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  • Major Pentatonic Scale

    Major Pentatonic

    The major pentatonic is similar to the minor pentatonic: The intervals for a major pentatonic are 1 2 3 5 6 1. The C major scale includes C D E G A C. The difference between the major and minor scale is the minor scale has a flatten 3rd interval. The following is the most common generic box shape for the pentatonic major scale: The major pentatonic sounds happier and are not used as extensively in rock and blues as the minor version of the scale. They sound good over major chords, and power chords. Sometimes the minor and major scales are used in the same song, with the major scale used for the chorus, and the minor for the verse. There are no hard and fast rules when in comes to scales and soloing. It s a matter of style and personal choice, as long as it sounds good, go for it. But you will find that if you use these simple scale forms in conjunction with an appropriate chord progression this will sound good more often. A chord progression based on the A minor chord will sound good with A minor pentatonic and a C major chord will sound good with C major scale. For information on chord progressions please go to the section at our web site on chord progressions.

    Minor Pentatonic

    Minor pentatonic scales are used extensively in modern and classic rock. A strong understanding of how pentatonic scales work, and can be used for soloing and creating riffs, is extremely important. They are also the easiest and generally the first scales most people learn.

    I assume you know how to read basic TAB format for this lesson. If you have not been exposed to TAB then you should review our lesson on reading guitar TAB before moving on.

    The Minor Pentatonic scale consists of the following intervals: 1 b3 4 5 b7 1. In the key of A the intervals would be the notes of A C D E G A. There are 5 scale shapes in box patterns for the pentatonic scales.

    The 5 is the fifth fret and is the root note, thus the name of the key and scale is A, the intervals determines the type Minor or Major. This scale shape above is the most scale and is used in rock, blues and most styles of music. If you move this entire shape up to positions on the guitar and play the same shape you will have a B minor pentatonic. Likewise if you slide the entire shape down two potions you have a G minor pentatonic.

    Practice this scale shape several times a day, moving it into different positions or keys, for variety. Many of rocks most famous licks are derived form this shape. If you are going to play guitar learning this one basic shape is mandatory.

  • Famous Quotations On Various Topics

    Quotes in short can be described as a smarter way to describe ones opinion on certain topic and feelings. Though quotes is more like a poem but quotes is more fun to read as well as to understand. Many great individuals from different fields such as science, history, movie stars, musicians and politicians have shared famous quotes on their view on various aspects. Marilyn Monroe, Bob Marley, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Confucius, John Lennon, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Jim Morrison, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela are some of the most famous authors. Thought they too quote on their related fields yet they also have quoted on various topics and topic related to general life such as love, relationship, fame and so on.

    • Marilyn Monroe one of the most famous Hollywood actresses is also known for her smart quotes on various topics ranging from women freedom to her personal life.
    • Some of her most famous quotes includes, If you can make a girl laugh – you can make her do anything, Hollywood is a place where theyll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul, Husbands are chiefly good lovers when they are betraying their wives, Some people have been unkind.
    • If I say I want to grow as an actress, they look at my figure.
    • If I say I want to develop, to learn my craft, they laugh. Somehow they dont expect me to be serious about my work. Bob Marley, one of the most famous musicians and singer in the world is also famous for his quotes. His quotes ranges everything from music to world affairs.

    Some of his most popular quotes are, Dont worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright, Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war and until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation, until the colour of a mans skin is of no more significance than the colon of his eyes. And until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race, there is war. And until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship, rule of international morality, will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but never attained… now everywhere is war.

    William Shakespeare, one of the worlds most renowned poets and writer is also famous for his quotes such as Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs. Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers eyes. Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, a choking gall and a preserving sweet Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my King, He would not in mine age have left me naked to mine enemies.

    There are myriads of famous quotes from famous celebrities as well as from normal individuals, but no matter what reading a smart and snappy quote is always fun.

  • BBC Banned Music: Top Singles Banned

    The British Broadcasting Corporation also known as the BBC is a public broadcasting corporation. Therefore, it allows itself to ban materials that deviate from certain standards of civility. During the years, many singles that were seen as too explicit, distasteful or bear the potential for offending the British public were banned from BBC airplay. Here you can read about some of them.

