Creating a Free Form Piano Improvisation

So many piano students wonder how they can improvise. They just don't understand how someone can sit down at the piano and play off the top of their head. What they don't know is that there is some method or system behind the pianist's approach. One of the best methods is to just pick a few chords from a Key and play.

For example, imagine you're sitting down at your piano and you just want to play what you feel. What do you do? For starters, you could place your fingers on the first chord that calls out to you. Perhaps a minor chord is what you feel like playing. Or maybe you're in a Major mood. The key is to not think about it and allow the fingers to move towards what it wants. Take the lesson "Reflections in Water" for example.

Here we start out by playing a C Major 7 open position chord. This chord choice really determines the way the whole improvisation is approached. By using this chord structure, you've already determined what the sound will be. Now all you have to do to create your free-form improvisation is to play around with this chord and a few others from the Key of C.

In this lesson, you have the chords you will be playing and the order in which they are to be played. Now, you can relax and play around with the possibilities and come up with your own unique improvisations. And of course, by using this lesson as a template, you begin to understand that the way pianists can sounds so professional when sitting down to play is by using chords.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students lea how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the inteet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Concerts Neil Diamond at Earls Court London in 2005

It's 1st June, 2005 and three years less a month or so since I last saw Neil Diamond perform here at Earls Court. I'm wondering if this could be a mistake because the 2002 concert was so fantastic and Neil so charismatic that I'm not sure if he can possibly live up to my, now very high, expectations. The atmosphere is electric in the 17,000-odd seat arena and I wish that Neil would hurry up and get on stage. I don't have to wait long. The band, all 12 pieces, emerge through the floor of the stage and the show begins with "Crunchy Granola Suite", swiftly followed by more vintage Diamond. Neil is just the same - the black trousers, the sparkly shirt, the energy, the voice, the charm and the mixture of panache and passion with which he delivers the timeless favourites. Contrary to expectations, there is nothing from his imminent new album, but a sort of a preview in the form of a set of acoustic numbers including "And The Grass Don't Pay No Mind", a personal favourite of mine which Neil performs sitting down with his guitar. Some of the oldies have been given a slightly new treatment in terms of arrangement, but the voice, the centrepiece, is the same. In tribute to UB40s hit with Red Red Wine, Neil starts to rap part way through. I'm not sure that I don't prefer the original though. "Forever in Blue Jeans" introduces some interesting brass and harmonies from the three backing singers (one more than last time) The patriotic "America" brings the crowd to their feet (even the London crowd) and "Sweet Caroline", as ever, makes everyone sing along, our enthusiasm encouraging Neil to a couple of encores. Except for those rare seated moments, Neil roams the stage with his usual energy, encouraging the crowd (as if they need it) and generally looking as though he is having a good time. He has the ladies in the audience practically swooning through the slightly suggestive "Play Me" and his sotto voce asides nearly bring them to their knees. For me, apart from "And The Grass Don't Pay No Mind", the highlights were "Desir�e" (missing from the 2002 tour) and "You Don't Bring Me Flower", once again in duet with Linda Press and an encore of the fabulous"I've Been This Way Before". I can't believe how fantastic this show is, the lights, the music, the skill and camaraderie of the band but above all, the sheer presence and unmistakeable voice that is Neil Diamond.

Good Lesson Learned from an April Fool s Gag Gone Bad

I know I'm a month late, but I have to tell you about my April Fool's joke I played.

My group, the Brobdingnagian Bards, has been together for a bit over a year now. We've played Renaissance festivals, nightclubs, pubs, weddings, corporate parties, coffeehouses, and street coers. You name it, and we've pretty much done it. Over this time, we've built up a nice sized following and a decent mailing list. Most of the people on the list, I think, seem to enjoy it. Most absolutely love the music, but don't really make it out to gigs. Most don't buy CDs from us unless they hear us play. Most are not to keen on the idea of ordering a CD online...until March 31st when I leaed something new about marketing.

So on March 31st, I decided to play an April Fool's joke on the Nagians (the name for our fans). We were getting ready for the last weekend of the Excalibur Fantasy Faire, our home faire. My plan was to send out an email on the 31st and then on April 2nd, tell every "April Fool's!" Didn't quite work that way though.

On the 31st, I composed the message "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish." I told the Nagians that we had decided we actually wanted social lives (as if they'd believe that), and that we were calling it quits. Come out and see our last performances at Excalibur...while you're at it, help us clear out our inventory.

The first phone call came from my dad. "Aw, I'm sorry." April Fool's! Then an email from a Nagian I'd never heard of before. "I came to see you a few months back and love to hear you. You will be well missed." Then more emails, including one from our Booking Agent (make sure your Agent is informed when you do something stupid). And more phone calls, "I thought everything was going great for you guys. Man, that sucks!"

I'm not sure about my partner, but I got about twelve phone calls and about thirty emails from people. One group that puts on the Madrigal Dinner here at UT was so bummed they were wondering who they would book next year. One gig almost lost. The news spread like rapid-fire... This is day one.

