June 19, 2008
The first time I picked up a guitar my whole life changed. I think I slept with it the night I brought my first new guitar home. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but it is true. I remember the feel of the guitar in my hands and the shape, which reminded me of a girl I once dated. But seriously it was love, pure love.
Then I plugged it in and hit those first magic notes….. Wow did it sound awful, maybe the worst noise I ever heard in my life. So started my journey in the world of music some 23 years ago, I found my one and only mistress, the guitar.
Today I am happily married with 3 kids, a real job, and my guitars. The only thing my wife has ever been jealous over is my guitars. I told her once I could have girlfriends or guitars, she said she’d settle for the guitars. Thus is the secret to a happy marriage.
Oh more importantly, the guitars. No two are the same, even the same model, made in the same year, with sequential serial numbers, are going to play and sound different. They have their own personalities, their own feel and their own mood swings. I have Fender’s, Gibson’s, Washburn’s, Parker’s, solid bodies, hollow bodies and semi-hollow body guitars.
Every week I go to a friend’s house, or a local store and just pickup every guitar I can and play it for a few minutes. It really is an obsession. I think, dream and dwell on playing guitar 24 Hours a day.
Is this story the same as your’s. As humorous as this may sound, many of my playing friends say the same thing. You can never have enough guitars, or spend enough time playing your guitar.
Do you have a passion for playing as well?
Bill McRea is the publisher of The
Guitar Warehouse and Guitar
Playing Techniques. Both sites offer free lesson and product sales.
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April 11, 2008
Parents can play an important role supporting their child’s piano lessons and their piano teacher. However, about a third of parents do too much and try to take over responsibility for their child’s progress, which hinders their child’s ability to develop positive learning skills on their own. In contrast, about a third of parents don’t do enough, and fail to support and can get in the way of their child’s learning. The remaining 1/3 gets it right. These parents have learned to work together with the piano teacher to support their child’s piano journey.
Parents who are not getting it right fail to effectively support their children in piano lessons because they either take too much responsibility for their child’s success or not enough. Getting this balance is important because it sets boundaries that create a positive learning environment where children can learn from their mistakes within limits. Parents’ attitudes about your child’s piano lessons matters for setting boundaries and teaching learning values. For example,
Regarding your child’s piano progress, do you
(a) feel personally embarrassed if your child is not progressing as fast as you think they should;
(b) want your child to do their best and learn how to achieve their goals;
(c) feel that it doesn’t really matter how your child is doing, as lessons aren’t that important anyway.
If you chose (a), you may be taking TOO much responsibility for your child’s success and creating dependency instead of fostering your child’s ownership and responsibility of their lessons. If you find yourself answering (c), you may well be abdicating part of your responsibility as a parent and may be missing out on a wonderful way to encourage your child’s success. If you have answered (b), relax. You’ve got the right attitude and are encouraging your child while helping them take their share of responsibility for their piano success. Keep it up!

For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You’ll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f’ree internet newsletter so you can download f’ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.
These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com
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April 6, 2008
G-Units 50 Cent , was born 6th of July 1976 is a New York State rapper that uprose to spectacular grandness inside the entertainment collective in 2003… Curtis Jackson incarcerated and much more. Quite easily, 50cent has become the greatest artist since Slim, as well 50 Cent’s album also has Dr.Dre. 50 Cent and G-unit have a clothing company Gunit Clothing and 50 cents music producing, Curtis Jackson will be around for a long time. G-Units 50 Cent released his first major album Get Rich Or Die Tryin in december 2003; it sported the single PIMP. Naturally produced by Marshall Mathers and Dr. Dre. watch disco inferno 50 cent could not gain mainstream exposure till he was discovered by Slim.
With G-Units 50 Cent fearless bravado, Banks catchy lyrical proclamations, and the Southern drawl of David Brown, the watch 50 cent disco inferno video excitement component alone have placed young Buck atop the hip hop game. Fifty like others before him like Jay Z, by launching his first Clothing Company. The foremost main line consists Jeans emblazoned G-Unit logotypes. 50 Cent has took after the steps of his compatriate Em who has lately diversified into clothing with his Shady Ltd range.