    In 1977, when England was celebrating the Queens Jubilee, the Sex Pistols had released their second single titled God Save the Queen. The single includes controversial lyrics that rhyme the national anthem title with fascist regime. Moreover, the record cover displayed a picture of the Queen with a safety pin stuck in her nose.

    The single was found to offensive to be air played by the BBC, but it did not stop it from reaching number two on the BBC official singles chart. According to the myth, God Save the Queen was the top selling single in the UK at the time, but it was held back of number one to avoid controversies.

    1. Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin scandalous duet Je TAime …
    2. Moi Non Plus, translated: I love you… me neither, was the first ever number one hit to be banned by the BBC.
    3. Although at the time of its release, in 1969, the sexual revolution was celebrated, the British radio still was not able to cope with such explicit lyrics, not to mention Birkins moans and groans.
    4. The BBC ban and The Vatican denounce, did not stop Je TAime … Moi Non Plus from being a top selling single in the UK and worldwide.
    5. In October 7, 1969, the single reached number one in the BBC official singles chart.
    6. At the same time, it had reached number 69 at the US singles chart.

    Je TAime … Moi Non Plus was a major influence on another BBC banned single, Donna Summers disco pioneer from 1976 titled Love to Love You Baby. After counting 23 faked orgasms performed by Summer in Love to Love You Baby, the British Broadcasting Corporation banned the song. However, it did not stop it from becoming a massive hit. Love to Love You Baby reached number four on the UK single charts but peaked to number two on the Billboard pop chart.

    Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is one of the most controversial singles as well as commercially successful singles in history. The BBC did not only ban the song it also did not stop BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read to publicly express his feelings of disgust from the singles explicit lyrics. In 1984, Relax stayed in the UK singles charts for 42 weeks. In five of them, it stayed in number one. By the end of 1984, embarrassed Auntie Beeb removed the ban. Relax is still very popular worldwide and it is one of the most recognized symbols of the era. The arguments on whether it gained such a huge success despite the BBC ban or the BBC ban helped promoting it have not been settled yet.

    Paul McCartney and the Wings response to the 1972 Bloody Sunday events titled Give Ireland Back to the Irish, was banned by every media resource in the UK. It was forbidden from being broadcast by the BBC, Radio Luxembourg and the Independent Television Authority. In addition, the song title was not allowed to be pronounced on the air, so when it arrived to the BBC Radio 1 chart show it was presented as a record by the group Wings. However, Give Ireland Back to the Irish hit the top of the Irish singles charts.

  • Band Name Origins: Stories Behind Band Names

    Did you know that the Bee Gees were named after the initials of a DJ called Bill Gates? Did you know that the real story behind the origin of the name of the rock band 10cc is much more trivial and boring than the urban legend that surrounds it? Did you ever wonder why the hell would someone choose to name his band Chumbawamba? Here you can widen your knowledge by learning about the origins or rock bands names and pop artists pseudonyms.

    10cc: an urban legend claims that the band who wrote the hit Im Not in Love has chosen her name as a gesture to the average male ejaculation, which is estimated as 9cc of sperm. but, the bands name really originated in a dream the band manager, Jonathan King, had in which he was managing a band by the name of 10cc

    Alice in Chains: Lane Stanley and Jerry Cantrell had intended to form a heavy metal band that will perform covers of Slayer while wearing dresses. Although there plan did not come out, the name of the band remained. Alice in Chains is a take off on Alice in Wonderland with an S and M twist. Bee Gees: The Gibb brothers first had in mind the name The Rattlesnakes as a name of their band. Later they have come up with the idea of honoring the initials of both Brothers Gibb and their close friend and one of their first supports, DJ Bill Gates, who has nothing to do with the founder of Microsoft. Chumbawamba: apparently, one of the band members had a strange dream, in which he could not decide which public toilet door he should enter since the Men and Women signs were replaced with Chumba and Wamba signs. The Doors: formerly named Psychedelic Ranger, inspired by a William Blake quote: If the doors of perception were to be cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. Elvis Costello: was born as Declan Patrick McManus. When he had started his musical career, he adopted an alias created by a combination of Elvis Presley and Lou Costello, mainly because he represents the exact opposite of the other Elvis.

