Students Of Success

With the state of the music business becoming more and more
stale, consumers are looking to the internet to satisfy their
craving for new and innovative music. A record label located in
Wichita Falls has started a revolution on the internet with
music that is daring and groundbreaking. Wichita Falls Records
has released albums such as Merseybeat, the Savage Sprague
Brothers, and now its newest release Cavern. The recording
artist Frank Lee Sprague is well known the world over for his
loved recordings of the best in rock’n'roll. Playboy magazine
called his band a “great lost west Texas rock band.” Now he has
turned his innovative approach to business. With the launching
of his new label Wichita Falls Records Frank has created
marketing strategies that have been blazing the internet
resulting in sales and promotion in staggering numbers. Not
content to do things the old fashioned way, Sprague keeps
creating in music as well as business. As a sign of recognition
of Frank’s genius El Toro Records in Spain recently aligned
itself with Frank’s label and released a multi-volume CD of the
Sprague Brothers music. This is a sign of things to come
concerning Sprague’s music as other companies worldwide are
eager to join in the new music revolution. Many cooperative
ventures are on the horizon and there are DVD’s in the queue for
release as the label is growing at a staggering rate. The future
of music is secure at ‘tomorrow’s music company’ and with the
internet becoming more and more of a force in the industry
Wichita Falls Records and Frank Lee Sprague forge ahead!

Kenny “Axil” Rose (Lead vocals), D.J. “Slash (Lead guitar), Joshua “Duff” McKagan (Bass Guitar/backing vocals), Terry “Izzy” Stradlin (Rhythm guitar/backing vocals) and Chuck “Matt Sorum” Johnson (Drums/Percussion) make Guns N’ Roses. The group has ridden a wave of success and failure spanning decades, which is almost unknown in the Heavy Metal music scene. Many fans of Guns N’ Roses believe that Guns N’ Roses is a Heavy Metal Rock band that is larger than large and has a collection of songs and hits not known to the Heavy Metal music scene since the Sex Pistols.

The lives of the band members have come under scrutiny of the public eye when the members’ experiences with drugs and sexual exploits came to the knowledge of the general public. The penchant for generating negative press dims in the light of their breathtaking song-writing and energetic performances. Their 1987 album, Appetite for Destruction, is undoubtedly a benchmark that many other albums and bands have failed to measure up to.

The fame of Guns N’ Roses continue to rock the world of Heavy Metal music with the rancorous songwriting and Slash’s vigorous guitar performances. Slash has been featured in various popular guitar magazines countless times and the band itself has been featured on many other magazines, newsletters and newspapers.

Guns N’ Roses popped into the music scene when the music scene was dominated by pop music and pop-metal and the future of Guns N’ Roses seem blurry at the point. But they proved the critics wrong when songs many consider raw and an uglier version of rock & roll came galloping into the charts full speed. The members of Guns N’ Roses are definitely not known to behave in an angelic way – and they’ve never tried to behave in any other way, in fact, the members are known to be ‘ugly’, ‘misogynist’, ‘violent’….but they are also known to be ‘funny’, ‘individualistic’, ‘vulnerable’ and sometimes ‘sensitive’.

Guns N’ Roses music is very basic and gritty – honest to a fault. They are everything true heavy metal music should be. Listening to Guns N’ Roses, listeners will soon realize that their music can evoke a wide range of emotions, from anger to sadness, from devotion to hatred.

Guns N’ Roses released their first EP in 1986 which grabbed attention of heavy metal music lovers all around the world. The release of the EP led to their first debut album, Appetite for Destruction. The album didn’t start selling until almost a year later, as the group toured and performed in numerous live shows. Only when attention was given by MTV by playing “Sweet Child of Mine”, the album shot straight for the number one spot! Taking opportunity of their sudden fame, they re-released their debut single “Welcome to the Jungle” and it instantly rocked its way to Top Ten. Other albums and songs followed including “Patience” and “One in a Million”. They started work on their follow-up album in 1990 and it’s in the same year that Adler was fired and replaced by Matt Sorum from “The Cult”. In addition, Dizzy Reed on keyboards was also introduced. The recordings for 1 new album turned into 2 new albums – “Use your Illusion I” and “Use your Illusion II”.

“Use your Illusions I and II” initially sold very well until Nirvana’s “Nevermind” broke their successful stride. Rose took over the band with a change of attitude and as a result, Stradlin, one of the best songwriter of all times, left Guns N’ Roses in 1991 and he was replaced with Gilby Clarke (Kill for Thrills). It wasn’t until 1993 that the fans of Guns N’ Roses could come to terms with the change because Stradlin had an important role to play in the band. Their following album, The Spaghetti Incident, did garner good reviews but it still failed to capture the kind of spirit that was apparent in the early days of Guns N’ Roses. Guns N’ Roses appeared to have lost their edge and many thought that they were out of the race for good. The situation was further worsened with the departure of, yet, another band member, Slash, leaving Rose as the last of the original cast for Guns N’ Roses.

