How to Find and Download Your Favorite Music

With all of the latest technology of downloading songs to burn  onto CD’s, iPod’s, and more, the simple thought of music video downloads often passes peoples minds anymore. With burning songs onto CD’s, and listening to songs on your iPod, you’re only retaining the audio portion of music and completely overlooking the visual aspect of music.Sure you can tune into MTV and VH1 and all of the other music channels. However, anymore there are more TV and reality shows on the music channels then there are actual music videos. With music video downloads on your personal computer, you can download a video of your favorite artist or favorite song in a
matter of minutes depending on your internet connection speed.Once downloaded you can save it to a file or if you download from one site, most contain a library in which all of your favorite music videos will be saved to. 

In this day and age nothing is legally free, so one might ask themselves how much it will cost to actually watch music videos? 

Is it really worth it to pay for music videos when you can watch them on TV? Depending on the site you download from, it is very much worth it to pay the low cost and have a much larger selection than on TV and be able to watch them whenever you want. There are millions of sites that offer music video downloads for
free,Other sites such as music.yahoo.com allow you to view one music video, kind of like a teaser to see the quality of video. After viewing the video if you attempt to watch another one,

it takes you to the sign in page where you can either log-in if already a member, or you can learn the prices and register to get unlimited access to millions of videos. At music.yahoo.com they offer a deal where you can get unlimited downloads of music videos and music in general to save to your computer for just $4.99/ With a membership to this site
you receive unlimited access to billions of songs, no software is required to download, and you can burn unlimited songs as well. With this site you also are not limited to just music video downloads, but you are also capable of downloading mp3s, movies, TV and Radio shows, and much more. Now that you have knowledge of how to download music videos and why to download music videos, get out there and begin building up a large library videos for a low cost.

Guitarists are you a victim and a loser

I was thinking today about THE most dangerous enemy of musical progress…the  victim mentality. What do I mean by this?

Often we can let our personal circumstances dictate our progress. For example, someone may let their guitar practice slide because they were really busy at work. This person may start making excuses such as "I didn't have time". This is victim mentality. It is believing that your musical progress is only possible when external circumstances allow it.

What they are really saying to themselves is that their musical dreams and goals are  not as important as paying a few lousy bills.They are letting their boss's goals get in the way of their own.

Now…I can't point fingers at anyone. I've been guilty of having a victim mentality  plenty of times! Especially when it comes to things like going to the gym :)But I don't have a victim mentality when it comes to guitar practice. There is virtually nothing that I will allow to get in the way of my musical progress.

So…how can you stop yourself from becoming a victim and a loser…

• Stop making excuses. I can guarantee that for every excuse you can make there is someone out there who has overcome that obstacle. Don't allow yourself to make  excuses. They are the death of your musical dreams.  

 

• Watch your language. For example, rather than saying "I couldn't find the time" say "I am acting like a complete and absolute loser and if I continue acting like this I will NEVER achieve my musical goals". Because that statement is pretty painful to say, you'll soon stop making excuses! 

 

• Think of solutions. For excuses that you normally make, think of ways of overcoming those obstacles. For example, if you are constantly using your work as a reason why you can't practice, ask yourself questions like…

         "How can I get paid more but work less hours?".

         "How can I get paid while I sleep?".

         "How can I stay home all day and practice?".

If you ask enough questions like this on a daily basis, you'll find a solution eventually.  

 

• Think of your "Why". These are the reasons why you want to achieve your musical goals. If your why is strong enough, You will NEVER want to stop practicing for any reason.

 

• Think of your role models. Use your role models to motivate and inspire you tokeep on practicing.Every time you start to make an excuse, ask yourself "Would make this excuse?" For example, one of my favourite guitarists is Steve Vai. I could NEVER imagine making him excuses for not practicing!

To finish off here's a quote that you may want to memorize...

"You can either become a great guitarist, or you can make excuses, but you can't do both". 

Guide to DVD Audio

DVD Audio is a music format that is designed to offer improved audio performance over CD. The new audio format can be used to provide listeners with Advanced Resolution stereo and/or multi-channel (up to a maximum of six channels) music. In order to play back DVD Audio discs, players have to be specially designed to support the format. So far, consumer electronics manufacturers have announced a range of DVD Audio players, including home decks, portable players and devies for cars.DVD Audio has a sampling rate of up to 192kHz compared to a maximum of 44.1kHz for CD. It also supports resolutions of up to 24 bits, compared to 16bits on CD. The idea behind DVD Audio is that it alllows peoducesr to give listeners a playback experience that is much more faithful to the original master recording that has been possible previously. DVD Audio discs have a much higher capacity than CDs. This extra space can be used to provide audio at the highest possible quality or for longer recordings, or to provide additional material, such as infromation on the artist, photos and even video, all of which can be displaye don a television screen. Alternatively, DVD Audio discs currently on the market from the likes of the Warner group of labels have the audio content in both DVD Audio format and as Dolby Digital surround so that they can be played back on regular DVD players.

DVD Audio discs are navigable in the same way as DVD Video when polayed back on a player connected to a TV set. Users can select the required track from an on-screen menu and with an internet connection, can click on links to go to websites. 

These dual format discs are a good way to kick-start the market while DVD Audio players are still relativley rare. The market will also be helped by combined DVD Video and Audio players

Download Mp3 Music Safely

DON'T Download JUNK! Make sure your download mp3 music is a quality mp3 and that your music download doesn't have hidden downloads that will not only ruin your search for great music but will annoy you and invade your privacy.

Here are the four hidden downloads most free music sites install on your computer when you download mp3‘s. 

1. Spyware is almost always contained in mp3 freeware and shareware downloads. The spyware gathers information and monitors the activities you perform, unbeknown to you.  
2. Adware is also contained in these mp3 download networks. Your computer can and probably will be stuffed with a huge amount of intrusive advertising.  
3. Pornography is very prevalent on the Internet. Be very aware that porn peddlers disguise their software as the latest free mp3 download or game demo to redirect your modem to porn sites.  
4. Spoofing is when download mp3 networks are filled with fake files. For example, if you download what you think is a popular mp3 song, you will get the same ten seconds of the song over and over again.  

So in your hunt to download mp3 ‘s and create your own library of music, be selective of which music download site you use. There are many to choose from but few that offer privacy protection, online service, tech help, spyware-free and adware-free downloads, as well as a large library of quality mp3’s.Things have come a long way with regards of how we listen to our favorite music. It's as easy as a push of a button with digital music.

