feel al-right

 C   C  D    E   D   C

Let’s get to-ge-ther and feel al-right.

 F      E   D C    D     C    E    D   C

 

I hope you enjoyed playing the song in this lesson, please feel free to subscribe or follow this blog for more music lessons. I will be sharing some more lessons soon.

(c) by Carlinton Singh 2011. All Rights Reserved.

The Letters on the Piano/Keyboard

On Wednesday March 9, 2011 I post an article on "How To Play The Piano". I know that a number of persons would like to see a video on the topic to clear up any doubt that may exist.

Below is a video that should answer any questions asked pertaining to the lesson. Sorry about the overall quality of the video, I will be posting one with better quality soon. Remember to practice all that was taught on your piano.

MUSIC THEORY

Hello! Today we will do a lesson on basic music theory. A number of musicians are frustrated with learning the theory of music and so they deviate from reading music. However, if individuals take time to understand the basic level in music theory, then they are on their way to read music properly. But it is important to note that time is important in every aspect of music and so, time is also needed when studying theory.

Ok! Let us begin!

There are several signs and symbols in music; however we will be looking at only two. They are musical notes and musical rests.

The sound that is played in music is represented by musical notes and silence that occurs in music is represented by musical rest. Because you cannot see the sound or silence physically with your eyes then written musical formulas and symbols are develop.

Yes, it is as simple as it sounds. When one sings or plays a musical instrument, they play or sing both short and long sounds. These short or long sounds are represented by different types of musical notes. The length of the sound and silence are determined by beats and so there are different types of notes and rest with different length in beats.

Lets us look at least four notes and four rests in this lesson.

Musical Notes

1.  The first note we will look at is the “Semibreve or Whole Note”.

The semibreve is the note with the longest length in sound. It indicates that the sound should be as long as 4 beats or 4 counts.

2.  The second note is the “Minim or Half Note”.

The minim is half the length in sound of the whole note. That is why it is called a half note. The minim indicates that the sound should be as long as 2 beats or 2 counts.

3.  The third note is the “Crotchet or Quarter Note”.

This is the crotchet it is also called the quarter note because it take four crotchet to make a whole note or semibreve. The crotchet tell us that the sound should be as long as 1 beat or 1 count.

4.  The fourth note is the “Quaver or Eight note”.

This is what the quaver looks like. It looks like a crotchet but has a extra stem to it. When ever it is played it last as long as half of a beat or count.

 

Musical Rest

Musical rest does the opposite of musical notes. They represent the silence in music. However, these symbols use the names of notes but are accompanied by the word “Rest”.

1.  The first rest we will be looking at is the “Semibreve Rest or Whole Rest”.

The semibreve rest last as long as 4 counts of silence. It does the opposite of the semibreve or whole note.

2.  The second rest is the “Minim Rest or Half Rest”.

The minim rest last as long as 2 counts of silence.

3.  The third rest is the “Crotchet Rest or Quarter Rest”.

The quarter rest or crotchet rest last as long as one count of silence.

4.  The four rest is the “Quaver Rest or One Eight Rest”.

The quaver rest or one eight rest last as lone as 1/2 (half) beat or count of silence.

In lessons to come you will learn to apply each note and rest in a particular rhythmic pattern. Remember there are a wide number of resources on the internet that you can used to teach your self music.

Record Your Musical Ideas

Musicians today have a lot of resources that can help them enhance their skills.
It doesn't matter what musical instrument you play, you should play it with passion.

All Musicians should have their own computer or recording device. Why? Alot of time some great musical composition comes to our mind but we aviod it. Then later you realize that you need it and cannot remember it.

Don't take any musical idea lightly because it can become a great hit in the future. That is why it is important that you have a small home studio or some recording device to store your ideas.

The piece "In Motion" is one of my first composition. It was a good thing I recorded it on my old tape recorder. After going through some of my old stuff I saw the tape. I got my equipments up and make a final product of it.

I love it. It sound really cool.

HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO

The Piano is possibly the number one choice when an individual is thinking about playing a musical instrument. I do think the piano is an excellent choice to start with. One of the benefits of learning to play the piano is that it will develop the player’s understanding of music theory from the basic to the highest level.

Today I will guide you in this basic lesson, “How to play the Piano – Part 1”. In this lesson you will learn to identify the letter name for each white key on the keyboard and know them for the rest of your life. If you read my first article on “Musical Thoughts that will help you become a Musician”, you will know that one of the key things to have when learning music is patience.

Now Let us begin!

The first important point is, knowing your instrument. As silly as it sounds this information will clarify a number of issues in learning the keys on the piano. By observation you should realize that the keys on the piano are made up of black and white keys. The section of the Piano with black and white keys is called the keyboard. So when I use the term keyboard I am referring to the keys.

The black keys on the keyboard are called sharp or flat and the white keys are called natural keys. {Today we will focus on the natural keys (white keys)}.

In order for you to know the letter name for each key on the keyboard, you need to know the letters of the Musical Alphabet. They are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Yes! The first seven letters of the English Alphabet is what we call the Musical Alphabet.

Finding the Letter names of the Keyboard

Finding the letter names of the keyboard is easier than one thinks. The activity below should help you remember them for the rest of your life. This activity will give students a clear guide in finding the letter name for each white key on the keyboard.

Activity - The following steps will do a great job in helping you find the letter for each key on the keyboard.

Step 1 – To the immediate left of every set of two black keys the white key is               

              ‘C’.

Step 2 – To the immediate left of every set of three black keys the white key is  

             ‘F’.

