Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Twelve Major Chords, Tell Me More, Now!

What exactly are chords? How can chords better my pianoforte playing? What's the difference between major and minor? Are my hair falling out as fast as I believe it is?

These are all feasible inquiries that demand an pressing response! Here are some answers. Chords (usually a combination of three or more than different notes) add colour and harmoniousness to a composition and pianoforte playing. The most common type of chord affects three different short letters of a scale of measurement and is called a triad. Harmony, incidentally, affects short letters of a chord sounding at the same time. If you like colour and harmony, you necessitate chords… Oregon a sunny, peaceful vacation.

Music without hearable harmoniousness can sound beautiful in the custody of a adept composer. However, profusion and comprehensiveness are generally easier to get from a piece of music containing both tune and harmony. Often, a single tune over a long clip period of time can go deadening and dry. If you like deadening and dry, listen to long, single line melodies… Oregon eat very old, dry, wrinkled looking peach trees that have got been left out on the kitchen counter for a few weeks.

Major, minor, apples, oranges… what's the difference? Although this is a generalization, many hold that major chords sound bright and happy, while minor chords sound more dramatic and sad. Having said that, many pieces in major keys are sad sounding. Consider, for example, Dvorak's slow motion of his New World Symphony. There is a painful yearning in this movement, and yet this portion of the composition is in Decibel major!

There are basically twelve different types of closed root place major triads. What are closed root place major triads? They are three short letter chords containing the first, 3rd and 5th grade of a diatonic scale. Before going into more than detail, maintain in head that diatonic scale of measurement of measurement grades are simply different short letters that belong to a scale. In the lawsuit of a major scale, we have got seven different notes.

Getting back to major triads, the first grade of our closed root place three would be the last note, with the 3rd and 5th grades being placed as stopping point as possible overtop of the first degree. Here is a little listing of twelve different major threes and the short letters that they are composed of. The short missive on the left is the underside (lowest sounding) short letter of the triad:

C Major; C, Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin E and G

Db Major; Db, Degree Fahrenheit and Ab

D Major; D, F# and A

Eb Major; Eb, Gram and Bb

E Major; E, G# and B

F Major; F, Type Type Type A and C

F# Major; F#, A# and C#

G Major; G, Type Type Type Type B and D

Ab Major; Ab, Degree Centigrade and Eb

A Major; A, C# and E

Bb Major; Bb, Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin D and F

B Major; B, D# and F#

Four short letter major chords can be created out of all of these threes by adding the first (bottom) short letter letter to the top of the triad. For example, a four short missive Degree Centigrade major chord would read as C, E, Gram and C, with the top Degree Centigrade being played an octave above the underside C. Associate In Nursing octave is defined as short letters that have got the same letter name but are separated by eight letters. In calculating the figure eight, we include the two octave short letters (i.e. C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C).

As a concluding thought, the distance between the underside and center short letter of a three in a closed place is four semitones. The distance between the center and top short letter is three semitones. A half step is the least distance between two short letters on a piano. The ability to justice distances between three and scale of measurement short letters is a valuable tool in improving a piano players improvising skills.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Play Jazz Now

Getting that wind sound can be a complex process. It is impossible to state who have got the top wind tone of voice and sound as we are all different and are subjective in our listening. What I'm about to share with you moves as a general usher in the country of getting that wind tone of voice of voice and should be improvise upon should you experience like it.

The Guitar


For an reliable wind tone, you should have got a semi-acoustic hollow organic structure electrical guitar. The Mel Gibson ES-175 or the Gretch Tennessean can run into one thousands of dollars but there are also first-class entry theoretical accounts such as as Ibanez Artcore line of guitars. Guitars by Yamaha or Club also do great entry degree semi-acoustics. Epiphone, owned by Mel Mel Gibson are designed for the aspirant instrumentalist to have a Gibson but deficiency the budget to make so. What you acquire is a antic sounding guitar made by Mel Gibson but at a much much less price. Look for a guitar which supplies a clean tone of voice of voice with plentifulness of sustain.