Knowing where to start, how you want to listen to your music and what you want to do with it, is the first step. When you download mp3 files from online music services, you need to know what they allow you to do. Some songs are just for listening to, some can be downloaded, and some can be burned to a CD or a portable music player.A few owners of certain artists publishing rights will not grant the license rights, which means some mp3's are not available for downloading.The majority of the time, you'll find what you're looking for because the larger download MP3 subscription music web sites have access to the catalog of the Five Big Labels – Sony, Warner, Universal, EMI, and BMG, which account for about 80% of recorded music. So now that you have the facts on how to download mp3 ‘s, do some research for quality music download sites, take advantage of any Free Trials, download lot’s of music, turn up the volume and don’t forget to Sing Along! 

Do you like music of 80s ?

Many people out there are nuts about 80's music. The sad reality of loving the music of the 1980's is that line-ups change, bands disband or the traditional press ignores their new output. That's what we're here to fix. Wondering what the latest news is on your favorite music artists? 

Here are the number one songs from 1981:
01/31/81 "The Tide Is High" - Blondie (1 week)
Even though it only spent one week at the top of the chart, this was Blondie's longest lasting single, staying on the charts for 26 weeks.  



02/07/81 "Celebration" - Kool And The Gang (2 weeks)
From 1973 to 1987 the band had a string of hits. This was their only number one, although 1983's "Joanna" and 1985's "Cherish" both made it to number two.


02/21/81 "9 To 5" - Dolly Parton (2 weeks)
Her first number one song, from the movie of the same name, in which she also starred.  


02/28/81 "I Love A Rainy Night" - Eddie Rabbitt (2 weeks)
Back to back country artists had number one hits in February of 1981. This was Rabbitt's only number one along with three other songs that made the top 10.


03/21/81 "Keep On Loving You" - REO Speedwagon (1 week)
Their first song to hit the Top 40 chart, and the first of two number ones for the quintet from Champaign, Illinois that was named after a type of fire truck.


03/28/81 "Rapture" - Blondie (2 weeks)
The 4th and final number one song Blondie had in the '80s, and their second of 1981. 


04/11/81 "Kiss On My List" - Hall and Oates (3 weeks)
The first number one of the '80s for the duo from Philadelphia. They previously hit the top of the charts with 1977's "Sara Smile," and would have several hits throughout the '80s.


05/02/81 "Morning Train (Nine To Five)" - Sheena Easton (2 weeks)
The sexy Scot's first single went all the way to number one and would be her only chart topper. She did have 6 other top 10 hits in the '80.


05/16/81 "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes (9 weeks)
The number two song of 1981 was written by the legendary Jackie DeShannon. Carnes was a former member of the New Christy Minstrels in the late '60s. Her only other top 10 song was 1980'duet with Kenny Rogers, "Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer.


06/20/81 "Medley" - Stars On 45 (1 week)
This novelty song had Dutch session singers redo classic songs from the '60s. They released three other Medley singles, but none even cracked the Top 40. 


07/25/81 "The One That You Love" - Air Supply (1 week)
The only number one song for the Australian balladeers. They had seven consecutive top 5 singles from 1980 to 1982. 


08/01/81 "Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield (2 weeks)
1981 was a great year for Australians, with 3 different artists reaching number one. Springfield played Dr. Noah Drake on the hit soap opera General Hospital in the early '80s. This would be his only number one song, but he also had 4 other singles hit the top 10. 


08/15/81 "Endless Love" - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9 weeks)
The title song for the movie starring Brooke Shields became a wedding staple and was Ross' final number one. It was Richie's first. 


10/17/81 "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)- Christopher Cross (3 weeks)
The second movie theme in a row to top the charts in '81, it was Cross' second and final number one.  


11/07/81 "Private Eyes" - Hall and Oates (2 weeks)
Another one of their 6 number one singles. 


11/21/81 "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John (10 weeks)
The number one song of the year, and the song spending the most weeks at number one in the decade of the '80s. In addition to 10 weeks at number one, it spent a total of 21 weeks in the Top 40.  

Music in the Digital Age

Digital technologies have had a monumental impact on music culture and the music industry. Indeed, the advances made over the last 10 years are perhaps the most revolutionary of any since the advent of recorded sound more than a century ago. The primary change is the fact that, for the first time in history, music can be produced, distributed and consumed all on the same platform – the personal computer. Within the digital universe comprised of PCs, the Internet, mobile phones, MP3 players, CD burners and other related technologies, music has become almost completely free and unfettered, a species of pure information that can be audited, edited and redistributed with the click of a button. This fact challenges nearly all of the assumptions previously held about music as a creative community, a commercial product or a system of institutions.

The digital music revolution has had a profound effect on the way music as an art form is conceived and created. All musical expression is comprised of a unique sequence of fundamental sound elements, much as a sentence is a unique sequence of words. Typically, the sound elements define the limits of musical expression, while the sequence is the locus of innovation. For the last four hundred years, nearly all music in Western society has been based on a set of elements called the tempered chromatic scale – the notes described by the keys on a piano. Until recent decades, every song in every style – from Bach's fugues to Miles Davis' extended improvisations – relied upon new reconfigurations of this now-ancient musical lexicon.

Today, the musical lexicon has broadened far beyond the limits of the piano keyboard to encompass the universe of recorded sound. Audio samples have augmented and replaced musical notes as the new building blocks for composition and improvisation, astoundingly expanding music's aesthetic horizons. To be sure, this advancement preceded digital technology by a few decades. Academic musicians like John Cage and Alvin Lucier, as well as pioneering dub reggae and hip-hop producers such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, used analog recording technology to paint sound pictures with samples. However, until the advent of digital music, these were fairly arcane practices, requiring a degree of interest and expertise beyond the scope of more traditional instruments.

Today the tools of audio sequencing and remixing are as accessible as the keys of a piano or the strings of a guitar. With minimal effort, any PC owner can use free and intuitive software to make new music entirely from pieces of other music and sound. This fact has changed the shape and practices of the creative community. As we argued earlier, there always has been a significant gray area between the opposing roles of producer and consumer. However, the limitations of pre-digital music technology reinforced this distinction, defining producers as those with the instruments and recording studios, and consumers as those with discs in their hands and electronic devices with which to listen to them. The digital age has brought about a collision of production and consumption technologies and the liberation of music from physical products. These developments have in turn enabled a consequent collision between the roles of producer and consumer, and the liberation of the musical community from the strictures of these roles.

