About Music Blog

Gospel music basically has its origins in the African American slaves who brought their African musical traditions to America and fused these traditions with the old Christian hymns. Several of these techniques, including the blue note and syncopation make gospel music around world distinct from other kinds of music around today. Gospel songs that arose from the African American fusion of Christian hymns and African musical tradition began to achieve more exposure in the 1920s with the emergence of churches known as Sanctified or Holiness churches. Traveling preachers brought these kinds of music along with them wherever they went. Among the most popular was Thomas Dorsey who was most responsible for popularizing gospel music in the 30s.

These days, gospel music around world is still reaching out and the spreading to Christian denominations. The original gospel music developed by African Americans has evolved as they have been spread to other parts of the world.

There are many types of gospel music around world that arose from the original gospel genre. These are urban contemporary gospel, gospel blues, southerner gospel, progressive southern gospel, Christian country music, bluegrass, and Celtic.

Urban Contemporary gospel is the subgenre of gospel music that is most identified with the black heritage of gospel music and is still marketed today as black gospel. Blues is a form of gospel singing with a blues influence and a lot of guitar, while southern gospel is characterized by the all male quartet and with songs that talk about the hardships in life and how God helps people overcome these hardships. Progressive Southern gospel music is an offshoot of Southern gospel.

Christian Country music is the subgenre of gospel music that does not have its origins in the African American culture but is a major component of gospel music nonetheless. Christian country music has developed into a more mainstream and contemporary form of musical worship, although it has come under criticism for being too liberal and too main stream and losing the religious messages that gospel music was intended to spread. Bluegrass gospel is county Christian music more prevalent in the mountains of America. Celtic music is the kind of gospel music that thrives in such countries as Ireland. A popular proponent of Celtic gospel music is the Dublin Gospel choir.

Blurring the Lines Between Gospel and Contemporary Music

In most countries, there remains a distinction between church and religious music. With the popularity of Christian contemporary music, more and more artists are dabbling between the two, embracing both religious and secular forms of music. There are some subgenres of gospel music around world, however, that have remained steadfast in the overt quality of their worship in their music, very much unlike contemporary Christian music, which more often than not contained double entendres in its lyrics, which means that the song can be applied to both religious and secular contexts. Southern gospel songs in particular have remained overt in the Christian messages of its lyrics despite the infusion of bluegrass and jazz influences.

Author Bio: Are you looking for the best gospel music around world? Visit http://www.garyharbin.com/ for the best music, concerts, cd’s, books, and more!

Gospel music, which began during the 18th century, is probably one of the oldest and most popular music genres. This begs one to ask what makes gospel music so popular considering the religious topics it tackles. What makes gospel music so popular is beyond the obvious fact that the songs and melody are catchy and easy to remember, since most gospel hymns do bear these characteristics. Gospel music is a rare type of music because it unites concepts culled from seemingly different cultures and produces a far more powerful sound that can evoke reactions from its listeners.

Gospel music initially started out as the music of rural African Americans who were forcibly brought to American soil during the height of the slave trade. These enslaved African Americans were indoctrinated with the ways of the white Americans, especially in religion which stressed the importance of obeying and respecting their masters. Since most of the slaves were uneducated, they were taught using the technique of repetition which included the singing of church hymns. It wasn’t long before these African Americans started infusing their own native music into the church hymns and learning how to play Western instruments like the guitar and piano.

Part of the reason why gospel music became so popular with the slaves was because it was their way of uplifting themselves from their harsh living conditions. To this day, many people coming from different beliefs continue to be moved by the rousing and soulful performances by gospel singers and this is what makes gospel music so popular to its audience. Somehow these heartfelt performances manage to bypass the different religious beliefs of people and give them common ground. It’s not surprising since gospel songs typically feature lyrics that tackle overcoming adversities shared by everybody.

Another factor that contributes to the popularity of gospel music is the fact that many of the influential musicians of the 20th century, like Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles to name a few, grew up surrounded by gospel music and eventually incorporated it into their own brand of music. Ray Charles is known to use the popular call and response pattern of gospel songs in his own compositions. You’d be surprised to know that the Soul Stirrers, one of the leading gospel groups during the 50s and 60s, were inducted in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame for their contribution in shaping the rock and roll genre.

