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Punk’s not dead! Sex Pistols play first-ever Russian gig

Jan 30, 2011 Rock Bands

One of the most outrageous and controversial rock bands of all times, the Sex Pistols, have played their first-ever gig in Russia. The group hit the road this year to mark the 30th anniversary of their landmark first album ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols’, and on Wednesday evening played in Moscow.

Tags: Dead, firstever, Pistols, Play, Punk's, russian

How to Play 13 Neil Young Songs (in 6 minutes)

Mar 31, 2010 Classic Rock

Just an excuse to play guitar (like I need one…) This Collings CW just gets better with age!

Tags: minutes, Neil, Play, Songs, YOUNG

Saxophone Blues Scales – if you Want to Play Blues, Rock, Jazz you Need to Start Here

Mar 15, 2010 Classic Rock

If you’re a saxophonist interested in playing any type of blues based music including rock and roll and even jazz then you need to use the blues scale as your number one tool to make things sound right.

A little history

If you want to investigate back to the beginnings of the blues as it came about in America just start with W.C. Handy, who was a black composer active in the early 1900’s when the blues form began to get popularized in large part because of his instrumental compositions “Memphis Blues” (1912) and “St. Louis Blues” (1914). Of coarse the blues oral tradition can be traced back to the mid 1800’s.

The blues scale

Because our western music has it’s roots in European classical music the music theorists needed to notate the blues scale as it was naturally played and sung into an understandable notation which could be analyzed and played by western trained musicians.

The simplest way to explain it’s theory is this:

Simply take the traditional major scale; C D E F G A B C and flatten the 3rd, 5th, and 7th. Now it looks like this: C D Eb E F Gb G A Bb C.

(Please look at the example on my website for the full musical notation). Notice the E, G, and B have been flattened, they are the 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the C major scale and flattening them makes the scale sound minor thus giving it the “blues” or sad sound as opposed to the “major” or happy sound.

For us sax players these flat notes are perfect to incorporate a “growl” sound to further emphasize that “bluesy” expression or make it a bit more nasty. Two other things to notice; the 3rd and 5th can be played as a flat or not but the 7th generally is only played as a flat and not the major 7th in this type of scale or musical genre. (for some audio examples please refer to the website version of this article).

So now our basic major scale of 8 notes is now a blues scale of 10 notes. There are other variations to this blues scale; the basic version for example is a 7 note scale: C Eb F F# G Bb C (the F# being the same as the Gb). Adding the D, E natural and A give us more musical possibilities and will not change the basic sound of the blues scale. Even adding a flat 9th ( D flat) was a favorite thing Charlie Parker did a lot and is a good way to jazz up your phrases.

The blues progression

Of coarse this is all just words and notes and theory. You have to apply it and in any blues music this is done over a musical progression thats 12 measures in length, thus the term “12 bar blues”.

We’re in the key of C so the first 4 bars will be the C chord. The 5th and 6th bars change to the 4 chord which is F (4th note in the C scale).

The 7th and 8th bars change back to the 1 chord (C). The 9th and 10th bars change to the 5 chord, which is G. The 11th and 12th bars change back to the 1 chord (C). There are variations in this 12 bar pattern and can be seen on the website version of this article.

When starting out you can get away with just playing the same C blues scale over the entire progression but try to emphasize 1 or 2 of the notes in the F and G chord to make things a little more interesting. For example, over the F chord play an F or an A note to emphasize the harmonic color of the chord a little more.

In conclusion

The blues mean different things to many people ranging from musical styles to a way of life or philosophy. The blues do have musical influences from Europe and Africa but it is truly an American musical form and tradition fully rooted in the black experience of the post-war southern United States.

I want to be clear that when I talk about the blues or the blues scale I’m not only referring to this type of musical tradition and style but include funk, R&B, country, jazz and pop. Like the old saying goes; The blues had a baby and they names it rock & roll and from there came just about every form of pop music in western history since that explosive time in the mid 1900’s

And so, I think it’s safe to say that the blues scale is easily one of the most used and important scales for all types of western popular music.

Tags: Blues, Here, Jazz, Need, Play, Rock, Saxophone, Scales, start, Want

Classical Guitar Lessons – Discover A Great Method In Learning How To Play The Instrument

Mar 5, 2010 Classic Rock

Classical music has been around for several hundred years, much longer than rock, country, or jazz music. Some of the greatest musicians of all-time: Beethoven, Mozart, and Handel composed masterpieces that millions of people have long enjoyed. Are you the individual who wants to learn how to play an instrument like the guitar? Is your favorite type of music in the classical playing style? You should definitely consider taking classical guitar lessons as there is a great method in which you can study the instrument.

