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Guitar Tips, How-To, Music Industry

How to Master Finger Rolling

May 7, 2015 admin Leave a comment

One of the trickiest parts of playing the guitar is playing notes in the same fret but on different strings. As with most guitar issues, there are different ways to overcome this problem.

Most often people just practice hard to use a different finger for each note, but you could take the finger rolling approach to solving this problem as well. It is definitely worth trying out – if it’s not your thing, you can always learn something different.

Finger rolling is a great technique to learn. Image courtesy of simon_music, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.

Here are some exercises to help you master this finger rolling technique.

Practice, Then Practice Some More

First, you should get the hang of what finger rolling is all about before you move on to more demanding exercises. It’ll take some time, so just keep practicing until you nail the technique!

Start by playing the notes G and C on the 5^th fret. You’ll find the note G on 4^th string and the note C on the 3^rd string.

Position the tip of your finger on the note G, meaning on the 4^th string and 5^th fret. As you’ve played the note, roll your finger to note C, which is 3^rd string and 5^th fret.

While you roll part of the finger to note C, you’ll still keep your finger in contact with the 4^th string as well to mute it.

Play the note C, and roll your finger back to note G. Again, the bottom part of your finger needs to mute the 3^rd string now.

You can even practice the finger movement without the guitar. Place your fingertip on a flat surface and slowly flatten the finger. Try keeping the tip slightly in the air, while pressing down with the middle part of the finger.

It might sound complicated and it is – just stay patient. The most important, and the most difficult, part of the technique is the muting part, so pay a lot of attention to it.

Mix the notes and the frets a bit to add more depth to your finger rolling.

Add the Minor Pentatonic Scale

Once you’ve made the most of the above practice and developed your finger rolling a bit, you can enhance your technique by practicing with the minor pentatonic scale.

Of course, you don’t necessarily need to roll the notes, but the practice will give you more of a challenge.

Here’s one tab you can add to your practice routine. It uses the basic finger position in the A Minor Pentatonic:

———————————— |——————————————– |

———————————— |—————————–5——–8— |

———————–5——-7– |——–5——–7—-5——–7——— |

——5——7—5——-7——- |—5——–7—————————– |

–5—– 8————————- |——————————————– |

You can look at other scales as well and even play them in reverse order. The main thing is to find these note connections and practice them until you get a better hang of the finger rolling technique.

As mentioned above, finger rolling technique is a nice addition to your practice, but it isn’t the only method of dealing with these notes. Yet, it is still worth checking it out – it might feel a lot easier to master these notes with this technique.

Quite a big selection of songs use this technique and you’ll quickly discover them as your skills progress. For instance, the Spanish Romance, or Romanza, uses the rolling technique.

Just remember to practice a lot until you feel comfortable with the technique!

Music Industry

Good Spanish Songs to Relax To

May 4, 2015 admin Leave a comment

A good relaxing tune is often the only thing you need after a stressful day. Music has the great power to help us relax and feel just a bit better about the somewhat chaotic world around us.

When it comes to soothing music, nothing beats Spanish songs. They have the power to calm your nerves, while also giving you that upbeat feeling about the future. The rich variety of sounds in the songs creates an almost dream-like feeling that helps you get your mind away from your troubles.

Next time you are feeling stressed, try these Spanish songs to relax your mind and body.

El Noi De La Mare

This traditional Spanish song is actually a Catalan Christmas song. The song’s name translates to ‘The Child of the Mother’. It has the classic sound of Spanish guitars and the great Andrés Segovia popularised the tune around the world.

La Paloma

La Paloma is one of the most well known Spanish songs and a beautiful song to relax to. The famous Spanish composer, Sebastián Iradier, composed the song after his visit to Cuba in 1861. It isn’t any wonder then the song is especially popular in Cuba.

There’s also an English version to the song. The tune is called ‘No more’ and it’s been recorded by the likes of Dean Martin and Elvis, and the versions are worthy of a listen as well.

Romance Anónimo

The origins of this beautiful Spanish song are still debated, but it is thought to have been composed in the 19^th century. In fact, it is often more well known as simply ‘Romance’ as the anónimo (anonymous) part was later added to detail the fact that the origins of the song remain a mystery.

The song is a tricky one to master on the guitar, but very rewarding once you learn it. You can find the tabs online.

Duerme con Angelitos

This beautiful song is perfect way to relax. The song is by Musette and it has been featured on many relaxation CDs in the past. It isn’t any wonder, as the lovely balance of flutes and gentle guitars make it a great song to clear your mind.