There was a time when it was gospel music that influenced other genres that emerged from African-American culture like jazz, blues and R&B. Today it can be said that jazz, blues and R&B strongly influence the modern day sound of gospel music. The Father of Black Gospel Music himself, Thomas A. Dorsey encountered initial criticism when he dared to infuse jazz and blues with traditional hymn practices, yet that is the style that prevails today. Gospel music allows for the creativity of its composer to seep through the music. What makes gospel music so popular is because it speaks to all ages and all generations.

Author Bio: Are you looking for what makes gospel music so popular? Visit http://www.garyharbin.com/ for the best music, concerts, cd’s, books, and more!

By Paul Palmer

One of the best ways to learn how to play easy pop songs on guitar is to simply make a list of some of your favourite songs that you think might be within your grasp, and then find out the chords. It really is as simple as that to get going.

The internet is an amazing tool and takes a lot of the hard work out of trying to figure out the chords. All you have to do is Google the song you’d like to play and see what comes up. You may already know all the chords, but if you don’t it’s no big deal. The whole point about learning an instrument is to improve. If there are some chords you’ve not come across before then have a go at learning them. If you’re a bit impatient and can’t quite get the hang of them, just move onto the next song on your list. You can always come back to the tricky ones later. I often find that things that seem difficult the first time you try them, somehow seem easier the next day. It’s almost as if your hand and brain take in the new shapes overnight and the next time you try it, things seem a lot easier.

You’ll be surprised at how easy many songs are. There are plenty out there that have only 3 chords. Sweet Home Alabama is an obvious one (D, C and G all the way through). Lou Reed apparently once said “One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you’re into jazz.” Now that may not be completely accurate but you can go a long way with just a few choice chords under your belt. Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ has 5 chords, but they’re all easy to play as open chords without the need to use barre chords. (C, D, Am, G, with a bit of Em in the middle)

If you can master most of the basic open chords (C, D, A, G, F) and their minor versions, you’ll be in a good position to get going. After that you can explore 7ths, minor 7ths etc. Barre chords are a bit tricky when you first start but once you’ve built up some strength in your hand they will become easier. What’s more, they’ll open up a whole new world of chords to you and allow you to play pretty much any song you can think of. There are so many easy pop songs to play on guitar that you should be able to build up quite a repertoire in no time at all.

Once you get going, the next step is to play along with your chosen song. This can either be the original version of the song or one of the many ‘learn to play’ videos out there on the internet. If you chose easy pop songs to play on guitar you will also develop your ear the more songs you learn. After a while you’ll find that you can work out the chords yourself as you begin to recognise familiar chord sequences that are used over and over again in countless songs.

Good luck and whatever you do, keep going. It does get easier!

I’ve got news for you! Learning easy pop songs to play on guitar is much easier than it used to be thanks to the internet. I’ve found a great way to fast-track the process and have a lot of fun at the same time. It’s a really good way to learn and also to get a feel for playing with other musicians. Check this out now PLAYGUITARSONGS.BIZ

It may seem like a simple thing to do, but it ends up being one of the most common over sites of a new home producer. Where should you put the mic?

Well… before we dig into that we need to settle on a few things. Mic placement can affect a lot of things when you record and you need to decide what it is you want to do first. There is also the simple fact that when working at home we don’t have all the special walls, and fancy gear they use in pro studios, so we are forced to use our heads, and imagination.

Where you are recording plays a big part in where you stick the microphone. What kind of space do you have? Big room? Small room? Problems with noises from outside? Do you have an audio interface? A USB or traditional Mixer board? What you have to work with makes a world of difference.

Let’s start with isolation. When you are recording, the person playing, or singing will need to hear the backing track, a drumer might want to use a metronome (the piano time clicker). The question is how can they listen to it without having it bleed over into the mic?

If you have a mixer board, or a better quality audio-interface you can usually just plug a pair of headphones into an output port to listen to the mixing track combined with what you are playing/singing. If that is not an option you can use two computers. One to play the backing track, and another to record with. If that is also not an option you can try isolating the mic from the backing track.