Jazz guitar participants often plays with a rich easygoing tone that is suitable for the style. Axial Rotation off the soprano on your guitar's controls to accomplish that.

A Wind Guitar Amplifier


The playing style and sound that you wish to achieve volition find the ampere you need. Very often, traditional wind guitar participants utilizes solid state amperes that tin green goods a clean sound which congratulate acoustic arch-top guitars. For others seeking a more than contorted sound, a tubing ampere might be just what you are looking for. Many wind guitar players utilize a Fender Pro or a Polytone. On board personal effects maybe another demand you are looking for. This tin scope from a overdrive transmission transmission channel to a reverb channel.

Effect Pedals


Type A intimation of reverb is all you necessitate if you are one who makes not desire to tamper with effects. However, many modern wind guitar participants today includes an armory of consequence bicycle points in their personal effects concatenation ranging from chorus, overdrive, deformation and even wah-wah pedal. A word of advice. When using effects, guarantee they congratulate your playing style and that you reserve that "clarity" in your tone. Many guitar participants often do the error of cluttering their guitar tone of voice with too many personal effects which consequences in a mediocre quality muddy sound.

In summary, listen, listen, listen. Listen to recordings by all the wind guitarists. Listen closely to their sounds and seek to emulate them. When done enough, you'll be able to happen that alone tone of voice in your guitar sound which you have got crafted. Congratulations! You have got establish your very ain signature sound!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

How To Play The Accordion - A Step-By-Step Guide for the Complete Novice

1.Get an accordion

OK, I cognize that sounds a small glib, but it really is the first step. Accordion is not the most popular, or common, instrument in the world. There may be some who believe that's A good thing for the incorrect grounds (there is the old proverb that a gentleman is person who can play the piano accordion but doesn't) but the relative unpopularity, of the instrument, compared to, say, guitar, can be a asset for us. For one, it intends there are many fresh piano accordions around, just waiting for an interested novitiate (that's you!) to come up along and give it a good home. Maybe it's in your ain joke or basement, or your grandmother's, uncle's, or friends. They don't have got to give it to you, you can just borrow it for a while. On the other hand, they may be so thankful for the possibility of getting quit of it that you may not be able to halt them from giving it to you!

2.Make certain it works.

If it's been sitting around for a long clip you desire to inspect it to see all is in working order. Brand certain the bawl is not ripped, that none of the keys or buttons stick, and that each short letter sounds properly. This is important.

3.Find a topographic point to practice. If you dwell in the country, with no neighbours within at least a 1 hundred paces (although farther is better) this won't be a problem, you can drill anywhere. One advantage to the piano accordion is that neighbours can be much closer than with other instruments, such as as bagpipes, which necessitate a separation of at least 500 yards.

If you don't dwell in the country, you will necessitate to happen a quiet room. Basements are preferable. It's a good thought to purchase some cork or acoustic tiles to line the ceiling and the walls. That manner your household will still speak to you and your friends will stay friends as you larn to play. You can believe of this room as your ain personal "crossroads," as in "The legendary blues vocalist Henry Martin Robert Samuel Johnson is reputed to have got gone to the crossroads, made a treaty with the Satan and emerged as one of the most talented and influential blues instrumentalists of modern history." You don't desire witnessers to your secret traffic at the crossroads. Let them calculate it out for themselves, or better yet, conjecture forever, after you emerge playing like champ!

4.Finger Yoga

Playing piano accordion necessitates agile fingers, as well as a crisp but unagitated mind. It is well known that Yoga promotes, flexibility, agility, interior composure and a focus. These are simple skills, it's true, but they are important for command of the instrument. Be diligent, and with just a few proceedings a twenty-four hours you'll be going from fingers twisted in pretzel-like presents to being stretched farther than you ever thought possible, in just a flash.