In 1999, the first original song in 8 years for Guns N’ Roses, “Oh My God” was released and it was featured in “End of Days” film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The new lineup for Guns N’ Roses consist of Rose, Finck, Buckethead, Stinson, Brian Mantia, Paul Huge, and Dizzy Reed. The new Guns N’ Roses continue to play and perform wherever they can but they generated some bad press when former members of Guns N’ Roses were BANNED from watching their performances. Soon Paul Huge joined the lineup of EX Guns N’ Roses members and was promptly replaced with Richard Fortus (former Love Spit Love). Fans and critics alike are waiting to see what the new lineup can come up with while the group of ex-GNR members continues to enjoy celebrity status.

Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.all-guns-n-roses.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

To learn to play guitar is difficult and easy at the same time. The guitar is a fascinating instrument. It is very difficult to master in some areas but you will also find wells of easy to play but nice sounding treasures among the strings.

In this learn to play guitar article I will give some examples of easy to play guitar chords and progressions. I will use guitar tab to help you find the notes on your guitar.

In this article i will only use the first four strings on the guitar. In the guitar tab staff notation I will also use only the first four lines. The first string is the thinnest string on the guitar or the E-string.

The first guitar tab progression will be in the key of D. The chords of the progression is Dmaj7 and Em7. Here is the guitar tab:

1. –2—0—
2. –2—0—
3. –2—0—
4. –0—0—

The guitar chord progression above can be used as a little intro in a song in the key of D. It can also end a song or be used as a break between verses in a song. You can repeat the progression to make it last longer.

The next example will use the first chord and a Gm6 as the second chord. This little passage can also be used as an intro in a song if you like it:

1. –2—0—
2. –2—3—
3. –2—3—
4. –0—0—

The following example will use just one chord, the D chord and it will be moved two frets up. When you move the chord up it will not be D anymore. It will change into a E7 or if you want E/D. This means that you play an E-chord with the note D as a bass note.

The chords in this guitar chord progression will be D and E7. Try it!

1. –2—4—
2. –3—5—
3. –2—4—
4. –0—0—

When you move the chord up the two frets you don’t need to lift you left hand fingers. Just release the pressure of your left hand fingers a bit and slide up to the new position.

This method of sliding to new positions can be used when you change between chords. Many times you can keep one or more of your fingers on your fingerboard and slide when you change to new chords. This will make it easier to find the chord and will speed up the chord change.

Our last little guitar chord progression will use the same progression with just a different way to play the E7 chord.

Remember that all these chord progressions can be repeated over and over as intros or something else in the key of D on your guitar.

1. –2—0—
2. –3—0—
3. –2—1—
4. –0—0—

Observe that you can slide with you first finger that you hoopefully have pressed down on the second fret of the third string when you play D. When you change to the second chord you can slide to the first fret.

The above progressions use the open D-string as a fundament so to speak and this bass note creates an illusion of peace in the chord progressions. In tonal music this bass note is called a pedal point.

If you like finger picking on your guitar I will give you a pattern that can be used with these chords. I will use the common classical guitar symbols for the right hand fingers. P denotes the thumb, i the first finger, m the middle finger and a the ring finger.

1. –a———–a—
2. ———-m——-
3. ——i———–
4. –p—————

I hope you will find this little learn to play guitar lesson helpful. There are a lot of chord progressions that sounds nice but are very easy to play. In other words, I will be back!

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play guitar resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

If you’re a recent vintage guitar collector, the stories you’ve heard are true. You once could step into pawn shops or flea markets and find vintage Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters for $50 to $100. True. These guitars now sell for thousands of dollars on Ebay and Gbase.

Those days are gone — but there are still deals if you know what to look for.

The simple thing to remember in vintage guitar collecting is … American guitars. Not to say Japanese or European luthiers haven’t made fine guitars, but the vintage market isn’t looking that way. If you stay American-made, you’ll have the best chance of an instrument that will appreciate in value.

Next, forget about those who claim certain years of American guitars aren’t desirable. It’s true that folks once looked down on ’70’s Stratocasters — but folks are now scrambling and paying top dollar for 70’s and 80’s models! Same thing with ’80’s Gibson guitars — once thought of as poor-quality examples, people now bid high amounts for them.

Why? Well, once the most desirable pieces are gone, whatever’s left is going to command attention.

So — to find the next “deal” — look for American made guitars that collectors are currently ignoring. Because — soon enough, these will be at the top of the food chain.

