Why You Should Sing - Sing A Song!

Best known from the Carpenter’s recording of the song, Joe Raposo’s composition “Sing” is about as close to perfection as you can get; and carries a useful message. Science has now caught up with Mr. Raposo; studies show that singing makes you more relaxed and improves mood. So why sing? And why sing out loud? There is no one right answer to this question. However, it seems almost everyone does have an answer to it. Sing Out Loud, Sing Out Strong Singing loudly requires you to take deep breaths, exercising your lungs and increasing their capacity. This in turn helps you to breathe better. For people who for one reason or another cannot take vigorous exercise, singing is a great thing. Sing of good things, not bad Singing lowers your stress level. Studies which have... Read more »

Find Tons of Free Piano Music Online

Sheet music can be expensive to purchase on a regular basis. If you want to expand your piano music library without spending a lot of money, download free sheet music from the Internet. A simple Internet search for “free sheet music,” “free piano music” and “piano music online″ opens up many avenues for you to explore. Consider even more variations and your website possibilities will overflow. Many sites offer total access to their piano music library. Others permit limited... Read more »

Are Gospel Chords Different Than Normal Chords?

Gospel music is full of history and soul. It comes from a rich tradition of folk songs and church hymns. Gospel stays alive by remaining relevant, taking various aspects of the musical culture of the day and bringing those aspects into the spiritual fold. In modern gospel, jazz has been introduced into traditional songs. This has sparked the musical term “gospel chords.” Gospel chords are extended chords, such as the 9th, 11th and 13th. Maybe you′re not familiar with these chords. If... Read more »

Learning Music For Absolute Beginners

Learning music as a beginner can be frustrating if you do not know where to start. There is no right or wrong way for a beginner to learn, but there are simple steps that can help anyone make learning music fun. First of all, you’ll need an instrument. If you have access to a piano, you have got a head start. The piano is the easiest instrument to begin learning, yet is also the most versatile. Its notes are set neatly in a row with nothing hidden. Because of this simple layout, the piano can be used to learn the basic principles of music. The piano has two sets of keys:... Read more »

Piano Tutorial - Are You Ready To Learn How To Play The Piano (Part 1)

In these times of the internet, it’s never been a better time to learn how to play the piano. Why is that? I hear you ask, because, information on virtually any subject you can think of is available, with a little research on the internet, and learning to play the piano, is no different than any other subject you might wish to learn. Do I need a piano? Obviously, if you want to learn to play the piano, then a piano keyboard of some sort is essential. While advanced piano playing would require a full size piano keyboard, normally eighty-eight notes. To start learning, all you would need is any type of keyboard, such as a Yamaha PSR keyboard, which have forty-nine and sixty-one note versions or an electric piano, which are available in seventy-six notes versions. You could even start learning with an accordion... Read more »

Playing Ceremonial Drums In Native Drumming Groups

Because I love southwest decorating, I recently added ceremonial drums as part of the rustic, southwest decor in my new home. I was so happy with the unique, rustic look that the Native American drums brought to my home, that I started researching and reading about the history and the significant role they play in tribal cultures. If you are like me, you have probably seen how important ceremonial drums are to the Native culture but do not know their importance in Native ceremonies or how exactly they are used. Every tribe is unique in how they use ceremonial drums but one similarity... Read more »

Playing Native American Flutes For A Unique Spiritual Journey

Native American flutes are extremely popular for use in ceremonies and rituals, or as home decor collection pieces. I have always enjoyed Native flute music for its pleasing sound quality and ability to bring a tranquil calm to the atmosphere where it is played. Hearing Native flutes always reminds me of my mother’s kitchen where she often had flute music playing to bring a peaceful calm to her home. The mesmerizing flute music revives the soul and brings about a calming affect on the spirit of all who hear it. If you look at the history of Indian instruments, you will realize that along... Read more »

What Is A Musical Staff And A Grand Staff

The staff is basically a set of five horizontal lines that appear vertically thus creating four spaces and on these lines and spaces as they are called, musical notes are written. The lower down the notes are written on the staff the lower the pitch and the higher up the higher the pitch. Of course, there a little bit more to it than that, so let’s go in to a bit more detail. The Staff The staff is a very generic term, and would be used in a musical environment such as a music teacher and pupil. A more accurate term would be musical staff. Of course even this to a non-musical person could mean a companies workforce or staff that sing every day (get it, staff that are musical). Just to confuse things even more... Read more »

Where to Send Music Demos

Are you a musician, singer, or in a band? Are you anxious to get your music heard, but just don′t know where to send music demos? Thousands of musicians, bands, and singers want to get noticed… but getting noticed in the competitive music industry can be rather frustrating to say the least! Therefore, knowing where to send music demos is an absolute must! Unfortunately, if you do a quick search online for “Where to send music demos,” you’ll find a few useless opinions and an endless list of dead ends! However, the facts remain: ~ Record companies are always looking for talent and will accept your demos! ~ Producers... Read more »

What in the World is Figured Bass in Music?

Even many musicians haven’t heard of figured bass. Also called basso continuo, a simple explanation of the term is a short way to note chords on a musical score. If you have never heard of it, it’s most likely because the method isn’t used today. However, it could be considered akin to, or a precursor of, a modern chord chart. Figured bass originated in the Baroque era of the17th and 18th century. Music has evolved over the centuries and still does today. The development of figured bass came in response to one of these early musical style evolutions. The Baroque... Read more »