    The Fall: taken from the title of a novel authored by Albert Camus.

    Grateful Dead: originally named The Warlocks. The origin of the cult band final name was inspired by an old English folk tale, which themed around a traveler who is saved by the spirit of a dead person who is grateful for the travelers generosity and his willingness to pay the deads man debts in order for him to be buried.

    The Happy Mondays: Shaun Rider was inspired by the happy Mondays he and the other members of the band were having as unemployed who were spending the day that follows the weekend in sleeping while the other people were off to work.

    Ice T: the controversial gangsta rapper has chosen to name himself after Iceberg Slim, a famous pimp who later became an author of books that describe gangsta living. Johnny Rotten: the Sex Pistols leader was born as John Lydon. He received a stage name that was found more suitable for an anarchist punk with a set of rotten teeth.

    Kraftwerk: the pioneer electronic band adopted the German translation of the term Power Station.

    L. LL Cool J: James Todd Smith pseudonym is an Acronym for Ladies Love Cool James.

    Marilyn Manson: the bandleader pseudonym mixes two of Americas favorite celebrities: Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. Other members of the band are using the pseudonyms Ginger Fish, Twiggy Ramirez and Madonna Wayne Gacy.

    Nine Inch Nails: inspired by the nails that attached Jesus to the cross

    The Orb: in Woody Allens Sleeper, there is a silver ball that causes people who touches it to react in strange ways. This device was called The Orb.

    The Pogues: originally named Pogue Mahone, which is Kiss my Ass in Gaelic, the band shortened the name to avoid airplay censorship.

    Queen: one word that catches both transvestite and royalty connotation was the perfect band name in the eyes of Freddie Mercury.

    The Replacements: according to the myth, the punk rock band adapted the name after replacing a missing band in a gig, an incident that made them introduced themselves as The Replacements.

    Sex Pistols: Malcolm Mclaren is responsible for the choice of the name, partly to help promote the clothes shop called Sex owned by Vivien Westwood who used to be his girlfriend at the time.

    TLC: the initials of the band members nicknames T Boz, Left Eye and Chilli. It also suggests the acronym for Tender Loving Care.

    UB40: the politically oriented band was named after a type of British unemployment form.

    Velvet Underground: named after the title of an unknown sex book that one of the band members has found lying on the sidewalk Weezer: the band front man was nicknamed Weezer in high school since he was a geek who suffered from asthma that caused him to make wheezing sounds.

    XTC: this punk band was formed in 1976 long before the usage of the drug was popular. The band had changed its original name Star Park after watching a Jimmy Durante clip in which he states: Im in ecstasy!

    Yeah Yeah Yeah: according to Karen O, the inspiration to the hip band name came from the New Yorker phrase, which means something like whatever. ZZ Top: there are two versions related to the origin of the band name. According to the first one, the name of the band is a spoof on the name of the blues musician ZZ Hill. According to the second version, the name relates to a combination of two popular brands of cigarette rolling papers: Zig Zag and Tops Rolling papers.

  • Fm Radios

    FM broadcasting is a broadcast technology that uses frequency modulation (FM) to provide very favorable sound over broadcast radio. In India there are various FM channels which operate 24X7 to provide news, information and entertainment.

    There are specific channels for specific purpose, one has to tune in and adjust with the frequencies which you want to listen. There are FM channels like Radio City, Big FM, Red FM, Radio One, Radio Mirchi, Fever FM, AIR (All India Radio) and much more which operates in English, Hindi and several other local & regional languages.

    One needs to adjust the tuning and set frequency to listen to your favorite FM music station. You need a Radio to tune in with the desired frequency, as radio acts as an intermediary for matching with the frequencies. In market we have two best FM Radio products from world renowned brands

    1. The Sony ICF-C218 is a space saving radio with appealing design and has ability to choose your own snooze time instead of being held captive by the short time intervals of other snooze times.
    2. This is an alarm cum FM with two bands reception, analogue tuner, and a single alarm.
    3. This device will help you wake on time and plan your day ahead, thanks to its excellent alarm clock functions and built-in calendar; this will surely keep you updated with everything.
    4. This Sony dream machine features easy visible 0.9 inch green LCD screen, it has good battery backup and clear FM frequency.
    5. One will also appreciate other convenient functions of this Sonys dream machine, like automatic daylight savings & automatic time setting.