Homenaje a Ruby

The Homenaje a Ruby, or Cathedral Bells, is another famous Spanish song that is often used in relaxation mixes. It is a beautiful composition by Ruben Romera and its unique sound mixes different elements without making the sound seem too complicated. If you’ve been in a noisy situation, this is a great way to calm down and feel a bit calmer.

Besame Mucho

One of the most well know Spanish songs Besame Mucho is also a great song to relax to, especially the instrumental version. This song takes you immediately to that special place where you can just forget about the stress and enjoy the rhythm.

Did you know that the Beatles also recorded a version of the song?

So next time you are feeling a little under the weather, create a song list from the above songs and just relax. All you need is a comfortable sofa to sit on with a hot cup of tea on one hand, and you’ll be transported to a magical land of smooth sounds and cooling breeze.

So relax and enjoy!

Guitar Tips, Music Industry

5 Tips for Practicing Guitar Scales

April 30, 2015 admin Leave a comment

One of the first things you need to get to grips with when learning to play guitar is scales. You’ll have to get your head around the minor scales, the major scales and so on.

If the thought of this makes you feel queasy, don’t worry! We’ll give you five simple tips to making the most of practicing scales.

Guitar scales will take some time to learn. Image courtesy of Michael Mooney, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.

Tip 1: Memorise the Scales

The first tip is a bit obvious one, but it’ll make rest of the learning process so much easier. You simply need to memorise the scales.

When you are memorising the guitar scales, start from the easier ones first. For example, the minor pentatonic scale is relatively easy to learn. Once you learn the most common scales, you can move onto the harder stuff.

Check out resources like GuitarCardio for practice options.

Tip 2: Play By Ascending and Descending

You can also practice your guitar scales by trying to play the different scales ascending and descending, i.e. up and down.

You could do this practice while usinga metronome. But it to a simple 4/4 beat and play the different scales first going up and then going down. Try to do this so that you don’t stop at all in the middle or when switching direction.

If you can do this for five times in a row, you’ve clearly mastered the specific scale!

Tip 3: Mix the Direction

It’s easy to get used to the ascending and descending cycles of the scale. That’s why you should occasionally mix it up by suddenly changing direction.

You don’t need to do it as fast as you do the up and down order, but keep upping the tempo as you progress.

For example, play three notes up from the first, go two notes down, go four notes up, go two down, go three up and so on. The key is to just occasionally change the direction.

Tip 4: Four Notes and Change

You can also use a pattern of playing four notes from the first note, going back to the second note and playing four notes from it, going to the third note of the scale and playing four notes and so on.

This way you mix your scale pattern, improve your finger technique and learn a bit more about rhythm as well.

Tip 5: Randomize the Order

Finally, you should start playing the notes of a specific scale in different order. If you have a friend, he/she could give you a different note to play and so on.

You could also go through the scale in your head and just skip a note every once in a while. It is OK to play the notes slowly at the start, as the most important part is just to keep playing the right note from the right scale.

The key is to make sure you play from a specific scale, but to play the notes in random order. If you don’t remember the scales well yet, don’t try the random order – mistakes will just confuse you.

Guitar scales will take some time to learn, but once you master them, the opportunities for song choices are endless!

Add the above tips to your guitar lessons and you’ll have more fun learning the scales.

Uncategorized

5 Cool Mexican Instruments

April 27, 2015 admin Leave a comment

Mexican music has provided us with hit songs like ‘La Bamba’ and ‘Besame Mucho’. And cool Mexican instruments are behind the unique Mexican sound of these songs. You might already be familiar with the Mexican guitar, or guitarrónMexicano, which mariachi bands use. But the country has produced many other famous instruments and here’s a look at five of the coolest.

1. Vihuela

Vihuela is very similar to lute, which is in fact the instrument vihuela is derived from. It is a small instrument with five strings to play. It is quite similar to the Mexican guitar, with the exception that it’s much more fretted along the neck. It also creates a much higher pitch when you are strumming it.

Below is a Youtube video of a vihuela song, composed all the way back in 1536.

2.ArpaJarocha

Mexican instruments have been influenced by other instruments and in the case of arpajarocha, the inspiration was the baroque harp. Just like the traditional harp, arpajarocha comes with 36 strings and you play the instrument standing up. Although arpajarocha is played while standing these days, it did start out as a small-seated instrument.

The harp was introduced to the region by the Spanish, but in Mexico the Veracruz people completely changed its sound. These days arpajarocha is used as a group instrument, played on most folk songs in the region.