We don't mean to suggest that digital technologies have returned us magically to a pre-feudal communitarian state in which everyone was a musician. Clearly this is not the case. On the whole, the changes have been more subtle. For many music fans, digital technology simply means greater access to a larger library of music, and more control over how to listen to it. However, the power of digital technologies enables "creative consumption," in which consumers apply aesthetic skill and discretion to such activities as constructing the perfect playlist or recommending music to other fans.

For many musicians, digital technology paves the way to improve the sound of their traditional instruments in the recording studio and to lower the cost of the recording process. And for everyone involved in music, the bottom line is the same – digital technology allows more people to have more access to more music, and more power over it. In other words, it has created a vaster, exponentially richer music commons.

These changes also represent a challenge to the traditional ways in which the music industry has conducted business. When recorded music was attached to physical objects like CDs and cassettes, it possessed two qualities that economists refer to as rivalry (meaning only one person or group can use one resource at a time) and extendability (meaning that a person or group can be prevented from accessing a resource). According to standard economic theory, resources that are both rival and excludable fall under the category of "private goods," best treated as property and exploited through the market system. However, when music was decoupled from physical delivery mechanisms, it ceased to be either rival or excludable, re categorizing it as a "public good." Public goods notoriously are difficult to profit from via traditional market practices; rather, they tend to be managed by governmental or non-profit entities.It is easy to understand how the traditional music economy suddenly has been rendered obsolete. The best strategy the music industry can follow if it hopes to continue profiting from the distribution of music somehow is to tie its newly non-rival, non-excludable goods to other rival and excludable goods or services. This is no doubt the rationale behind the music industry's well-advised recent support for new distribution models like online music subscriptions and its increased enthusiasm for licensing popular songs to video games and other entertainment product categories.

The industry's loss of physical control over the distribution and use of music has had other significant effects as well. One major development is a renewed focus on intellectual property as a blunt but powerful instrument of legal control, which has reached its most visible – and possibly the most absurd – in the prosecution of music consumers who share files over the Internet. At the time of this writing, nearly 7,000 individuals have been targeted by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for participating in peer-to-peer communities, one of the most prominent manifestations of the new digital music commons. Ironically, as intellectual property has played an increasingly central role in the music industry's control apparatus, copyright law also has become increasingly difficult to apply to music. Remember that copyright only protects the expression of ideas, rather than the ideas themselves. As Vaidhyanathan argues, the digitization and networking of music undermines this central "idea/expression dichotomy,raising questions about what protections legitimately can be enforced.There also has been an erosion of the concept of a copyrighted "work." Copyright originally was conceived as a way to protect entire compositions or scores. Even with the advent of the sound recording copyright in 1972, the law commonly was applied to complete songs or albums. With the rise of sampling as a compositional technique in recent decades, the American legal system has struggled to maintain a clear sense of where public goods end and distinctive property begins.

Two recent court decisions demonstrate the lack of resolution of these issues. In September 2004, a federal appeals court judge ruled that a song by N.W.A.

How can it be that the two-second sample violates copyright while the six-second sample does not? Theoretically, the distinction exists because one case is based on the sound recording copyright, while the other is based on the composition copyright. But does it make any sense for a fragment of a recording to constitute infringement, while a fragment of a composition does not? This inconsistency perfectly demonstrates the difficulty (perhaps the impossibility) of applying laws based on an analog universe to the new digital reality. As scholars such as Vaidhyanathan and Lawrence Lessig have argued, this ambiguity actually may work to the benefit of the music industry and to the detriment of musical culture. The threat to traditional business practices provides a convenient rationale for corporations that thrive on intellectual property protections to push for ever tighter controls over the use of creative material – essentially shrinking the size and scope of the commons......

Music Industry History

The history of the music industry is, arguably, one of increasing institutional control, narrowing access to the means of production and distribution, and a widening gap between music's social origins and its commercial role.In early traditional societies that lacked the capacity to turn music into a static object, either through the printed score or through recording technologies, music was synonymous with live performance. This living music was, by and large, integrated into the fabric of life and shared among the community in a way people in our society scarcely can understand. As Attali writes of music in the Middle Ages, "The circulation of music was neither elitist nor monopolistic of creativity … music in daily life was inseparable from lived time, in which it was active and not something to be watched."33 Similarly, music historian Eileen Southern writes that "for every activity in the life of the individual or the community there was an appropriate music; it was an integral part of life from the hour of birth to beyond the grave" in West Africa during the slave trade years of the 17th through the 19th centuries.34 

Despite the vital role music played for members of traditional society, there was often what amounted to a class of professional musicians – composed of individuals assuming inherited positions – whose job was to serve not only as entertainers but also as traveling cultural historians, news distributors and political propagandists. The griots of West Africa, jongleurs and troubadours of Western Europe and bards of Ireland all fit this description. These professional musicians became more and more estranged from society, however, as centralized political and religious powers arose and put a stop to their itinerancy. In Europe during the 16th century, Attali writes, "musicians became professionals bound to a single master." The feudal courts "banished the jongleurs, the voice of the people, and no longer listened to anything but scored music performed by salaried musicians."35 This officially sanctioned professionalization was the beginning of a long process by which powerful interests gradually would remove music from the public sphere and control its distribution for religious purposes or political or financial gain.

The next major development along these lines was the creation of the printing press, and with it, the idea of copyright. This concept has been a double-edged sword for musicians and musical culture since its inception. Although it provided an opportunity for composers to achieve both cultural renown and financial compensation for their work, it also is evident that "in the beginning, the purpose of copyright was not to defend artists' rights but rather to serve as a tool of capitalism in its fight against feudalism.