    The other is the Mitashi AF004 which is also an alarm cum FM radio. It has a lighted digital display, unique contemporary design and a high sensitivity FM scanner. You get good quality & clarity sound to listen The FM Radio also has earphones; this mesmerizing piece is also very unique and compact so very easy to carry. All I can say is, its a genuine partner for entertainment while travelling.

    From entertainment point of view both of these FM Radios can tune in with several FM channels for maximum entertainment at good quality & clarified sound.

  • Easy Guitar Lesson – The True Secrets

    Everybody who has continually heard of song earlier has dreamt of someday performing an instrument on their own. The guitar is perhaps the largely all the rage instrument which folks wish to be taught. The guitar is used to participate in a broad variety of song for the reason that of its wonderful sound and its amazing tunes versatility. It can moreover remain single of the majority sought after musical instruments. All it will take to ascertain are a small number of resources of easy guitar lessons and the passion to practice thoroughly.

    Not everybody has the occasion or else money to exhaust on the traditional way to discover this instrument by departing to a music tutor and undergoing normal lessons. You can uncover a batch of resources for easy guitar lesson obtainable on the internet. They might be alive read within the convenience of your residence and theyre a lot cheaper than standard instruction. Getting the appropriate one can remain a little tricky since youll uncover hundreds and perhaps thousands of this instruction accessible.

    • There are exactly hundreds of informations on the internet which will help to teach you.
    • On a quantity of the greatest ways of practicing, and places to get a hold easy guitar lesson.
    • The internet society is a tremendous source intended for dig up a great amount of complimentary lesson.
    • So why not take benefit and get a hold on your own various lessons on learning how to use the guitar.

    What is so overwhelming on the subject of learning to use the guitar is that you merely truly to need to fully understand three or four chords at the start to set out to perform a quantity of your favorite songs. A percentage of the songs which I have printed were formed using no more than three to four chords.

    The hardest part of studying how to perform the guitar is most likely at the start. You might learn the chords to be alive little difficult to control and your fingers will be in pain from holding down the strings. You be supposed to be able to learn your harmonize and render the chords much more controllable if you provide it a tiny bit of moment and exercise. Your fingers will as well acquire the basic robustness and dexterity necessary concerning guitar performing.

    I do strongly suggest with the purpose of you obtain a first-rate quality instruction to start your easy guitar lesson. If you possess associates that cooperate you can exercise with them and hone your abilities. Once you cooperate with your friends, it is a much more enjoyable moment.

  • Flamenco Style

    Originating in the Spanish region of Andalucia Flamenco dancing has been traced back to the 15th Century but the word Flamenco did not become associated with this art form until the 18th Century. The origins of the word ‘Flamenco‘ are unclear but many have associated it with Romany Gypsies who settled in Andalucia and mixed with the original Moor inhabitants of the region.

    The music of Southern Spain has had alot of influence from various cultures within Europe going onto form what we know we know as ‘Flamenco‘. Flamenco dancing began to emerge as a cultural and artisitc focal point of Spain in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

    Flamenco is typical of southern Spanish culture and there are a surprising number of elements such as a mixture of the toque, baile and cante, (guitar, dancer and song) thato together to form Flamenco this seemingly simple dance. From dresses to shoes, guitar, to singers to the type of dance many different factors need to work together to make the dance the powerful artistic masterpiece that it so often can be.

    • For many the costumes and whole outfit of the dancer will be what goes towards symbolising alot of the dance.
    • With the internet and popularity of this dance it is now possible that people can obtain their very own piece of spanish culture whether it be throught a guitar dress or shoes.
    • Added to this is the fact that these unique dresses and costumes have proved to be extremely popular items at fancy dress parties or indeed exhibitions on Spanish culture.
    • Shoes and dresses are particularly popular and these can be made to suit any individual preference or taste but they come at a price so be prepared to pay well over $100 to achieve the look that you want.