Man playing arpajarocha. Image courtesy of Victor Pineda, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

3. Ocarina

This funny looking instrument is found in different styles all across the globe. One version of the ocarina is a stable part of the Mexican music scene. You can create fantastic, almost submarine-like sounds with the instrument, so it is definitely worth a check if you can get your hands on it.

Ocarina’s are over 12,000 years old and they were used by the Mesoamerican cultures in the region. People often shape them into all kinds of shapes and some ocarina’s can look like birds or totems.

Below is a famous Mexican song played with ocarina instrument.

4. Marimba

Marimba, like the arpajarocha, was born in the Veracruz region. It is very similar to xylophone, but the sound is quite distinctive. It was originally made from wooden bars with resonators, but modern marimbas are actually made from metal.

When you struck the bards, they make a lovely ringing sound, which is very popular in Mexican folk songs.

Six marimbas on stage. Image courtesy of bram, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

5.Cantaro

Cantaro is such a significant part of Mexican music. This percussion instrument is a key component of folk music in the region and the perfect example of human innovation. Below video shows how the amazing cantaro pots are made to achieve the unique sounds.

Cantaro is simplya clay pot , which is played by hitting the outer surface or mouth of the pot with the palm. This creates all kinds of different effects and sounds. Furthermore, if you add a bit of water inside, you can pitch the instrument and make all sorts of unique sounds!

Mexican instruments are a perfect example of human ingenuity and you can see how different early instruments have travelled from other cultures to add their own unique twists to the region’s music. As the above instruments have shown, there’s also much more to this region than guitar music. If you are a big music geek, then learning more about the Mexican instruments can be a fun thing to do.

Music Industry

10 Best Karaoke Songs

April 23, 2015 admin Leave a comment

Karaoke isn’t the sexiest past times we can think off and unfortunately, too many people think they sound like the next Mariah Carey when they get the microphone in hand after a few (too many!) drinks. Nevertheless, karaoke is a fun thing to do, especially if you pick a song you can actually manage!

So next time you are having a karaoke night with friends, impress them with the following ten sure-fire tunes you’ll rock!

1. Love Shack by B-52

Who could fail with this fantastic old classic that pairs a beautiful female voice with a talking dude? A perfect party song you can do even if your sense of rhythm isn’t the most well known among your friends.

2. Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus

If you are after something a bit more contemporary, then Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ is a great pick. The lyrics are fun, the tempo is slow enough and the tone is perfectly adaptable.

A karaoke song that doesn’t take itself too seriously!

3. 500 Miles by the Proclaimers

You can’t go wrong with the classic ‘500 Miles’, which in all honestly is more of a musical poem than a tough song for vocal acrobats. It’s also perfect for all moments from hen nights to breakup parties and it will definitely get the crowd going!

4. Like a Prayer by Madonna

Only the Queen of Pop can pull off a sexy song at the church, but you should definitely try to see if you can add a bit of that lust to your next karaoke night. ‘Like a Prayer’ is definitely one of those songs that we all know – whether we admit to it or not – so group singing will follow!

5.Hey Ya by Outkast

This upbeat tune is perfect pick for party nights. It’s something a bit different and you can always bury those occasional wrong notes under some ‘polaroid shaking’.

6. Buddy Holly by Weezer

‘Buddy Holly’ is a classic song too few people do on karaoke nights and you should definitely change this injustice. Sing it, even if only for the moment when you can make funny noises and go ‘oo-ee-oo’!

7.Bitch by Meredith Brooks

What is better for karaoke than a song that doesn’t care what you think? ‘Bitch’ is a good pick, as you’ll most likely know all the words by heart and the tune is slow enough to follow even if you don’t have a clue!

8. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

The classic American songs singing about the struggles of the blue-collar worker have that special karaoke spice to them. You simply cannot mess them up and they add a bit of longing feeling to your night.

This Springsteen song is definitely a hit you don’t want to skip.

9. Drop It Like It’s Hot by Snoop Dogg

Are you adventurous enough to try a bit of rap? Then go with this Snoop Dogg classic. Not only is it a hot tune to sing, it isn’t as fast as some rap songs – meaning you might just have a chance to get some of it right.

10.Killing Me Softly by the Fugees

Most ballads are tough to get right in karaoke unless you got the skills of Whitney Houston or Celine Dion. Although this Fugees classic is by no means an easy song to master, it is much safer choice if you want to slow down the tempo of the night.

Give the songs above a few practice sessions and impress your friends with some cool skills next time!