5. Ready, put ....

We're almost there. You've got your accordion; you've checked it over and it all works; you've got your place in the state or your soundproof room; you've done your finger yoga. You are ready to strap that babe on and play! But wait; there's just one more than thing? How make you play?

Simple, you acquire out that direction book you bought online, the 1 that divine you to larn in the first place; happen the "C" button with your left hand, pulling the creases apart; fourth estate a button; fourth estate a cardinal with your right hand; make it again.

Bingo! You're playing piano accordion in 5 easy steps.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Play Guitar With Ease When You Get Off To A Good Start

To play Guitar, for most people who have got discovered the joyousness of this instrument, is a life long journeying that starts with a dream, or the beginnings of a passionateness inspired by music and the instrumentalists who play Guitar in the style that moves them. When the passionateness to play Guitar takes clasp we realise that the journeying is an on going acquisition procedure where we consistently dispute ourselves to get the hang new techniques and styles and detect the exhilaration when what once seemed imposable is now easy.

But, perhaps the greatest challenge is right at the outset, when for whatever reason, we make up one's mind to play Guitar and set off on our first mission, to actually get the acquisition process, the newbie phase. Here the initial passionateness and enthusiasm associated with deciding to play guitar can be fragile. Gaining manual dexterity and coordination between custody and fingers can be frustrating, so it's important to have got a positive experience at this time.

Let's human face it, we all hatred being a newbie, whatever we take to learn, and we desire to acquire past this phase quickly. To larn to play Guitar there are respective factors that lend towards breakage through the initial acquisition curve. Here are three of them.

First is the instrument itself. The passionateness and motive to play Guitar travels manus in manus with the pursuit for tone of voice and a good sounding instrument is one that's going to acquire played a lot. A passionate participant will develop an apprehension of how the instrument is constructed, the types of wood used and how this finds the resonance and tone of voice of voice of the instrument.

When beginning to play Guitar the enticement is often to begin with a inexpensive one, just in lawsuit the passionateness doesn't take hold, but considering that the pursuit is for tone, this is not a realistic approach. Cheap Guitars, acoustic or electric, sound cheap; they are normally constructed from laminated wood, a fancy name for plywood, so conceive of what we can anticipate in footing of resonance and tone. That's right, not much. It's break to pass a small more than and acquire an instrument that's going to sound good, and there are some great, reasonably priced, 1s out there.

Next is to acquire a manage on tuning the instrument. Whenever we play Guitar we desire the instrument sounding its best so we bask what we're hearing, and anyone hearing makes too. Tuning the instrument is relatively easy, once you cognize how, but it trusts on developing your ear to recognise when the twines are at the right pitch, individually and to each other. The good news is that electronic piano tuners are inexpensive and readily available. However, electronic piano tuners should be seen as a convenience as they only state you when the twine is at the right pitch. They don't manage the other facet of tuning, which is keeping the instrument in melody no substance how difficult you play it.

Third, and very important, is gaining an understanding, and grasp for basic music harmoniousness and, to a similar extent, timing. Typically our journeying starts with a motive to play Guitar like the instrumentalists who animate us and the desire to play their songs. While learning songs is a great manner to learn, develop manual dexterity and timing, and have got fun, the cardinal to being able to play any song is apprehension harmony, or in other words the human relationship between the notes. When you understand this, and it's not that complicated, you will quickly see, and be surprised by, the simple and insistent word forms that do up all the popular forms of music we listen to today.

In summary, to do a speedy passage through the initial acquisition curved shape and drama Guitar with assurance acquire a quality instrument that sounds good, larn to tune, and maintain it in tune, and while having merriment acquisition your front-runner songs, larn basic music harmoniousness so you cognize where all those scales of measurement and chords come up from.