Because of the continued advancement in technology regarding the Internet, you should consider learning how to play classical guitar online. There are many good programs available that teach you how to play the guitar, in general. If you want to learn the style and technique required in playing classical guitar, there are still excellent programs that are available on the Internet. However, it would be up to you to do the research. Compare and contrast online programs to find the suitable program that offers instruction in the classical playing style. You would also be wise to read the reviews of students who have already participated in these courses. Any quality online program will display the endorsements of people who have invested money into the instruction being offered.

Classical guitar obviously is quite different from rock, country, or jazz when it comes to both the technique and style required to play the instrument. Not every teacher is able to play or even understand classical music. You should also take it as fact that every instructor would not be able to teach that style of guitar playing as well. If you are serious in wanting to learn how to play in the classical style, it is why you need to do your research first.

There are online programs that have teachers who specialize in this style of guitar. You would want to learn from the best mentor available; not some instructor who specializes in the styles of Jimi Hendrix or B.B. King. Hendrix and King are considered two of the all-time greatest guitarists of their particular genres. Unfortunately, neither musician made his mark in classical musical. You would not want to learn classical guitar from a teacher who clearly knows absolutely nothing about the technique or style of playing.

The great thing about online instruction is that you can learn from the comfort of your own home. A quality program that features classical lessons on guitar would enable you to either download the instruction right to your computer; or provide you with the ability to purchase DVD’s monthly, and at a reasonable price. You would have the ability to go through the lessons at a convenient time. You would also have the option of repeating the lessons as often as necessary until you master the particular skill and technique being taught.

Are you aware that the former great centerfielder for the N.Y. Yankees, Bernie Williams is an accomplished musician? For years Bernie has studied classical guitar, even during his athletic career. Last year, he released his first solo album to much critical acclaim. I have heard Bernie demonstrate his guitar playing talents on television. As a person who has a Masters’ Degree in music as I do, I found it easy to see that Bernie is an excellent classical guitar player. As with any skill, Bernie stated that while he had always loved classical music, he knew that only through dedicated practicing was he able to become as good as he is on the instrument. Practicing is something that you would seriously need to do if you want to excel on any instrument. I wish you nothing but the best of luck in pursuing your dream.

If participating in classical guitar lessons has been something that you always wanted to do, you have many options now through the Internet. In finding an excellent online program, you would need to first do your due diligence through research. If you are very serious, there is much more information available at this site: http://theplayguitarlessons.info.

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It is advisable to assume that any mention of a product or service on this website is made because there exists, unless otherwise stated, a material connection between the product or service owners and this website. Should you make a purchase of a product or service described here the owner of this website may be compensated.

Tags: Classical, Discover, Great, Guitar, Instrument, Learning, Lessons, Method, Play

Beatles Rock Band Value – Music Fans Love To Play Beatles Rock Band Value

Apr 20, 2007 Rock Bands

Do you have interest in music or you want to sing songs? Whether you love to play guitar or want to sing songs you will need a music game for entertainment purposes. Beatles Rock Band Value is designed and developed for music lovers so that they can enjoy and have fun in their free time. This famous music video game Beatles Rock Band Value is developed by Harmonix music systems and is released by MTV with the collaboration of Electronic Arts. This video game is designed for PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii video gaming consoles.

Player will enjoy simulating music while playing Beatles Rock Band Value game. There are different types of controllers and musical tools used in this video game which will enable players to play rock music. There are almost forty five songs in this video game and these songs attract player to play more and more irrespective of time factor. Beatles Rock Band Value is a great musical video game to enjoy and have fun. Among these forty five sound tracks most of the songs are by famous European rock group known as The Beatles. You will enjoy singing different type of rock songs and interacting with different members of this band. You can also download more songs if you think that these are not enough for you while playing game.

The player can use different tools while playing Beatles Rock Band Value Some of these musical tools are microphones, drum and its controller, bass guitar and lead guitar. What else you will need when joining a band or in a musical party?  This musical video game allows up to six players to play music in order to enjoy and fascinate. Sound quality of Beatles Rock Band Value is awesome and you will enjoy listening songs and rock music as it is the best resource for music lovers.