Then a cool thing happened. We got five orders for our CDs. Mind you, we had maybe two in the year the website was up... Now all of sudden we received five orders when we decide to break up??? Che sara, sara.

Well, by the end of the evening, I sent out an apology and big "April Fools!" I offered discounts on my CDs and got a couple new orders. And I finally realized just what happened.

People like our music, but they need motivation to buy it. When you play live, the motivation is I don't know where I'll be able to get that CD in the future, but when all you have is a mailing list, you have to make up a new reason.

Now, mind you, I'm not very fond of Machiavellian Marketing, I prefer giving people their money's worth at all costs, but the tactic worked. We sold eleven CDs in all from that little prank. And the only complaints I got were about the joke, not the sales tactic.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000's of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians' Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE "how-to" music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

Guitar lesson Learn To Play Popular Melody On Your Guitar

There are many ways to notate music on the guitar. You can use sheet music easy to understand when you have leaed to read sheet music. To lea to read sheet music on the guitar is however not so easy for many students. What different ways are there to notate guitar melodies? 1. You can use guitar sheet music. The advantage is that it is universal, meaning that other instrumentalists will understand the notation. 2. You can use guitar tablature. A tablature staff consists of six lines representing the six strings on a guitar. Number on the lines indicate what fret to press down. Guitar tablature is very common on the net and is a widely used. 3. Use another system. 4. Describe with words how to play the melody on the guitar. In this article I will use an easy system that doesn't need a staff and I will also describe how to play the melody on the guitar with words. We will lea to play the melody Happy Birthday To You. How to read the guitar notation The first number tells you what fret to press down. The second number what string to play on. An example: 1/2 This means, press down the first fret on the second string. Let's play Happy Birthday To You. We can divide the song into four parts: 1. Start by playing the open third string twice. When you play a string without pressing down a fret is called to play an open string. Then you press down the second fret on the third string and the open third string. Play the first fret of the second string and the open second string. It will look like this: 0/3 0/3 2/3 0/3 1/2 0/2 2. Play the open third string twice. Play the second fret on the third string and the open third string. Play the third fret of the second string and the first fret on the second string. It will look like this: 0/3 0/3 2/3 0/3 3/2 1/2 3. Play the open third string twice. The third fret on the first string and the open first string. The first fret string two and open second string. Second fret on the third string. It will look like this: 0/3 0/3 3/1 0/1 1/2 0/2 2/3 4. We finish the song by playing the first fret first string twice. Open first string and first fret second string. Third fret second string and first fret second string. 1/1 1/1 0/1 1/2 3/2 1/2 Leaing to play the song Happy Birthday To You on guitar is a good investment. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "Happy Birthday to You" is among the top three most popular songs in the English language.

Edward Weiss s Piano Playing Secrets

I've been playing the piano for over 14 years now and I've leaed a few things. Just a few things that help me stay focused on what is important to me when sitting down to play. Following in no particular order are three "secrets" I've discovered:

Secret #1: Only Play What you Love

For those of you who don't know, I play and teach New Age piano. I don't play classical or jazz. Not because I don't like these styles, but because when I sit down at the piano, the New Age style is what is inside of me. Of course, I could play classical and jazz, but I just don't want to and neither should you if that's not the style you're interested in. If you play what you love, technique and growth will naturally follow and you will tend to spend more time at the piano than away from it.

Secret #2: Lea How to Improvise

I never understood the allure of playing other peoples music via note reading. Now, don't get me wrong - some of the best music in the world was produced centuries ago. But, and here's the interesting thing, Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach were all excellent improvisers. That is, they could sit down at the keyboard, finger a chord, and produce music. Of course these great composers leaed from others and could read music but I can almost guarantee you they viewed the art of improvisation to be important - not for the listening public, but for the performer so he/she could get in touch with their muse.

Secret #3: Listen for Your Tone

You know what's amazing? I'm always getting better at playing the piano by listening for my tone. Here's what I mean. I play a piano key. A note sounds. Now many times I'll play sloppily and not really hear the sound that is being produced. Tone is very important because it determines how sensitive a player you are and sensitivity is the hallmark of artistry. Any clod can sit down at the piano, hit a key and produce a sound. It takes the artist's touch to get a beautiful tone. I leaed about tone by listening to my favorite piano player John Herberman. Each note is beautifully played and sensitively interpreted. If you think playing slow pieces of music is easy, try playing a very slow piece and really listen for the tone you're producing. That's a good litmus test.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students lea how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the inteet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Extremely Simple Way to Play What You Feel on the Piano Even if You ve Never Played Before

How would you like to be able to play what you feel on the piano within 1-hour? Impossible? Not at all. It's all about chords. But not just any chord structure.

The chord structure I'm talking about will have you playing the piano with both hands right away. And it won't take hours or days to do it. I'm talking about something called the open position chord, and with it, you'll be able to really create your own music!