Monday, July 9, 2007

How To Get An Internship In The Music Business Without Having A Single Contact

So... you desire to be in the music business? There are a batch of you out there. I cognize this because I have a music praseodymium house and every clip we set out a phone call for internes or jobs, we acquire somewhere between 100 - 250 resumes. Once upon a time, I was just like you- dying to follow my passionateness and aggressively trying to set down a occupation in the industry of my dreams. It was a demeaning and, at times, demeaning exercising so this dear immature aspirant music concern Mogul is for you. Interns are much needed in every aspect of the industry, and most of my music industry friends (myself included) started out as unpaid internes back in their twenty-four hours and we leveraged our unpaid internships into paying jobs.

If you dwell in or near New House Of York or LA, this usher will be easy to follow measure by step. But if you don't, make not fret. You will be amazed at how many little music companies are thriving in practically every metropolis and state.

Policy short letter – Due to policies, bigger companies necessitate to use only pupils enrolled in college looking to acquire credit. So, if your internship is not for credit, bank check before you acquire your bosom set on a place you may not be qualified to fill.

YOUR first LESSON

TWO words THAT APPLY TO EVERY music industry RELATED INTERNSHIP: NO PAY

I cognize you are disbursement a luck to travel to college but here is the world – 99.9% of all music concern internships are unpaid. I cognize it makes not look just but the truth is there are so many people looking to acquire started that payment is not usually offered. So if making money is on your end list, you will necessitate to acquire a 2nd occupation to feed your passionateness around music. Don't allow a small thing like money maintain you from your dream.

OK, so now that you cognize you will be working for free and probably paying your college to acquire recognition - so actually you will be paying to work – brand it something you desire to do!

STEP ONE: IDENTIFY YOUR areas OF INTEREST

Search your mind. Ask yourself what portion of the music concern make you desire to be in? Are it Marketing, Radio, Publicity, Online Marketing, Touring, or A&R? You may not cognize the reply to this inquiry yet and that is alright. You are not supposed to cognize until you acquire some experience in a peculiar area. BUT if you don't stipulate what you are looking to try, the people in complaint of hiring you will have got NO hint where you will suit or how they can suit you into their business. So having a listing of general countries of involvement is a necessity.

To acquire a workings cognition of what different parts of the music industry are available, here are two suggestions:

1. Buy All You Necessitate To Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman. This fabulous book is still after all these old age the Bible of the Music Business, and it will give you a great dislocation of the cardinal places and the general overall constitution of the industry as a whole. Just leafage through - you don't have got to read the whole thing screen to cover.

2. Bash Online research. There are infinite articles available advising instrumentalists how make undertake their ain careers. So to make your research, set yourself in the artist's place and start surfing and learning! If the articles vibrate with you and look interesting than you have got got establish a good match.

Create a listing of 3-4 countries that you can work in (if you only have 1 that's all right too!).

General Music Industry Categories

Large Record Label (i.e. Sony, Charles Dudley Warner Music, Universal, etc.)

Specify a department:

A&R

Promotions

Publicity

Marketing

Licensing

Radio Station

Specify a department:

On Air

Producer

Sales

Promotions

Marketing Firm – There are many genres within:

Street Marketing

Online Marketing

Tour Marketing

Specialty / Life Style Marketing

Small Record Label (you probably won't necessitate to stipulate department)

Promotion Firm

Management Company

Engagement Agency

Radio Promotions Company

Music Venue

Concert Promoter

Production Studio

Publication Company

Movie & television Licensing

Music Website – Good for techies or authors or designers

Music Magazine / Webzine – Good for aspirant journalists

STEP TWO: make A dream list OF companies & artists YOU LOVE

Research as much as you can in your chosen field. Again, believe like a musician. There are a million resources available for instrumentalists that listing companies that aid support them, and they all have got websites that clearly demo what they make and who their clients are.

If you love a specific set or artist, expression up whom they work with and set those companies on your listing because nil is more than electrifying and appreciated than working for your favorite people and sets (I still acquire a bang out of that and I've been working in the music industry for 14 years).