    Costumes and apparel that are worn are extremely varied and interesting with many types of pattern material and sequin available. Dresses like the shoes can be purchased ready made or tailored for that special touch. In recent times though the dance has been stripped back down to its roots as ‘Flamenco nueva‘ has begun to take hold. Flamenco nuevo is a much more traditional dance with songs and music being alot more simple but passionate. Outfits and costumes used by dancers have also been simplified with shoes and dresses worn by female dancers being alot more simple and plain whilst a male accompaniment may only wear a vest top.

    Despite the development spoken about within the last paragraph there is a still much of Spain and the world that embraces Flamenco with its extravagance as it has become a part of the dance that grew out of informal city ‘pena flamencas‘ into a dance witnessed on the world stage by millions. It is this growth in Flamenco that has triggered the demand for all items associated with the dance and art. Websites and online shops offer items such as clothes, shoes. guitars and music so that the individual can create their very own Flamenco experience.

  • Criticism In Music

    A criticism, or “critique” as it is also called, refers to any kind of oral or written opinion, whether negative or positive, communicated to a perfomer by an instructor, judge, mentor, other musician or even non-musician. It is an evaluation of a performance that is shared to the performer by the evaluator. It is sometimes also shared with the public, such as in media, where, in this case, it is more commonly known as a “review” . You, as a musician, can become adversely affected in your morale and possibly even discouraged if you do not know how to properly deal with it. Any art, including music, is so close to the persons very essence that any criticism about it can hit home like a ton of bricks, even devastating an individual, believe it or not.

    But criticism for the musician is inevitable. It comes with the territory of learning and performing music, from instructors, other musicians, admirers, fans, from all sorts of sectors. It is an inherent aspect of conservatories and music competetitions.

    Technically speaking, every person has the right to express his/her opinion on anything. Oftentimes, people feel the need to express their feelings regarding anything in the arts. You hear it a lot with film and music. These can come off as either complimentary or critical.

    If one receives a praiseful comment, such as how wonderful or moving their performance was, they should accept it, thank the originator and be genuinely proud that they could capture anothers heart with their aesthetic power. It is encouraging to hear such words, and rightfully so.

    1. However, ANY criticism or advice, either negative or even positive, from a non-professional (non-musician) should be entirely and utterly ignored.
    2. Regardless of whatever personal impact you created upon the listener, they are not the correct source for technical advice.
    3. Example: A pianist is performing a Bach piece and gets carried away with the dynamics (loudness and softness of various notes).
    4. After the performance, his friend, a non-musician whos dabbled in studying some music theory, praises him and advises him on how great the intensity on the dynamics was during the performance.
    5. The pianist makes the mistake of taking this as technical advice (instead of just differentiating between that and praise).
    6. He then enters a music competition where he performs the piece by getting carried away again on the dynamics.
    7. He promptly gets flunked and loses the competition because this piece he was performing, of the Baroque era, does not feature any sort of extremity in dynamics.

    When a musician receives professional criticism, however, it can oftentimes be contradictory. For instance, one authority may say how excellent ones pedaling is while another comments on how muddy it sounds. This can leave a musician with uncertainty and unnecessary confusion. A thing to realize is that profesional technical critiquing can sometimes be opinion-oriented. But, it can also very well be corrective. There is a way to deal with this.

    A musician always truly knows his or her own areas of weakness. These become more prominent and the individual becomes more tuned and aware of them as time and progress goes on. One should always be able to take such criticism without becoming introverted or feeling harmed. When one gets any such critiquing, the first thing to do is take it into consideration and evaluate it for themselves. If one feels that criticism was incorrect, then they have a right to evaluate that accordingly. A musician should always maintain his/her integrity. Though, at the same time, they should be open-minded and willing to learn more and become better and better. There is a fine line between not going the effect of poor criticism and being stubborn and never learning anything.

    Lastly, there are always those individuals in society who seek to squash and put down creative minds, whether out of jealousy, insanity or their own failures. This occurs in any of the arts. As a musician, NEVER allow anyone to do this to you, for their “criticism” is merely an effort to overtly and openly put you down, or to slowly and insidiously suppress you by sounding “helpful” . Disregard it and continue being creative and making music!