If that isn’t an option you can get a cheap audio interface that you can plug amped instruments and mics into and record directly into the computer. I think things sound too digital when done this way, but you might be happy with the results. The next option is to isolate the mic from the backing track as well as you can. If you have an amped instrument, or a small enough PA, sticking the recording mic and the amp/PA in a closet with a bunch of blankets padding the door will usually work. Putting them in a hallway away from you is another possibility.

If all else fails and you simply have no way of separating the mic from the backing track completely, all you can do is watch the volume levels on the backing track and try to keep the mic pointed in the other direction. Hanging up blankets and other “baffles” is about the best you can do to kill the bleed over. I have had some success with taping cardboard boxes that have been bent into an accordion shape to the walls, and blankets hung over a clothing line. It isn’t a 100% solution, but if that’s all you’ve got, that’s what you use.

For best results you want to use a regular mic and a mixer or audio interface for recording, and an amp/pa for playing/singing into. This old school way of recording helps get rid of that “too clean” feeling of purely digital recording. For things like guitars, and singing, stick the mic around a foot away from the amp. Use a Dynamic mic, the Shure SM57 is the industry standard and only costs about $100.

For recording woodwinds, brass, and strings you want to set the mic up close to where the instrument amplifies from. Most String instruments have electric versions these days, but if you don’t have one of those, set the mic about a foot away from the body of the instrument, you will need to play around till you get a nice consistent result. For woodwinds, and brass, set the mic a foot or so right in front of where the sound comes out.

There are a lot of variables to consider when recording. The important thing to worry about is getting a nice clean recording, using what you have and/or what you can afford. Don’t worry so much about what you don’t have to use, just do what you can with what you have, and even the worst set up can produce some great results. In my opinion there is no greater learning experience for a new producer than having to work with crap gear. When you are able to afford the better stuff everything just keeps getting easier.

Author Bio: I have been working with music production in the home environ for nearly 4 years. If you would like to read some more Music Production Tips Please Use the Link:

The truth is the selection procedure of the best guitar solos ever is a highly individual thing, which of course will be different from person to person. Nonetheless, this is my take on it and all carried out with the maximum admiration for any guitar solos which i have missed, or didn’t consider for my top 5 list. So let’s begin:

5. Although the track was not necessarily my kind of music, this excellent guitar solo gained legendary status. The band was the Carpenters, the power ballad was Goodbye To Love, and the guitarist was Tony Peluso. This specific solo was unbelievably melodic and developed brilliantly. Peluso utilised a Gibson 335 with humbucking pickups and created a superb ‘distorted sound’ during the entire solo.

4. At number 4 we’ve got the astonishing Dave Gilmore’s dazzling solo on the Pink Floyd track Comfortably Numb. This solo was traditional Gilmore in that it was melodic, tuneful and superbly woven together. This solo possessed Gilmore’s hallmark Stratocaster sound with echo and reverb all over it. All in all a brilliant piece of guitar playing.

3. How could I have a best 5 guitar solos list but without the inclusion of Jimi Hendrix somewhere. Not every single Hendrix song was my bag but Little Wing demonstrated Hendrix at his most effective – the solo is a thing of beauty. Hendrix’s guitar playing along with the sound was so much his own that he managed to get a typically Hendrix tone no matter whether he utilised a Gibson guitar with humbucking pickups, or his regular Strat with single coil pickups.

2. Well I guess this solo needed to be somewhere on the list and for me it is number two. The tune is Stairway To Heaven and the guitarist is Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. This was among those great solos that built and built, with exactly the required quantity of improvisation around the original melody. This might be just about the most renowned guitar solo out of them all. It was however, not performed on Page’s famous Gibson Les Paul Standard but on a Fender telecaster. When delivering this track in concert Page always made use of his Gibson SG double neck, making it possible for him to cover the 12 string and the six string portions of this song live on stage.