STEP THREE: rock YOUR RESUME

Next, make the most AMAZING sketch you can set together. There are many websites, books, and even your calling guidance business office at school that tin instruct you on how to make this so I'm not going to acquire into much item here. But delight attentiveness this advice:

Be Concise – one page only

Be Detailed – What did you bash at your former occupations that are listed? These should show your talents.

Be Interesting – Include personal touchings and avocations or particular interests

Tip – the music concern be givens to be a spot more than informal, so you have got got a small spot more room to play with your sketch and do your personality radiance through more than you would on a "corporate" resume.

STEP FOUR: recommendations RULE

This adjacent piece of advice is a small spot non-traditional arsenic well…I phone call the first people that have great mention letters in for interviews first!

Call an old employer, a professor, or a individual in your life who can compose you a dramatic recommendation letter. If you can inquire the individual authorship the missive to advert strengths that volition be cohesive with the job, you desire this. It will really do you stand up out.

STEP FIVE: start APPLYING

Now that you have got got your list, there are three topographic points you can go:

Straight to the companies of your dreamings that you have discovered – in these cases, they may not be advertisement for internes so you necessitate to cold phone call and inquire first if they would see accepting a sketch (be excited and state the truth that you establish out about their company and you would love to be considered). Then inquire to whom the sketch should be addressed.

Websites where employers station for internes – We usage EntertaimentCareers.net, and at any given clip there are plenty of internships available on it.

Your college's calling business office (Don't number on them as your chief resource – my best internes establish me by looking online).

STEP SIX: THE GOLDEN RULES

NEVER EVER direct a sketch without a screen letter. It's totally unprofessional.

Include the NAME, ADDRESS, company NAME, and INDIVIDUAL'S name on each screen letter, and CUSTOMIZE each missive FOR THAT particular COMPANY. Yes, this volition take longer but it will also acquire you results. If it is not obvious call and politely ask!

Note: Out of the 150 sketches I just received on my last unit of ammunition of hirings, only three people set my company name on the screen missive and wrote "Dear Ms. Hyatt". And

100% of all of these letters mentioned in the first paragraph that the campaigner had first-class communicating accomplishments – and Iodine thought are you kidding me??? If you are so first-class at communicating, how come up my name was not mentioned ONCE? The letters that really irritated me and made me never desire to ran into the campaigner were the letters that said "Dear Sir" (I am a woman) or "Dear hour Dept" or even more than than gross: "Dear Hiring Committee" (I'm the lone 1 that brands determinations at my company about hiring, 25 secs on my website would larn you that).

Mention some things that associate directly to the company you are applying to – the name calling of the artists, your passionateness about what it is they do, how you became interested in music, etc.

Please for the love of sweet Supreme Being above DON'T compose any of the followers lines:

"I have got got got got got got got first-class communicating skills."

"I have loved music for as long as Iodine can remember, since the twenty-four hours I was born."

"I believe I am the perfect lucifer for your company (unless you state WHY)."

"My extended background in music…" OK, if you are under the age of 25 you DON'T have an extended background (an extended background is 10 old age or more).

DO compose the followers lines (if they are not the truth of course of study don't compose these!):

"I have been a fan of (artist's name this company plant with here) since (year/concert you attended, etc.)."

"I have always wanted to learn about (company's forte here) and a place at your company would supply me just that opportunity."

" I have (the existent #) of friends on (MySpace/Facebook/Bebo/any other cool societal networking land site here"

If you are applying to a selling or praseodymium house that affects an online space, highlight how many MySpace and/or Facebook friends you have, and if you are on other new societal networking land sites or on Second Life. This could be your aureate ticket! Everyone wishes a well-connected intern. It's a immense asset!

"I have got got already had some experience with (booking, promoting, etc), and would love to spread out on what I have already learned at (school, from volunteering etc.)."

STEP SEVEN: SEND Type A PHYSICAL transcript OF YOUR RESUME

Most of these websites give you an interface to travel through and you submit your sketch straight to them via the Internet. Definitely make this and IN addition if you can facsimile or mail in your resume, I highly urge you make this as well (remember to turn to with a specific person's name!).