"36 In other words, the benefit accruing to musicians was incidental to the primary aim of establishing a financial system based on the control of creative expression. Media scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan reminds us this set-up is still very much in place since "copyright issues are now more about large corporations limiting access to and use of their products, and less about lonely songwriters snapping their pencil tips under the glare of bare bulbs."37 As we will discuss, this function of copyright is especially problematic when it comes into conflict with the mechanism at the heart of any creative community, namely the free flow of ideas.With the development of the printed score, music became a commodity that could be bartered for cash, akin to food or clothing. This commodification was 

 reflected in performed music as well, with the 

development of concert halls and ticket sales. Music was removed from its function at the heart of everyday life and placed on a shelf, or behind a proscenium, where only those who were willing and able to pay could access it. Meanwhile, the music of the streets atrophied, as new musical traditions rooted in professional expertise and requiring the use of expensive equipment overwhelmed the old aesthetics.With the advent of sound recording at the end of the 19th century and radio broadcasting at the beginning of the 20th century, the encapsulation of music within a capitalist framework was completed. A new class of organizations, such as record labels and radio networks, emerged to monopolize the channels of distribution between musical performers and their audiences, now two separate social categories. New and more elaborate conceptions of intellectual property emerged to protect the interests of these organizations, and new financial structures based on the economies of mass production emerged to support them.

These developments affected people's relationship to music. One effect of the emerging mass market music economy was that the cost of manufacturing products was eclipsed by the cost of manufacturing demand.38 Today, the majority of expenditures by record labels are related to marketing and promotion, rather than production and distribution. Music sellers now spend billions of dollars each year attempting to persuade customers to purchase something they used to manufacture freely for themselves and for one another. Ironically, music becomes even more peripheral through this process, as songs essentially are sales jingles advertising the discs on which they are recorded. Similarly, live performances primarily have become showcases for recorded music, an inversion of their original relationship.39
This situation reflects another, larger inversion at the center of musical culture today. If the music industry originally developed as an ancillary to musical community, today the community serves as an ancillary to the industry.

Legal Music Online

Free, Legal Music Online

 

Almost everyone has heard about the massive crack down on Internet music piracy that has been occurring over the past few years. Napster was taken down (although it has now returned as a pay service), other file sharing programs now require users to pay for a license and the 'riaa' and other similar organizations are doing their best to hunt down copyright offenders and put an end to their crime sprees. The consumers on the other hand argue that their actions hurt nobody, that there is no damage done to anyone by their not purchaseing an album. Furthermore, they claim, MP3s allow them to sample a CD before purchasing it, thus actually helping sales.I'm not here to argue the pros and cons. Basically it's not worth it, as neither side of the argument will ever see the opposition's point of view. What I'd like to do is take a look at the completely free and legal alternative to 'stealing' music. Those wonderfully talented musicians who are willing to put their creations online to download for free, solely for the joy of spreading their creations to the masses.Free music is surprisingly easy to come by, even music by famous bands. Sometimes it needs to be 'streamed' from the Internet, meaning that you can only listen to a song while you're online, but with the ever-growing popularity of broadband Internet this is really no longer a problem. Sites such as MP3.com and purevolume.com provide free music by almost any band you can think of, although there is a large amount of it that has to be streamed and not downloaded. A search for 'free legal MP3 downloads' will reveal a huge number of pages to visit.

For something specific, try visiting the artist's website, or the site of their record label. These will often offer a few sample tracks to download for free. It's not quite as convenient as having access to every song that you want, but it's not a bad alternative.But how about we forget about the mainstream for just a while and move towards the alternative? Towards the hopefuls, the talented bands that have yet been 'noticed'. There are a huge number of these smaller bands out there that are sticking their stuff online for any and all to listen to, just so that they can be heard. These can be easier to find, because most MP3 sites will be filled with these smaller acts The great thing about smaller bands is that you can often find bands that come from your local area and then go and see them play live. Being able to see a favourite band live more than once a year (or lifetime) without expending huge amounts of money and time is pretty cool. Many music search engines will let you search for bands of a particular genre in a particular area, which makes it all quite easy.A fairly major contributor to the online music scene is the remixer. These people take other tunes and redo them, usually in a techno style because one person can do this competently.I hope this has given you something to think about. It's not hard to come across illegal MP3 rips, in fact it's often hard to avoid them, but if you give the free music scene a look you may find something completely different and new that will really do it for you. With web hosts already being penalized hugely for illegal content being stored on their servers (having an entire server taken down because of one inconsiderate user is damaging and irritating beyond belief) and moves being made to charge ISPs for the content being accessed by their users, it makes more sense than ever to get out there and grab yourself an awesomely original and completely legal music collection. 

How To Mic An Electric Guitar

With modern music (especially pop/rock music) production demands are greater than ever. The average listener expects the recording quality of your music to be the equivalent of those amazing productions you often hear on the radio. Since this discussion could take weeks and weeks and page after page, I've decided to narrow the focus of this guide to recording the electric guitar. With any recording, getting the source right is 99% of the ballgame. This means that a great singer with great tone will sound good through pretty much any microphone. This means that a great sounding violinist with a great sounding violin in a great sounding room will sound this way through any functional microphone. Granted, some microphones will impart their character onto the source (for better or worse), but with any operating microphone a great musician will still sound great. So with the guitar (and anything else you intend to record), it's important to get the instrument doing exactly what you want before you even bother putting a mic in front of it. You should walk around the room the amp is setup in to hear exactly what is going on. You might find sweet spots in the room. You may try actually moving the amp in a few different places in the room. In my first recording room (which happened to be very small and very unideal for recordings), I noticed that moving an amp just a few inches had a dramatic effect on the low end coming out of the amplifier. I later learned that this was quite normal for small rooms with no acoustic treatment. (Just a side note, if you are planning on doing treatments for your room, skip the foam stuff. It probably won't help. In many instances, So exeriment greatly with the amp before you get serious about microphones. In fact, I recommend that you mess with the tone quite a bit just to see. You could always settle for the tone already on the amp, or you could push the highs up too high to see where they end up. You could pull the highs down too far to see where the tone ends up. Eventually, you'll find a middle ground that keeps your perspective out of the way. The type of guitar you use makes a big difference on how the amp will sound. This is no secret. However, many people get in a rush when recording and think that adding some sort of effect or plugin on the computer will get them what they are looking for. If you find that you are not happy with a given guitar, maybe you should try plugging in a different guitar just to see. Try doing something off the wall or downright wrong. You'd be amazed at what kind of recordings you could get with a Telecaster through a Mesa Boogie Rectifier. I've heard success stories of acoustic guitars running through cranked Rectifiers.When you have a tone that you are pretty confident about, it's time to pull out the mics. There are a few methods to trying out mics. You could slap every mic you own on the amp to see it it's happening for you. The problem with this approach is mic placement. Did you take the time with each mic to make sure you found the best sounding spot on the amp? You could do this with each mic, but the spot that just sings for each microphone will probably be in a different spot for each mic. I tihnk your time could be spent better. If you are just starting out and have no idea what mic would be best for a given job, start with an SM 57. They are cheap and everyone has one. If you don't have at least one, get one used off of Ebay or something. In the meantime, grab whatever dynamic you have and give it a try. There are a number of SM 57 clones that are essentially the same microphone. Even if they are not the same mic, try them. You never know. 