1. Well it was very difficult to make a decision between Page’s Stairway To Heaven and the Eagles’ Hotel California, nevertheless the solo on Hotel California slightly tips it in my opinion. In truth, this really is slightly unfair as there’s more than one guitarist performing this, but it is nonetheless an absolute lesson in the way to developa guitar solo. Joe Walsh and Don Felder rebound off of each other superbly as this solo builds. It’s virtually as if whatever one can do the other one does better, but the truth is they interact with each other in perfect harmony and their two styles and guitar sounds blend faultlessly. That undeniably vintage Les Paul Sound with just the right quantity of drive is all over that particular guitar solo, complete class.

So there you have my very best five solos. Exactly Where may you ask is Lynryd Skynyrd’s Free Bird, or what about Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton or Brian May? Like I said, this is a personalised thing and if I did the list in 14 days time it may well be very different. All good fun though.

There have been countless great guitarists throughout time that have made the Fender Stratocaster their guitar of choice. A few like Eric Clapton actually defected from a hallowed 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard to play a Strat.

The Stratocaster has been utilised in every kind of music imaginable, from funk to rock. So who are the best guitarists to utilise the single coil pickup tones of the Strat? Well naturally this is an extremely personal thing as precisely what tickles one musicians fancy, may well not another. Nonetheless, for a bit of fun I have put together a list of my personal top 5 Stratocaster users from throughout the years:

5. Coming in at 5 in my list is the excellent Rory Gallagher, the gritty Irish player with the most pummelled Strat you’ve ever witnessed. Rory was loved by many for his straight forward organic, bluesy rock. He was superb as a live performer and was an extremely down to earth kind of guy.

4. At number 4 on my list is Stevie Ray Vaughan. Renowned for his amazing blues playing along with his classic Strat tones, Stevie Ray had a huge group of fans who loved every riff he performed. I was fortunate enough to see him play live at a little London gig in Shepherds Bush and he was fantastic. He put each and every ounce of energy into his performance and blew everyone away with his melodic blues playing. He got the kind of blues sounds from his Strat pickups that could drive a guitarist green with envy.

3. At 3 we’ve got Dave Gilmour of the titanic supergroup Pink Floyd. Those who have witnessed the classy, melodic playing of this man on tracks like ‘Comfortably Numb’ will know why he deserves a top five placing. Not only has his guitar playing inspired an era but he seems to be a remarkably modest and decent person.

2. How can I possibly not include Jimi Hendrix. The innovator and showman who in my opinion made the Strat much more famous compared to any other guitarist. It’s easy for those who don’t know his playing to label him as a wild, crazy, loud player – just allow them to sit and listen to ‘Little Wing’ to grasp that there is a whole lot more to this guy’s guitar playing.

1. Well, my number 1 choice of Stratocaster guitar player may surprise some but it is the amazing Jeff Beck. Beck seems to evolve and improve like no other player. He dares to venture into areas of music that most other players prefer to avoid, deciding on the safer territory of rock or blues. He is melodic beyond belief and plays the Strat like it’s an extension of| his body. His incredible use of the tremolo bar is always for the benefit of the music, by no means for the sake of gimmick or showmanship. Jeff Beck plays notes on the fretboard that other guitarists might not even think about. He pushes the boundaries and uses his Strat to assist him in doing it.

So there you have it. No Clapton, no Hank Marvin and no Mark Knopfler. Well, as I explained, you’ll have to forgive me as it’s a very personalised thing.

In between the clef sign and the time signature is what we call the key signature.  In this area, you may find some flats and sharps.  What’s interesting about this is that the sharps and flats will always appear in the same order.  We refer to this as the order of flats and sharps.

If you have them memorized, then getting started playing will be an absolute breeze. The two main types of keys we play in are the sharp keys and the flat keys. Let’s take a look at each one to discover how we can read these a lot faster and easier.

The Order of Sharps

As we’ve already mentioned, the sharps listed in the key signature will always appear in the same exact order. This is referred to as the order of sharps: F#-C#-G#-D#-A#-E#-B#.

There’s an easy way to remember this by using this quick trick: Fat-Cats-Go-Down-Alleys-Eating-Birds.