Already a staple on any urban floor worth its salt, this Dr. Dre produced hip-hop monster from the Eminem protégé is sure to cement his rep as one of the scene’s most exciting new talents as well as shoot a cursory glance at all those rappers merely coasting on their rhyming laurels. Taken from the 2003 album, ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin”. The title track is backed with four non-LP tracks, ‘In Da Club’ (Instrumental, Enhanced Video) & ‘Wanksta’ (Soundtrack Version, Enhanced Video). Interscope. 2003.
50 Cent
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February 6, 2008
In an interview given to Musik Magazine in 2000, Eminem comments some of his lyrics:
‘Please Lord, this boy needs Jesus/Help this child, help him destroy these demons/Please send me a brand new car and a prostitute while my wife is sick in the hospital’. What I’m trying to say is we’ve got all these preachers going ‘Jesus, Jesus! And then they’re molesting kids. I’m taking stabs at crooked muthafuckers in the system. (Eminem)
Believe it or not, but Eminem feels concern for kids. He is a denonciator of our society’s hypocrisy. Some people don’t like it when the truth gets exposed like this. But in the end only truth matters. Eminem’s words will shock you, stab you, pull away your old fashioned way of thinking : he is a commentator of our society’s deseases and should be taken seriously, because he does his job very well. Between his funny and dark humored lines, Eminem has something serious to say. The theme of the perverted priest also appears in the Role Model video where you can see the priest caressing a young boy’s knee.
Parents, you should be more worried for your kids being abused by priest than by Eminem’s so called bad influence . Eminem won’t rape your kids
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January 21, 2008
Ukulele is a fantastic little instrument. You can play chords on it as you sing but you can even play melodies. With the help of ukulele tab notation you can learn to play Amazing Grace in a few minutes. Let’s start!
Amazing Grace is one of the most well-known Christian hymns. The words were written by John Newton. Here are the lyrics to the first verse:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see
You don’t need to know sheet music notation on your ukulele. Instead we will use a form of notation known as ukulele tab.
The ukulele tab notation I will use is my own form of tabs that are readable on article sites. You will find the more common ukulele tab notation on my own site with ukulele tab and free sheet music.
When you hold your ukulele in playing position you will have the first string nearest your feet. It is the string with the highest pitch and it is usually an A.
Here comes an example on how to ukulele tab:
01 11 31 11 01
The first digit in the pair tells you what fret to press down. The second digit what string to play. 01 means that you play the first string without pressing down a left hand finger. In other words you play on the open first string.
11 means that you press down a left hand finger on the first fret on the first string and play. Now you can play the easy ukulele tab above.
Let’s play the first part of Amazing Grace:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
03 12 01 12 01 32 12 23 03
03 means that you play the third open string. Play the notes with your right hand thumb or in some other way you like.
The length of the notes is not indicated with this type of ukulele tab notation. I guess you will find out how to play the notes by your self.
Let’s play the next line:
That saved a wretch like me!
03 12 01 12 01 32 01 31
What left hand finger should you use when you play?
Even if it can be a little bit difficult at first I suggest that you play the notes on the first fret with your first finger, the notes on the second fret with your long finger and the notes on your third fret with your ring finger.
Of course, you can play all notes with your first finger but when your left hand fingers get used to playing the way I suggested it will actually become easier to find the right notes.
The next ukulele tab comes here:
I once was lost, but now am found
01 31 01 12 01 32 12 23 03
You know how to read this ukulele tab by now so I don’t need to help you!
The last line with lyrics and ukulele tab follows:
Was blind, but now I see
03 12 01 12 01 32 12
Now the melody is complete and you can play Amazing Grace with ukulele tab!
This melody can be played on guitar too with the use of the above ukulele tab notation! The first three strings on a guitar are tuned in the same way but in a different pitch.
May I recommend you to take one ukulele tab line at a time and practice it until you know the whole song by heart. It is fun to have a repertoire with songs to play anywhere and anytime!
Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and ukulele tab at http://www.capotastomusic.com
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