 ILLUSTRATION 1

 

These illustrations below should give a clearer understanding as to how we can find F and C on the keyboard.

Now that you know how to locate the letters C and F on the keyboard it is now time to find A, B, D, E and G. Use the diagram below to help you.

I hope you enjoy this lesson. Some of the content on this blog was taken from one of my books that I that I have written for beginners who want to play the piano. This book will be on http://www.amazon.com/ soon.
Look out for a follow up lesson and remember to practice!

Please remember to submitt your comments.

Copyright 2011 by Carlinton Singh (http://musiclessoncentre.blogspot.com/)

Deep Beyond the Sound of Music

Everyone in the world love music. When we hear music we tend to dance and sing especially when it is one of our favourite song. But many persons do not realize that the music performed by the artiste went through a number of processes before it came on air. The artiste or performer gets most of the credit for the song that is being played on air, but there are other important individuals who contributed to the existence of the piece.

Two of these important contibutors are the Producer and Musical Engineer (Recording Engineer).

The Producer is the person who makes alot of decision during the creation of a single or an album. The producer works closely with the artiste and is given the responsibility of supervising the entire musical project in the studio. The Producer supervises the recording sessions, give advice to the artiste about song selection to be recorded and give musicians instruction as to what sounds and instruments to be in the piece. Effective producers should have adequate knowledge of music and should be able to play a musical instrument.

The Musical Engineer or Recording Engineer is another effective individual in the creation of music. Recording Engineers are technical persons who are qualified to operate musical equipments such as microphones, mixer boards, amplifiers and computers. The Recording Engineer mix the recordings into suitable wave format so that it can be played on popular devices such as cd players and other audio devices. The final mix should be at the best quality, so that it can be appreciated by Dics Jockeys and the people who listen to it. 

These two professionals are apart of the foundation laid. They are involved deeply in the music creation process before it is been played on air. We should remember that Producers and Recording Engineers are two important careers in the music industry.

Two Great Jamaican Reggae Artiste Born on February - Bob Marley & Dennis Brown

The month of February has passed but it would be good to highlight two great Jamaican Reggae artistes who have contributed to the development of reggae music. These two reggae artistes were born in the month of February. They are;

Robert Nesta Marley & Dennis Emmanuel Brown

*Robert Nesta Marley

(Born - February 6, 1945) (Died - May 11, 1981)

Bob Marley is Jamaica’s most popular reggae artiste of all times. He has done a number of hit albums that have reached the four corners of the earth.

Some of Bob Marley’s hits are:

One Love

Exodus

Now Woman Nu Cry

Redemption Song

Iron Lion Zion

Buffalo Soldier

Jamming

(Photo Came from http://www.bobmarley.com/)

*Dennis Emmanuel Brown

(Born - February 1, 1957) (Died - July 1, 1999)

Dennis Brown is another great reggae artiste. He has been given the title “Crown Price of Reggae” and holds the record of having the most reggae albums as a reggae artiste. His albums also reached the four corners of the earth.

(Photo came from http://worldflavas.com/)

Some of Dennis Brown’s hits are:

Revolution

Money In My Pocket

Love's Got A Hold On Me

Wild Fire

Spellbound

So Amazing

Another Day in Paradise

Bob and Dennis are not alive but there legacy still lives and is a major part for history.

Let us alway remember these two great icons.

These two men have some interesting musical arrangements. I know that a number of persons are doing their own musical analysis on reggae music. The musical presentations of these two artistes would be useful.

Please free to make post your comments.

Musik Mosiah's Article 1 - Musical Thoughts that will Help You Become a Musician

Hey world! Hey music lovers!
It is good to be alive in times like these. Its important that we make good use of the time we have because we cannot predict when we live or when we die. So I will be using some of the time that I have make some contribution to the world of music.

I love to teach music and so I will be sharing some important information and guidelines that will help individuals in learning music theory and to play the piano, bass guitar and even the recorder.
My first advice to persons learning to play a musical instrument is that they need to be patient. Most students have given up on the task of playing a musical instrument. They have become frustrated and some times say that they will not be able to play any musical instrument at all. Don't give up! There are alot of persons on the internet ready to help you.

The internet has become the centre of information right at your finger tips and there are alot of resources available to help children, adolescent and adults to become a musician. Don't let the dream die keep it alive.
Many persons across the globe can attest that the internet have contributed alot to their skills in playing a musical instrument. Youtube is one resource center that we should all take advantage of, there are a number of professional musicians there who have place video clips, teaching persons to play any musical instrument at any level. It is also important that you go to some of the websites that are selling instructional materials on playing a musical instrument. It would be nice if you support the persons who have created their websites to give information on how to play a musical instrument. One should remember that these persons spend alot of money to give you information that will last you for a lifetime.

Find a music teacher in your area who is willing to be patient with you and who will go to the extreme to gain as much information to help you. Don't wait on your music teacher to give you instructions. There are a number of books on http://www.ebay.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/ at reasonable price that will help you.

Persons who want to play a musical instrument must own one. How can you do an effective job without your tool? Practice is the most important part in the process of learning to play a musical instrument. Ask any great painist or percussionist how they reach the level they are at and they will tell you "practice hard". 15 minutes to 1/2 hour of practice per day is a good start if you are pressing for time.
Invest in a good musical instrument. There are a number of musical instruments that on the internet at reasonable price. It would be best if you stick to popular brands such as yamaha, korg, roland, casio, pearl, gibson, ibanez, fender and much more..

Good luck! I hope you are motivated and will not give up your dream of becoming a musician.
Remember practice becomes perfect.