Here’s another interesting observation. Along with appearing in the same order, these sharps will also be found in the same exact line or space every time. This is true for both treble clef and bass clef.

For example, the F# will always be listed on the top line in treble clef, the C# appears on the second space in bass clef, the G# is found sitting above the treble clef staff, and the D# is placed on the fourth line of the treble clef staff.

The Order of Flats

This is just as easy to memorize as the order of sharps. The flats will always appear in this order: Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Cb-Fb. A great way to remember this is by using this saying, “B-E-A-D-Go-Catch-Fish”.

Do you notice something else unique about these letters? The order of flats is the same as the order of sharps, but written backwards! If you have trouble memorizing both of these orders, just pick one to remember and then write it out again backwards to reveal the other order. That’s a nifty little trick!

It’s also true that each flat will appear on the same exact line or space every time, just like the sharps. The Bb will always be on the third line in treble clef, the Eb in the third space for bass clef, and Ab in the second space for treble clef.

So, why do the flats and sharps appear in the same order every time? This is to help you know what to play at a quick glance before you even get started. The order of flats and sharps are standardized across the world. This means no matter where go, you will be able to read them in the same exact way.

Have you ever noticed a little box-kite-looking symbol in your music and wondered what they were? What you are seeing is probably a natural sign. The purpose of this little symbol is to cancel a flat or sharp.

Natural signs are used in two ways:

1. To cancel a previous sharp or flat in the same measure.

2. To cancel a sharp or flat in the key signature.

For example, if you see a Bb written in your music, the very next B with a natural sign in front of it (within the same measure) is played like a regular B.

Now, if you have a Bb in the key signature and a B natural written in the music, you would also play the B as a regular B.

A different way of thinking about this is that it is signaling you to play the note in its natural state. This means you would play it as a regular note found in the musical alphabet: A-B-C-D-E-F-G.

The white keys represent the natural notes on the piano. This will never be found on the black keys, because they are mainly used for sharps and flats.

The natural symbol will always appear on the left side of the note when you read music on the staff. However, when writing about music, it follows after the letter name. We write about it exactly like how we would talk about it saying “F natural”.

Are these symbols also thought of as altered notes? Yes is the answer to that question. If there is an Ab in the key signature and an A natural written in the music, this is thought of as an altered note. That note is being changed temporarily to something else.

To be honest, the best way to think about reading natural notes is to pretend there isn’t any symbol written there at all. Just play the written note as it naturally appears.

Don’t let that little natural sign bother you too much. It really isn’t as difficult to read and play as you might think. Just keep your eyes reading ahead in your music and remember that a natural cancels a sharp or a flat. This will be just as easy to read as any other kind of note in no time at all.

Music makes the people come together, the line of the song goes. That is the reason why most parents want their child learn true music by enrolling them to a music class. Before deciding to to enroll your child in a music lesson or musical training, you must first answer this question “Is my child ready for music lesson? Parents must know if their child is interested in playing instrument, remember not to force your child.

Inorder to know if your child is interested is through observation. Read the signs, watch for typical signals that demonstrate a lack of interest. Remember the general rule, children who truly enjoy playing an instrument will probably practice on their own. No matter what potential your child have, forcing them will help you run the risk of them not only losing interest for any endeavors, but if they perceive the lessons as a chore, rather than a fun activity, it may also make them resentful of you for pushing too hard. Probably, the most important thing to remeber here is ask the child whether he/she likes to learn how to play an instrument. Talking to your child is a wise step to make. If you child is not interested, let them know that it is okay. Another is make sure that it is not a teacher type of music or difficulty of the instrument will cause frustration to them.

Music Lessons?

If you and your child already have decided to enroll in a music lesson, it is necessary to get price estimates. Compare prices for music lessons, consider factors and do not be afraid to call the business listed to check the location and what privileges they can offer for your child.

Regarding the instrument your child will use in his/her lessons, have a canvass first and assess your budget. If you cannot afford to buy a new one, you can check out pawn shops, second hand stores and classified advertisements for quality used instruments. Some other great places to visit are thrift stores, used music shops, garage sales, bulletin boards, antique stores, rent-all shops, bazaars, or even your relatives’ attics. Consider renting especially if your child is young or has a tendency to change his/her mind frequently about current activities. Narrow options down to several instruments in order to allow your child to choose if they are interested on following the idea.