One trick to help choose the best spot to place the mic I read in a forum years ago. It said to unplug the instrument cable from the guitar amp, crank the amp up to very high levels, and put the SM 57 (or whatever mic you are using) in front of the speaker. Next, run the mic through some loud heaphones with good isolation. Then, with the headphones on, start moving the mic in front of the speaker. You will be amazed at what you are hearing. You will hear all sorts of changes in the tone simply from moving the mic around. The users of the forum recommended putting the mic on the brightest spot. I have not had much luck with putting a mic exactly at the brigthest spot because it can get a little bit too fizzy at times, but feel free to try it and see what works. The brightest spot may be perfect with a darker sounding amp. My favorite trick when recording guitar amps is to use two different microphones on one speaker. You have to be aware of phase cancellation. However, when you get the mics in phase, you will have much more control off your recordings. I find that what I'm looking for when mixing is much different when I'm tracking. Sometimes I wish I could go back and change something on a tone. One rememedy for this is recording the two mics from one speaker to two seperate tracks that will allow you to blend them differently to create different tones on the recording. 

I start out by placing one SM 57 on the cone. This means I put the mic in the dead center of the speaker. This sound is almost always fizzy and thin. With very few exceptions, I've found it to be a crappy guitar sound. As crazy as it may sound, that's exactly what we want. We want a track in the mix that is bright, thin crap that we can use as much or as little as we feel the mood for. The second mic should sound the opposite. We want it to be big, meaty, and full of chunky low end. This mic ends up in different places with every amp that I use, but most of the time it can be found 2"-3" from the first mic in any direction. Sometimes angling the mic towards the edge of the speaker helps, too. This mic should sound a little dull by itself. Now record both mics and see what you get. Listen to each mic by itself first. Then listen to both of them together. Assuming you like the sound that each mic makes (Remember, you want one to be too bright and the other to be too dull) you will experience one of three things.

 

1) The sound will be extremely thin sounding as if you rolled off all the low end with a parametric equalizer. This means the mics are almost totally out of phase. The solution is to push the phase button on your preamp or mixing software. This is what you want. You want the combined sound of the mics to be so thin that it isn't usable. Then when you push the phase button on one track, the tone comes to life. This is what I always go for.

2) The sound will be big and full. This sound almost means good things. If you push the phase button, it should sound like what you may have experienced in #1. If the tone totally dissapears and all you can hear is some fizz, you've got the tone down. Push the phase button back to your big guitars again. 

3) The sound is weird. You are not sure what it sounds like. It's not bad, but it's not right either. Pushing the phase button only changes the tone in the mids and does not have make a big impact on the low end. In this case, some other frequency is out of phase and the low end is in tact. You need to use your ears on this one. I usually don't like to leave the mics like this. I go for #1 or #2. However, many great engineers use phase cancellation as a way of eq'ing the amps. This is highly advanced engineering, and not for the faint of heart However, if you stumble on a sound that you really like, by all means, go with it.

How Has Eminem Risen to the Top?

How is it that a little white boy from Kansas City has become the most well known rapper in the world? Starting from nothing and eventually moving up to a multi-millionaire, Eminem over the past seven years has been in the eye of the public everywhere you look. He has essentially entered a black man’s business and
gone to the top over the course of a few years, but how?

On October 17, 1972 Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in St. Joseph, MO by his 15 year old mother Debbie. Six months later his father was gone and this began the struggle for Marshall and his mother; one that was just the beginning. Throughout the course of his childhood Marshall and his mother moved numerous
times into different houses from Kansas City to Detroit. The maximum time spent in one house was only 3 months, which caused Marshall to attend many different schools making it difficult to cope to the different surroundings and make friends. Every new school he attended he was bullied as he was the new kid. This was something that he could not change as he was never stationed in one school for a long period of time. At the age of 12 he and his mother finally settled in a house in Detroit. He would later use the bullying to his advantage fueling him to get back at all his bullies through songs. By the age of 4 Marshall was already beginning to rap and put words together rhyming them. At school he was rather successful considering the circumstances, but it was lunchtime that he enjoyed as he often battled schoolmates through freestyles. At the age of 14 Marshall began to get serious about rapping and felt that he had a shot in the business. When he got to the ninth grade he failed it three times before eventually dropping out as he felt school was not for him. When he turned 17 he came up with the name M&M for himself by combining the first letters of his first and last name, which later was changed to Eminem. Now that he didn’t have school as a distraction, he focused solely on rapping with the goal of making it to the top. He faced constant struggle on the way to stardom as he was continuously rejected by most rappers because of his race, despite his true talent. This grew anger inside of  him that he uses in his music today. Knowing that it wasn’t going to be easy and that he would have to work, Marshall forced himself onto radio shows and freestyle battles to prove everybody wrong. He eventually got a first album titled “Infinite”, but it only sold 1,000 copies. It wasn’t until 1997 that Marshall would make a name for himself. In 1997 he was married with a child trying to support his family with very little cash to do it with. He went to the Rap Olympics in Los Angeles hoping to win the cash prize of $1,500 for first place, but instead was spotted by a few sponsors from Interscope. Furious that he had come in second, he later found out about the sponsors and he gave them a copy of the “Infinite” tape, which was later sent to Dr. Dre. Dre was extremely impressed with the talent of Eminem and got contact of him, where the two recorded his second album; The Slim Shady LP. This album set the tone for his style of rap, as he lashed out on everyone that had bullied him throughout his life. It was a different style than anyone had ever heard, which brought him to stardom. Eminem is by far the most popular rapper that is seen most in public. He has been seen in Rap Pages, vibe, Rolling Stone, Spin, The Source, urb and Stress and continues to strive for
more. He became the first white person to ever be on the cover of The Source. Throughout his life he has starred in the movie “8 Mile” based on his life growing up, has had over 20 guest appearances on TV, has featured on numerous different rappers CD’s, and has recorded 5 CD’s of his own. His second LP, “The
Marshall Mathers LP”, sold over 8 million records in the United States alone, 1.76 million copies in the first week setting a record for a solo artist. This album became the first rap album ever to be nominated for “Album of the Year” at the Grammies. He would go on to win 3 Grammies for the album that night. In the
year 2002 he made $29 million in earnings of his fourth album The Eminem Show LP” and touring for it. Then on March 23, 2003 the song “Lose Yourself” from his movie “8 Mile” became the first rap song to ever win an Academy Award.