STEP EIGHT: dainty EACH sketch LIKE Type A doomed PUPPY

Back to my 150 campaigners from this past calendar month – NOT ONE called to follow up to see if I had received the resume! This not only mystified me but also irritated me to no end.

So – a few years after you direct the resume, call to follow up! This is a great manner to stand up out in the crowd because NO ONE ELSE IS career – trust me, I know.

Even if the website states "don't name us, we'll name you" you should name and politely inquire if your sketch was received because 100% of everyone I cognize in the music concern is so busy that they don't have got clip to always follow up with the flood of resumes. This could be a missed chance to set down a job!

STEP NINE: astatine YOUR INTERVIEW

So, you followed my stairway and you got an interview set up? Wonderful!

If you acquire three or four interviews, travel to the 1 that you are least interested in first to sharpen your interview skills.

THE day OF – CALL first to corroborate your interview. It's professional and a great manner to stand up out.

Be 10 proceedings early (not more), and retrieve the music concern is insouciant so a three-piece lawsuit is highly discouraged. I propose concern casual.

Bring a book or a magazine in lawsuit you have got to wait.

Bring two transcripts of your resume, screen letter, and recommendation missive as well as some authorship samples (if applicable – even if it's a paper you wrote about the music business). This is interesting and it put you apart again!

Don't be afraid to inquire inquiries like What makes a typical internship embrace here? or Make you have got got got some specific undertakings I might be working on?

With most internship interviews I do, I always have to ask: Make you have any questions? And it always go forths a eldritch taste sensation in my oral cavity if they have got none – even if you inquire how many years the company is expecting internes to work and what the hours would be. At least you are establishing a dialog! I propose preparing 2-3 in-depth questions that you have got researched by looking online at this specific company and come up prepared!

Tips

The littler the company, the more than than work you will probably stop up doing and the more experience you will derive – it's just the nature of the beast.

If you don't like the individual that interviews you, DON'T take the occupation – trust your instincts!

Don't inquire if the internship will turn into a paid position. You are in complaint of being the most amazing interne that they ever had. This volition Pb to a occupation but first you have got to turn out yourself!

STEP TEN: ALWAYS FOLLOW UP!!!

Even if you HATED the interview, ALWAYS direct a give thanks you electronic mail to follow up (or better yet a CARD!) to state thanks for taking the clip to interview me! If you really enjoyed the interview, say sol and WHY. And don't be afraid to state "after meeting you Iodine am even more than convinced that I would wish to work with you!" Flattery WILL acquire you (almost everywhere).

I trust that these tips turn into a winning internship experience, and I would love to hear from you and happen out how this usher worked for you – please electronic mail me at talkback [AT] arielpublicity.com

I may even print your story!

Friday, July 6, 2007

Electric Guitar Set Up: How to Maximize Your Guitar's Performance

Like any preciseness instrument guitars will execute their best when they are properly put up. By setting up your guitar properly you can maximise your guitar's possible and also customize how it will feel, play, and sound to your liking. There are some accommodations that are best left to a professional but you can make a batch yourself with just a few simple tools. Here are 3 easy stairway you can take to set your guitar's action, intonation, and pickup truck output.

The action of a guitar mentions to how easy it is to fuss (push down on) the strings. A guitar set up with good action will play effortlessly. The easiest manner to impact the action of a guitar is by adjusting the twine tallness at the bridge. Most electrical guitars will have got an adjustable span to let this. Most guitar Bridges will have got either a hand-turned span tallness accommodation knob (like on Les Alice Paul type guitars) or a hex-wrench driven chemical mechanism (like most Strat-type guitars). Simply turn the prison guards to take down the twine height. The end is to travel as low as you can before the twines begin to 'buzz' significance they are resting on a the stew wire. There are some cases where you may desire a higher twine height, for illustration if you play microscope slide guitar, but in general the less the better. Other accommodations that affect twine tallness and action such as as tallness at the nut, cervix angle, and truss perch accommodations may be better left for the professional.