If you want to make sure that you child is in good hands, you can check sites on the internet that offers music lesson. Find those reliable one that would not waste your money. One more thing, continue to encourage your child to express, who knows, you may be cheerign the next Bethoven. Then again, maybe not.

Online violin lessons that really do teach you how to play. If you’ve been thinking “Teach me how to play the violin, ” then the answers you need are here.

By Jim Bruce

If you have a passion for learning to play blues guitar, then doing a search for blues guitar lessons on good old Youtube will give you a ton of free online lessons to start you off learning acoustic blues. For the majority guitar students learning how to play the guitar, watching a video can be almost as good as a live teacher. Some people even prefer following online videos instead of taking a class because blues guitar lessons on YouTube are available twenty four a day, 7 days a week, so you watch a lessons any time that’s convenient.

If you search Google to learn how to play blues guitar, you’ll find that many people have uploaded tuition videos on sites like YouTube. While watching videos will assist in helping you learn basic principles, it’s best not to rely completely on them. This is because following various videos by different guitarists can get confusing, particularly for a beginner wanting to learn techniques used when playing blues guitar. The bonus of taking guitar tuition by watching videos is that it is much cheaper when you compare the cost to a private guitar teacher. As watching videos on YouTube is free, it’s a no-brainer if you’re a beginner to begin by watching videos there.

To make things easier to take on board, look for basic tutorials with a slow pace and instructions. This will make it easier to learn the detailed techniques and observe close ups shots of the correct left and right hand placement on the guitar, and in this way you’ll get a better feel for the tuition. Viewing authentic blues guitar on YouTube will help you learn the real picking techniques used by legendary blues guitarists in a quick and efficient manner. A lot of people have learned tricks and picking patterns through these online lessons.

If you search online to learn how to play blues guitar, you’ll find that many people have uploaded video lessons on sites similar to YouTube. While watching videos will help you take on board techniques, you shouldn’t rely exclusively on this method. This is because watching various videos by different people can be confusing, especially if you are a beginner wanting to learn techniques used when playing blues guitar. A huge bonus of learning to play guitar by watching video lessons is that it is a lot cheaper when comparing the cost to a private music teacher. As watching Youtube videos is free, it’s no contest if you’re a beginner to start learning by watching videos there.

To make learning the blues easier to assimilate, check out for basic tutorials with a slow pace and instructions. This will make it more comfortable to learn important basic techniques and observe close up clips of the correct hand placement on the guitar, and in this way you’ll get a better feel for the tuition. Watching authentic blues guitar on YouTube will help you learn the real tricks used by classic blues guitarists in a quick and efficient manner. A lot of people have learned tricks and techniques through these online lessons, and you can be one of them.

In order for you to get started learning how to play the blues on guitar, you could start off by learning and constantly repeating blues riffs and essential chord progressions. Once you get a hang for those 2 things, and are comfortable with your hand movements, you’ll be better placed to understand the various kinds of blues music together with with the different ways in which it’s played. It’s usually best to being by learning the simple chords and scales, before progress slowly to advanced levels.

When looking for blues guitar videos on YouTube, it’s important to make sure that the videos cover certain topics and be of excellent quality. The most popular video lessons use close ups showing both hands, in order to avoid confusion about what strings and frets are used. The videos also needs to include a verbal explanation, slow-motion demonstrations and full speed demonstrations.

As a student guitarist beginning to learn the acoustic blues, just grab your guitar, head on over to YouTube and look up blues guitar tuition. Let the video lessons show you the basics of learning to play blues guitar. If you combine these lesson videos with your desire to master and practice blues guitar, it’s only a matter of time before you’re playing the music you love.

Jim Bruce is a working blues man making a living playing and teaching in Europe. His acoustic blues guitar lessons are fast becoming the standard to reach for acoustic blues guitar picking.

Main website: http://www.play-blues-guitar.eu/
Youtube Video – blues guitar