While being known for his explicit behavior and horrendous lyrics on his albums and in the eye of the public, it is difficult to overlook all that he has achieved. Coming from where he did and rising to where he is currently, it is remarkable what he has done not only for himself, but the rap world as well. While it is hard for most to like him, there are not many that do not at least respect him for what he has achieved as of now, and what he may do in the future to come.

Do you Write a new Song ?

How Do You Write Songs?

There was an interesting post today on a message board that I go to. It was about a guy that just started a new band and he wanted to know if anyone could give him some songwriting tips. First off, there isn't a wrong way to write songs. But after you've done it for a while, you'll find out that some ways to go about it are easier than others.

This is how I do it.

1. Music and Melody Come First

I never fit a melody to pre-existing lyrics. It’s forced and it doesn’t sound good to me. When you write the words before the melody, you’re trying to force the melody to fit your lyrics. The result is it doesn’t sound natural. A lot of songwriters start with an idea. It's just easier for me to know what angle I'm coming from. Usually how it happens with me is the music comes first and the melody comes right after that.

Why do I write the melody first before my lyrics?

If I don't know how many notes are in the melody, how do I know how many syllables need to be in my lines? I don’t. If there’s 8 notes in the first part of the melody and 6 notes in the second part , you’ll have to have 8 syllables in the first line and 6 in the second. Let’s say you want to put 4 lines in each of your verses, You’ll have 8 syllables in the first and third lines and six in the second and fourth. Here’s an example: In the song "I want you to want me" the lead singer for Cheap Trick wrote a four line melody that had six notes in the first three lines and seven in the last line. He knew that there had to be six syllables in the first three lines and seven syllables in the fourth.

I Want You To Want Me

I want you to want me =six syllables

I need you to need me =six syllables

I’d love you to love me =six syllables

I’m begging’ you to beg me =seven syllables

2. Figure Out An Idea To Work From

Ideas are everywhere. You can write about what a friend of yours is going through. You can write about what you're going through. I keep a journal just for this and make daily installments. I write down everything that I can think of that happened that day. And after a few months of that, I'll go through the journal harvest my ideas. I treat my journal like the garden it is. Most every song I write comes directly from my journals.

3. Put the idea into one to two sentences

The best way to show you this is to give you an example. Keeping with "I Want You To Want Me", here’s the basic idea: 

"I want you to want me as bad as I want you."

You only want one idea for each song. If you have any more, your song is going to last too long. And you're listeners won't be able to keep up.Believe me, nobody but you will understand them. I know from very bad experience.

4. Write The Lyrics To Fit The Melody

Once you have the idea, you start to explain the idea in the verses with the number of syllables you have in the melody. The chorus is just the overall idea in a summed up fashion. That’s how I write songs. Music and melody come first. The idea comes after that. Write the idea in a statement form. And then, write the lyrics to fit the melody. 

How Do You Find Music..

How Do You Find Sheet Music Downloads Today?

Music is a piece of entertainment that is in society’s daily life consistently. It doesn’t matter whether it is Rock and Roll, Gospel and Christian music, or jazz, people listen to music for a variety of reasons. However, today there are more and more people learning to play instruments and create music pieces themselves as oppose to simply listening to music. On the internet you can find sheet music downloads for songs to sing and play with the piano, guitar, Christian music and more. When trying to find a certain song or certain kind of sheet
music over the internet, it can get frustrating. There are millions of sites to look, but in a way that can be discouraging having to look through millions of sites to find a couple songs. With this article I’ll lead you towards a few of the more popular sites that contain many songs, and attempt to help you in finding sheet music over the internet. To start, notationmachine is a site where you can find sheet music to over thousands of songs narrowed down to the decades. It also has it broken down into author and song title when you go through the specific decades. Through this site they also offer a membership that you can download certain software to help you find the thousands of different kinds of sheet music on the internet today from  classical to gospel to piano music. With downloading the software it will help you find all kinds of new sheet music and give you access to downloading.

Getting On the Music Industry..

Getting On the Music Industry Radar Screen

How to Get Noticed By Those Who Can REALLY Help Your Music Career! 

As you or your band performs, be it from club to club around town or nationally, there is usually one thing lingering in the back of your mind...

How do you go about getting that one big break that will push you ahead toward greater recognition and success artistically?

You know it happens to artist and bands all the time. That time could come soon for your group to break out of the local scene and land that recording contract or national tour that will get you on your way to greater success.

You know there are tried and true methods. Having a great demo or being interviewed on the local radio shows at once seemed like a good idea. But times have changed in the music industry. In this article, we will discuss some up-to-date information and inside tips on how to get noticed in this tough business, in short  give you some info that will literally place on the music industry radar screen. The knowledge that I m about to share with you will work for any and everyone: Songwriters, Singers, Musicians, Rappers and for all genres of music: Pop, Rock, Rap, Gospel, R&B, Jazz, Grunge, Country and everything in between!  

Where are the Scouts?

You have had the thought run through your mind as you perform for an enthusiastic crowd in a club or bar. Are there music industry scouts in this crowd? Maybe you just laugh it off but you have heard that they are out there watching bands like yours and signing the talented ones to develop into stars.

What you have heard is true. Industry insiders tell us that now more than ever, scouts are everywhere. You may worry that you are not living in one of the big music industry towns like New York, Chicago, L.A. and Nashville but that isn't important. Remember, Seattle wasn't on the map before grunge hit and they found Sir Mix A-Lot and for you Rock Heads, Kurt and Eddie.