How about specifics? Well, think “student” models. Some models are already desirable — Fender Mustangs and Gibson Melody Makers, for example; other models haven’t gained notice yet … but they will!

For instance, Fender Bullets, made in the early 1980’s, are student model guitars, but are American made and use parts found in Telecasters of the same period (pickups, etc). These are great-sounding, easy-playing, and nice looking instruments. You can still find Bullets for less than $300 … although they’re beginning to gather attention. Note, we’re not talking the Squire Bullet Stratocaster-type model, but the American-made Fender model (looks like a Telecaster).

Fender also put out a Lead series — the Lead I, Lead II, and the Lead III. Again, these were an American made student series — but are great playing, solidly made, and sound wonderful. You can still pick up Lead’s for less than $300.

Gibson Melody Makers have already been discovered by collectors — but there’s not a lot of action with Gibson’s Kalamazoo line … yet. These student models are similar in quality to the Melody Makers and Fender Mustangs. I’ve found Kalamazoo models for less than $100!

I haven’t mentioned other brands — Epiphone, Gretsch, Guild, etc — because either their student models have already exploded in price or they really don’t have student models. Stick with Fender and Gibson, stick with American made, and keep your eyes on lesser-known student models … and you’ll find deals that will likely join other lines in appreciating over the coming years.

Joey Robichaux operates the Free Sheet Music site at http://www.freesheetmusic.net and is an avid vintage guitar collector.

In The Muppet Show Kermit the frog sings an inspirational song called The Rainbow Connection. It goes like this:

Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what’s on the other side?

Rainbows are visions and only illusions and rainbows have nothing to hide.

That’s what they say and some choose to believe it
I know they’re wrong – wait and see!

Someday I’ll find it, the Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me!

Get the CD of this song and play it for your child in piano lessons, or get the piano sheet music to this beautiful melody. Then ask your child what they think. “Do you think there is a Rainbow Connection? What could it be? If there is a Rainbow Connection for reaching your dreamw, would you like to know what is?” Once you have their curiosity and attention share this secret with them.

To make the Rainbow Connection you have to know what your values are. A value is anything that’s really important you. When you ask a child what’s really important and special to them they usually give answers like these:

My Dog - My Friends - My Race Wheels Car - My Dad

Your child may even say, as many students have told me, that they really love playing the piano. Then explain that these are values that naturally give us our energy for life. Then tell your child what your values are. For example, “I go to work each day because I love my family. I love what I do as well because I’ve learned to do it well, but mostly I work because I really love my family and want to provide for them.”

To achieve our dreams and our purpose in life we first have to know what our values are. I love children, teaching piano, writing, and helping kids achieve their musical dreams! I put all of my favorite things together to fit together a worthwhile purpose that fills my life with energy and joy. I really love what I do, and my family. Everyday I get up and think of so many things that I want to do and write about, and look forward to sharing my creative gifts with my family and others who also share my values.

If I didn’t know what my values are I would literally be lost. I might try to associate with people or professional groups who don’t share my values and who undervalue my work and my purpose. To protect myself I let others know what my values are. That way people who disagree with my purpose and don’t share my values will tell me so. You might think, “Why would you want people to tell you that?” Because people who do share my purpose and my values with let me know that too. In this way I can find the right people and resources to connect to. In this way I become “The Chooser.” This is important because that’s how dreams are achieved – By Choosing. By knowing what your values are you won’t be confused and go along with things that aren’t really you.

For some valuable piano resources parents can use to help their children make the Rainbow Connection and achieve their musical dreams visit, Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources. These wonderful stories feature the Piano Adventure Bear Characters, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud.

For Piano Resources with musical values to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You’ll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f’ree internet newsletter so you can download f’ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.

These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com

Many students ask me a question that goes something like this:
“What all do I have to know to be a really good piano player?”

The trouble with a question like that is that it ignores individual differences such as talent, motivation, freedom to practice, and a hundred other variables.

How much did Mozart have to know? How much did Erroll Garner know? Mozart could play far better than I can when he was 3. And Garner was barred from joining the musicians union because he couldn’t read music.

Does that mean I don’t have to practice, since Mozart could do it without practice? Does that mean I shouldn’t learn how to read music since Garner couldn’t, and it sure didn’t stop him.

Obviously, no.

I wish I had the talent of a Garner or a Mozart, but I don’t. Nowhere close. But God gave me some talent, and it’s that talent that I need to develop to it’s maximum.

Same with you, unless you’re in a class with those guys, in which case you certainly don’t need me.