Intonation of a guitar mentions to the human relationship of the fusses to the precise twine length. A guitar that is intonated correctly will sound 'in-tune' at all cervix positions. Poorly intonated guitars will sound Oklahoma at one cervix position, but will sound 'out-of-tune' at other cervix positions. The length of a guitar twine from nut to bridge over demands to be exactly bisected at the 12th fret. In other words the 12th stew must split the twine exactly in half. Here the adjustable span come ups into drama again. Most Bridges will have got individual saddles for each twine that tin be moved to set intonation. Moving the twine saddle, in effect, alterations the length of the string. You will necessitate a good electronic piano tuner to set your intonation. The end here is to precisely fit the tone of voice of voice of the fretted 12th twine to the tone of the 12th twine natural harmonic. A natural harmonic tone of voice is achieved by lone lightly putting your finger over the stew wire (the 12th in this instance) and picking the twine normally. Natural harmonics will peal like a chime. They are easier to hear when the guitar is plugged into an ampere and even easier when using the overdrive transmission channel of your amp. Use your piano tuner to fit the tone of voice of voice of the 12th twine harmonic to the fretted 12th twine tone by incrementally moving the twine saddle 1 manner or the other. Bash this for each individual string, and your guitar will be intonated.

Pickup end product can greatly be affected by the propinquity of the pickup truck to the string. The easiest manner to set this is by adjusting the pickup truck height. The near the pickup truck is to the twine the higher the output. Most pickup truck trucks will have got a tallness accommodation prison guard on either side of the pickup housing. Simply turn it to raise and less the pickup. Fret the twines at the peak possible stew and raise the pickup truck so that it's about 1/8" from the string. This should bring forth a good high end product sound. From here you can customize your sound by either elevation or lowering the high Vitamin Vitamin E or low E side of the pickup truck to heighten or subdue the soprano or bass response. Brand certain that you fit the end product between all of your pickup trucks so that you won't acquire a large volume alteration when you change pickups.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Egos are getting in the way of tour

The Spice Girls' comeback is reportedly being rocked by jealous in-fighting and petty rows.


The band have only just announced their reunion but already there are clashes of personality.


'There are too many egos for them to last more than a tour together,' says a close source. 'On the outside the girls are pals and everything is fantastic.


'But behind the scenes the Spice Girls' wars have started again - and the egos have landed.'


Mel B was reportedly the first to annoy the others with her diva-like behaviour in front of journalists last week.


'She was also spouting all sorts of stuff, and desperate to show off,' the source tells the News Of The World.


It's alleged Mel C even asked to be moved away from her at the press conference. C'mon ladies, this surely isn't what girl power is all about?

Monday, July 2, 2007

Keiko Matsui Piano Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

Piano is the latest release from Smooth Jazz Artist Keiko Matsui, and is another great one by this talented musician.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that's exactly what I must say about this one. There simply isn't a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you've got one of Keiko Matsui's most impressive releases ever.

If you're even mildly into Smooth Jazz music you'll enjoy this CD. Overall Piano is an a great release. I give it my double thumbs up. You will not be disappointed with one single track.

While this entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are track 1 - Presence Of The Moon, track 3 - Whisper From The Mirror, and track 5 - Light Above The Trees.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 10 - See You There. Good stuff!

Piano Release Notes:

Keiko Matsui originally released Piano on May 6, 2003 on the Sony Wonder label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Presence Of The Moon

2. Water Lily

3. Whisper From The Mirror

4. Between The Moons

5. Light Above The Trees

6. Doll

7. Beyond The Light

8. Trees

9. Forever, Forever

10. See You There

11. Dawn

12. Distance

13. Be With Me

Personnel: Keiko Matsui (piano); Derek Nakamoto (programming). Recorded at Power House Studio, Tokyo, Japan.