But what if you don't always have the biggest audience in town. Well, some of the biggest acts in the music business were  discovered  playing to a small and intimate crowd. If your performance is strong and you are getting good word of mouth, the music industry scouts will find you and check you out. So perform every night like they are out there because there is no reason to believe that they are not.
 

Go Get Them

But you don't have to sit around and wait for them to come to you. The new �hunting grounds for bands and talent are well known to the insiders. Once you know who it is that is feeding the information to music industry scouts and agents, you can learn the tricks of the trade to feed information about you or your band into that system. Here are a few of the newest methods and venues you can use to get yourself noticed:
 

Perform, Perform, Perform. These days the local club scene is the most important way to get noticed. Don't wear yourself out chasing agents or scouts. If your performances are strong, that will create a buzz and the word of mouth will get you noticed. Then the scouts will come to see you rather than you having to go and chase them.

Build your relationship with your audience. Insiders tell us that scouts will come to a show for a musical venue they don't even understand. If you are doing something bold and new that they are not able to evaluate musically, they will go by the crowd. If your audience responds with excitement and enthusiasm, that is what gets the eyes and ears of music executives. So pour yourself into the people for whom you are performing. That's what you love to do anyway so it's an easy way to get noticed and the right way too.  

Indie (independent) labels are also a rich source of information for the larger recording houses to find out about up and coming bands. You may have indie labels near by so get to know them and get them to your shows so when they have a chance to connect you to a scout, your band is on their list of hot new acts.

The services offered by these two websites are extremely inexpensive and so simple to use, a 5 year old could do it, yet they will have you looking like a music industry professional in no time at all.


Is the Demo Dead?

From what we have learned so far, you would think the demo is ready to go into the hall of fame as an out-of-date tool. But the demo tape still has some real value to you. The best demo is one that showcases not only your musical skill but the personality and the performance skill of you or your band. If you can have someone put a demo together from one of your performances, that gives an agent or scout a bit of a feel for what to expect from you when he comes to see you.

So treat the demo as part of your bag of tricks but it isn�t the thing that is going to seal the deal. If a scout likes what he hears or at least his curiosity is peaked, he will then seek out ways to see you live. Then we are back to the club atmosphere, your relationship with your crowd and your performance. Those are the things that will get you noticed in a way that will lead to bigger breaks. Look at the demo as just the hook with a little bit of bait on it. You can also use your demo on your web page along with some video footage of your live performance to showcase the excitement of your shows

Video Didn't Kill the Radio Star

Radio used to be the primary medium for distributing information about new acts and for getting your music played and noticed. But changes in ownership of radio stations and in how they are programmed have changed that too. The radio station is no longer a significant communication channel for you to use to get on the music industry radar screen.

A lot of factors have dropped radio off the radar screen for getting noticed. Airplay is not as much of a factor as it used to be when there was a lot of diversity in radio. Radio is nearly a monopoly with all of the play list decisions made by one central national firm. So if you think that any one individual at your area radio stations makes airplay decisions, you should revise that opinion because they do not. This little insider tip alone can save you huge amounts of wasted energy and frustration when trying to get noticed.

But don't worry, scouts and music industry agents know they will not find the new, the innovative and the creative music on radio. They have turned from it to use local networking and club performances as their radar screen for new talent.   

It's all in your network and what is happening on the street that will make the difference between you getting noticed or not. In a way, that's the way it always should have been, having the focus placed on your band talent, performance skill and live shows. That is where your strength is anyway. Be a savvy marketer and use this knowledge to raise the awareness of your band, your talent, your songs and your performances.  

Friendship sms for you

   "f or it was not into my ear you whispered - but into my heart.
it was not my lips you kissed - but my soul."
 

     why do we close our eyes
when we pray
when we cry
when we dream
when we kiss
because the most beautiful thing in life are not seen.
but felt by the heart !
definitely u !

   "if you love somebody,
let them go.
if they return, they were always yours.
if they don't, they never were."
 

     in a year i m: 365 days dreaming of u
8760 hours thinking of u
5,25,600 minutes missing u
3,15,36,000 seconds treasuring u
definitely u !

  
"friendship often ends in love; but love ends in friendship - never."

      in a year i m: 365 days dreaming of u
8760 hours thinking of u
5,25,600 minutes missing u
3,15,36,000 seconds treasuring u
definitely u !

      earth may stop rotating
birds may stop flying
candles may stop melting
fishes may stop swimming
heart may stop breathing
but i will never stop
thinking u
 

      where ever
when ever
what ever
always remember
i m here for u for ever !
definitely u !

      heart is like crystal, preserve it
love is like perfume, spread it
feelings are like flood, flow it
friendship is like umbrella, share it
 

      i have a pair of eyes but can t see u every day.
i have a pair of ears but can t hear your voice every time.
but i have only 1 heart that cares 4 u every day !
definitely u !

 

     nobody wants u
nobody loves u
nobody misses u
nobody needs u
nobody cares about u
nobody makes u happy,

     don t cry my name is nobody read it now !
 

      sacrifice everything for a friend
but don't sacrifice a friend for anything.
definitely u !

     don't love a friend who hurts u
don't hurt a friend who loves u.
 

     heart can skip beat for a while.
memories can be kept in a file
a desert can replace the nile
but nothing can stop a smile
when your name comes on my mobile
definitely u !

there are 3 chambers in my heart
one for my mum
one for my dad
one for god
what about u ?
sorry no place for u in my heart ! !
because friends like you are my heart beat

      i m happy, u know why ?
because i m lucky, u know why ?
because god love me, u know how ?
he sent the best friend to me u know who ?
definitely u !
 

      smile in pleasure
smile in pain
smile when trouble pours like rain
smile when someone hurts u
smile because someone still loves to seen u smiling
 

      people like u are found only once in a lifetime.
so u better take care of yourself because i don t want to waste another lifetime
to find a such a sweet friend.
 

     all friends are not true.
but true friends are very few,
which includes u
 

friendship is not collection of hearts but it is selection of hearts.

some people cannot understand,
a friend you've never met.
but then i guess they've never had
a friendship on the net.

      we tell each other our problems,
we make each other smile.
i worry if you haven't e-mailed,
or sent a message in a while.
 

      i don't remember where we met
or how or when or why.
i only knew that when we did
i found in you a "friend."
 

a true friend understands when u say ‘i forgot’, waits 4ever when u say ‘just a min’, stays with u when u say ‘leave me alone’ & opens his heart even b4 u knock 

     to hear what is unspoken, to see what is invisible, to feel without without even touching... is the miracle called "friendship" 

     make your life a house your heart can live in. with a door that is open to receive friends. and a garden full of memories … of many good things. 

     there r losts of people around u some of them r important 4 u, out of these some people few r more important 4 u and out of these few people 1 is most important 4 u and 4 me that 1 is u my sweet friend. 

     words begin with ....a....b....c....number begin with....1....2....3....music begin with....sa....re....ga....but....? friendship begins with....''you&me''

   "friends"
are
like
balloons
once u let them go
u cant ever get them
back
dats y i ll tie u
tight tu my heart
u r precious to lose 

     heart is lyk a crystal,preserve it!
luv is lyk perfume,spread it!
feeling are lyk flood,flow it!
friendship is lyk an umbrella,cum lets share it! 