Back when I operated Piano University & Keyboard Workshop, we had a list of skills that we attempted to inculcate into our students, at least to some degree. Here is that list:

Technique

Fingering

Chords

Scales

Ear Training

Music Theory

Sight Reading

Rhythm

Styles

Runs & Fills

Transposition

Modulation

Accompanying

Repertoire

Improvisation

Arranging

Pedaling

Dynamics

Feeling & emotion

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it’s a start. So as you play and practice, think about each of these areas individually, and focus on improving them one at a time.

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. His book-CD-DVD course titled “How To Dress Up Naked Music On The Piano!” has sold countless copies around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions with over 57,400 current subscribers.

A karaoke machine has an audio input, an audio output and a way of changing the music’s tone and pitch. There are karaoke machines that have the means of vocal suppression. The machine actually suppresses the original singer’s voice and allows the music to be feed through the machine; the results, it must be said, are not great. Generally, karaoke machines have a microphone input replete with Video CD, CD+G, Laser Disc, et al. Of these, CD+G possess sub code, a particular track that is used to encode lyrics and pictures that are displayed on the screen. Some places that offer karaoke have KTV, which is karaoke with the ability to display video lyrics.

Karaoke machines possess equipment to electronically alter the music’s pitch, allowing the user to pick a key appropriate for his or her vocal range without any change in the tempo of the original track. A well-known karaoke game randomizes the songs that people can attempt to sing. In some karaoke machines, this game - known as ‘Kamikaze Karaoke’ in parts of North America, is programmed to a particular genre so that all can participate.

Karaoke systems like ‘boom boxes’ have a mode that alienates the vocal track from the audio CDs. A process called the ‘center removal’ manages this. This unsophisticated approach often manifests itself in the low performance of voice removal.

Computer programs are being developed that serve the same purpose as a karaoke machine. In place of a normal recorded track, these programs use musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) instrumentation that provides the musical accompaniment. MIDI accurately defines each and every musical note in a musical instrument like the eclectic guitar and synthesizer, allowing computers and electronic musical instruments to swap data.

Karaoke provides detailed information on Karaoke, Karaoke Machines, Karaoke Music, Karaoke Downloads and more. Karaoke is affiliated with Hip Hop Music.

Brand-new artist promotion service “Artist’s explosion in Japan”
by fishthemusic.com (Bigfish Network Inc.)

What fishthemusic.com does;

1. We play your song on our web-radio “music-islands.com.”
http://www.music-islands.com/

Now web-radio “music-islands.com” has approx.3,000 unique users
a month, and more than 300 visitors a day, with over 50,000
pageviews (Oct. 2005). It’s increasing day by day.

To play your music on our web-radio, is to easily recognize your
music to Japanese music fans.

2. Set your own page up in Japanese, at our “music-islands.com”
blog, that includes your basic info (Genres, location etc.),
plus your self-description (your catch-copy or/and strong
points) on it, It also includes one mp3 sound file. So it is
submitted into Japanese podcast portal websites. Our blog sends
ping to Japanese several other portal blog sites at every update.

Of course, we link back to “your original website”, “your
myspace URL”, “your Apple iTunes Music Store page” and “where to
buy CD”. It means, our visitors are able to easily jump into
your music, whenever they love you!!

3. If you give us an additional approve for Pod-safe usage, we
provide your song to other Japanese Podcasters and let your
music make more exposure in Japan,..

We also put your song at 2 other Japanese social networking
services (SNS).

One is “recommuni.jp” … music SNS, it has 10,000 members.
(Oct. 2005) We post your mp3 sound file for free download to
Japanese music fans there. It’s on for a month. It’s one of the
most effective cyber promotions in Japan.
http://www.recommuni.jp/

The other is “jammy.jp”. This is also new music SNS that
launches on January 2006 and is expected to have 20,000 members
until April 2006. We also set up the web-radio station on it and
play your song.

“jammy.jp” is managed by Japanese famous music publishing
company “Hipland Music Corporation”. It will invite many
Japanese music business people; labels, promoters,
producers…etc. So those who have be interested in your music,
can easily visit your website and contact you directly.
http://www.jammy.jp/

And more,

In 2006, we are going to invite 1 artist, at least, to Japan,
and set up a few stages for show case gigs, somewhere in popular
nightclubs in Tokyo or so. It will be our first experience and
really challenging for us, though,,, Details are not fixed now.
We may have a contest at our website for it, anyway……

What you do for it;

Give us a non-exclusive license for everything we have described
above. Email me your Basic information, and one mp3 file
(128-192k) with our application form below. We don’t need CD
anymore.

Pay Set-up fee through our secure online form. 3,000 Japanese
Yen will be charged (about $28.00 US dollars) for setting your
song in our online radio, and 2 other music SNS that we describe
above.

As soon as everything has prepared, we will set up your page and
play your song,2 other SNS community websites as well. We’ll be
glad to promote you and hope our promotion actually works well
for you here in Japan. ARIGATO.