  • Beat Maker Software – 3 Great Ways To Use It

    Have you seen any of the latest beat maker software online? Its really cool and the stuff you can do with it is quite incredible. With very little music knowledge or background you can make some pretty interesting beats and even songs by simply using the software. You also dont need too much in terms of a computer and a basic PC or Mac will do just fine.
    Beat maker software can be used for a variety of things. Many people spend a fortune on buying beats and sounds that they could have made themselves – for free. Here are 3 cool ideas for how you can use the software.

    1. Background music

    Are you into making your own games? Computer games require a lot different sounds and music and if you have to buy it all you can quickly blow your budget. With the software you can make your own beats and really customize it to get what you really want – even if you are not very musical.

    2. Rap beats

    Are you into rapping and hip hop? Are you thinking of making your own songs? Most of the time the lack of a studio or the inability to play instruments tend to keep many of us from fulfilling our musical talents. With beat software you can make your own music and rap over it by using some basic recording and mixing software. Who knows, you could make the next smash hit on your own PC using some basic beats software.

    3. Video production

    Do you do a lot of video production? You probably need a lot of background music to animate your videos. You could buy sound clips but how much better would it be to make your own. One thing you dont have to worry about when making your own music is that all the copyrights belong to you and you dont have to pay for using sound clips in clients videos. This will help you spice up all the video clips you produce and it can set you apart from your competition.

    The real secret to making great beats using software is not so much the software itself but the libraries that come with it. Beats are made up from sampled sounds and unless you record your own samples you need to use predefined ones. Most music software packages link to huge online databases with a great variety and this is something that you need to keep in mind when looking for the ideal software package.

  • Dance Class: Making it Safe for Children

    A dance class should be safe for students particularly young children. Parents should ensure that the place their children go to a class that provides adequate training and amenities for them.

    Some parents may consider the location, time and price of the class but the most important factor to look into is the safety of the kid. They should make sure that the child is getting the right training without overexertion.

    Safety to children does not only mean safety in the studios physical features. It also means proper training methods which is suitable for the age of the child. This will help prevent unwanted injuries while dancing.

    The parent must see to it that the child gets proper supervision and adequate training that do not strain his or her young body. The teacher has to consider that the childs age pose some developmental limitations when it comes to physical exertion. He is, for instance, not capable of lifting his partner.

    1. To be able to determine if the class is safe, the parents should be able to watch the class.
    2. The students must be able to follow the teachers direction.
    3. If most students are struggling with the instruction, the dance classes might be too advanced for their skill level.
    4. This is an indication that the training might be too strenuous for the child.
    5. Another factor parents should look into is the number of accidents or injuries in the class.
    6. If the teacher fails to provide a comprehensive warm-up for the kids before the start of the lessons, this can result in injuries.
    7. If the child just experience temporary aches at the early stages of the lessons then that is understandable.

    But if the muscle pain does not go away then the routine could be too advanced for the child or they are not doing enough warm-up exercises. It is best if the parent asks the child if he or she experiences physical problems after the dance. This can prevent injuries from occurring or worsening them.

    The childrens bodies may be flexible but plunging into their routine immediately right after they get into class will not be beneficial to them in the long run. This practice can have harmful effects on the joint, tendon and muscles. Dance education should forego preliminary procedures.

    If there are acrobatic exercises to be executed in dance classes, it will best that the floor have cushions or mats. The cushion will be great for any tumbling, twisting or flipping moves in a dance. This can prevent the child from getting injured or strained.

    There are some lessons that require several years of training before a child can take part in it. If the school does not allow your child to join in some lessons then that means it is not age-appropriate for her or him. You should not insist on enrolling because forcing a child to study dance techniques beyond her age and experience can lead to physical problems later.

    Children below 6 years old should be allowed to experience several dancing classes. Older children who have enrolled in dancing classes and wish to quit should be allowed to do so. A child who is not interested in the class will most likely not learn anything. Forcing your child will not produce positive results. A dance class for children should be a fun, exciting and safe experience for the child.