    "one friend is better in life
two are many
three hardly possible" 

    "a best friend is like a four leaf clover,
  hard to find and lucky to have" 

     when clouds break rain falls. when coconut break water falls. when love break tears falss but when friendship break life falls so never break friendship.

     dosti ke cement ke begher yeh zindagi ki dewar kamzor hai 

      a friend gives hope wen ur life is low,
a friend is place wen u hav no place to go,
a friend is a precious,
a friend is """"""""""u""""""""""  

 

      my heart's like an open book,
it depends on how u read me.
don"t judge me by my cover..
look in and discover..
i will be ur true friend
for ever... 

      i've made so many mistakes in my life, but something i did right was to have you as a friend and i definitely wont make another mistake of losing someone like you.

      true frndz r those who care widout hesitation,remember widout limitation,4give widout any explanation & love even wid little communication!!! 

      i like u itna u like me jitna
i like u jab tak u like me tab tak
u like me jane kab tak
but
i like u marte dam tak!!!!!!! 

      a - u r attractive
b - u r the best
c - u r cute
d - u r dear 2 me
e - u r excellent
f - u r funny
g - u r good-looking
h - hehehe
i - i'm
j - joking 

      my friendship is like an onion, which has many layers in it, it will add taste to ur life, but if u try to cut it, u will have tears in ur eyes..... 

     meaning of friendship : -
f-------forever
r-------responcible
i--------intelligent
e-------eager to mail
n-------nice
d-------divine
s--------simple
h-------heartly
i--------intersted
p-------peaceful

      friendship is like a glass handle it with care because once broken cannot be mended and even if mended.... a crack is always there !!!  

      some love golden-ship, some love silver-ship, but i love one ship, that is your friend-ship 

    ***** vacancy*****

post:
true friend

eligibility:
loving & caring

duty:
to love

experience:
not required

salary:
never ending love

joining:
immediately
 

    "r u interested? " 

 

      there is a gift that gold cannot buy, a blessing dats rare & true, dats the gift of a wonderful friend like the friend dat i have in u!  

     tree can start a forest; 1 smile can start a friendship; 1 touch can show u care; 1 friend can make life worth living for. 

       we can never say how far our friendship would go and how long we'll stay together. all i know is that even if we'll be miles apart, you'll forever remain in my heart. 

      days r empty wen i dont hear somthin frm u. just a simple hello n my worries r thru. y i feel dis? i think i hav a clue. i am glad i hav a fren like u. 

      is a wonderful word, it might be the most beautiful one on earth. friendship is something powerful, a gift of great value!

       if friends were flowers i would not pick you! i'll let you grow in the garden & cultivate you with love and care so i can keep you as a friend 4ever!!

     friendship is a chain which round two hearts together 

      how can u tell the rain not 2 fall when clouds exist ?? how can u tell the leaves not 2 fall when wind exist ?? how can u tell me not 2 fall in friendship when u exist?? 

      i dont ask more from the world.but juzt a friend.my life seems 2 be nothing,but juzt a dead rose.which needs sum1 2 make it alive.i c that friend in you.can u be the 1??

      during our friendship, there will b times u won't see me beside u, dun think i left u behind, i just chose to walk behind u so i can catch u when u fall.. 

      i always thought loving some1 was the greatest feeling, but i realised tat loving a friend is even better, we lose ppl we love but we never lose true friends 

       i met u as a stranger, i leave u as a friend, as long as the world stands, our friendship nv ends. all friends nv split n even if they do they will meet again. 

      the ship that will never sink is my friendship with you 

      a memory lasts forever, and never does it die. true friends stay together and never say good bye. 

      without humor, life sux. without courage, life is hard. without love, life is hopeless. without friends like you, life is impossible! 

     friendship is a priceless gift that can't be bought or sold, but to have an understanding friend is far more worth than gold~! 

      friendship isn't how u forget but how u forgive, not how u listen but how u understand, not what u see but how u feel, and not how u let go but how u hold on!!! 

 

       aik hassi jo hasa de
aik ansoo jo rula de
aik aarzoo jo jaga de
aik chahat jo samjha de
her aahat jo jaan le
uss rishtay ka naam hai
***** dosti***** 

      a friend is like a pillow u can hug wen u r in trouble cry wen u r in pain n embrace wen u r happy wen u need a friend so............
buy a pillow...... 

      höld ä trüé frìénd wìth böth yöür händs, doñt lét gö 4 trüé frìend cömés öncé ìn ä lìfétìmé. thåt's why ì'm höldìng yoü tight! cänt lét ü go 

    "f  riends are the sunshine of life! thanks for brightening my world with the warmth of your friendship!" 

      god picked up a flower
n dipped it in dew
he lovingly touched it
which turned into u
then he gifted to me n said
this friend is 4 u....:) 

       i wont promise to be your friend forever,
coz i wont live that long...
but let me be your friend
as long as i live...!
forever.

      people say friends are made in heaven and they come in your life. but i made a friend like you in this world and made my life a heaven.

     stars has five ends ...square has four ends ... triangle has three ends ... line has two ends ... life has one end ... but circule of our friendship has no end.

      if i got ur smil3,
i dnt ne3d flow3rs,
if i got ur voic3,
i dnt ne3d music,
if u speak 2 m3 i dnt anybdy els3,
if u r my frnd i dnt ne3d th3 world. 

      if u want 2b happy 4 a life, get a date happy 4 a week get a lover happy 4 a month get married happy 4 year if u want happy 4 evr get a friend like me...