The trick to all this is how the chord is made. You see, most piano teachers begin their students with triads. And while there is nothing wrong with leaing triads, they're a little antiquated.

The open position chord is a mode sounding seventh chord that is used today in pop, jazz, new age, and other contemporary piano styling. The seventh chord is a term that is used to describe how the chord is constructed. It's really easy. The chord is made up of the root note, the third, the fifth, and the seventh. If we were playing a C Major 7 chord, it would be spelled c-e-g-b.

Now, by itself, the seventh chord is a very good and often used chord structure. But, if we "open it up" by breaking the chord up into both hands, we get a very spacious and beautiful sounding chord... hence the name open position. Here's how it's constructed. The left hand gets the root note, the fifth, and the seventh. The right hand plays the third, the seventh and the third again. Spelled out, this would be: Left hand... c-g-b. Right hand... e-b-e.

This 6-note chord sounds unbelievably full and rich. And the best thing about it? Once you get this chord down in your hands, you can lea how to play it very easily in all 12 keys!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students lea how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the inteet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Weiss

Developing an Appreciation of Classical Music

Classical music is at once one of the best known and least understood forms of music, and many music fans who feel they would never like classical music are surprised at just how enjoyable it can be.

Of course, classical music can take a great many forms, and not every music fan will appreciate every kind of classical music. To some people, classical music is best enjoyed in a crowded concert hall, with a glass of wine and good company. To others, the best classical music is enjoyed alone, perhaps in a darkened room with a great stereo system. Still others will enjoy making their own classical music in the company of family and friends, perhaps playing their own piano or enjoying a night out.

For those who are unfamiliar with classical music, there are many places to begin your classical education. One of the best places to start to lea about classical music is with your local public radio station. Just about every market in the country has at least one public radio station, and many public radio stations have extensive classical music programming during their broadcast day. In addition, the announcers on these stations are usually quite well versed in all aspects of classical music, so if you have a question about the art form they are a great place to start.

In addition to public radio, the many inteet radio stations are a great way to introduce yourself to the world of classical music. There are a great many classical music stations on the inteet, including many sub genres, such as classical guitar or classical piano. Scanning the music available at these sources is a great way to explore the breadth of classical music available and get started on your own appreciation.

For some listeners, an appreciation of classical music will come almost immediately, while for others it may take quite some time to develop an ear for the nuance and style that classical music represents. The time you take leaing about classic music will be time well spent, though, and you may lea more than you ever intended about one of the oldest forms of music in the world.

Classical music has been with us for centuries, and chances are good that it will be with us for centuries to come. While other forms of music, from country and rock and roll to hip hop and rhythm and blues, may not be around five hundred years from now, chances are good that our great, great, great, great, great grandchildren will still be enjoying piano recitals, chamber music and other kinds of classical music.

For more information on the world of the classical visit http://www.classicalz.com

Cyndi s Still Having Fun Acoustically

One could be forgiven for thinking that Cyndi Lauper has slowly faded into obscurity since her supeova like explosion onto the popcharts with her 1983 debut album She�s So Unusual.

But the girl that just wants to have fun has merely grown up and matured into one of the most endearing voices in pop music today.

On her new album, The Body Acoustic, Lauper�s put together a collection of her hits and favorites, stripped down and reworked to really expose the beauty of her poignant lyrics.

It�s been over 20 years since Cythia Ann Stephanie Lauper, or Cyndi as we affectionately know her, won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and released a string of top ten hits including She Bop, True Colours, All Through The Night, Money Changes Everything and Time After Time which has since been covered by over 70 artists including Willy Nelson and Miles Davis.

At age 50 she recorded an album of standards, At Last, which received critical aclaim, and launched the seed for The Body Acoustic.

All the hits are here along with three new songs. Guest musicians and singers join Cyndi who plays the dulcimer as the pared down tracks take on a whole new life.

True colours lit only by strings is almost hauntingly sad, while Sarah McLachlan adds her angelic vocals to Time After Time. All Through The Night features Shaggy�s unique vocal stylings, and Japanese duo Puffy AmiYumi join in on the fun of Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Lauper co-produced the album with Rick Chertoff, who produced her hit debut She�s So Unusual, and William Wittman, who produced At Last.

Yeah, girls just wanna have fun, but then so do grown women.

Peter Shuttlewood is the author of webzine freshread which contains articles on Popular Culture with an Australian slant. freshread - the everyday in a fresh way.

Cold Feet Playing the Banjo

Banjo lessons are a lot tougher than I thought. I�d been taking these online banjo lessons for months now � you know, downloading videos of this guy strumming his banjo and trying to follow along, stroking that banjo to my heart�s content � but when my first actual, person-to-person banjo lesson came, I felt like I was all thumbs. It was a disaster.

I admit that I was a bit of a slacker following those downloaded video lessons, mostly doing only the lessons and the songs that interested me and skipping the rest. But still, I actually thought I was making great progress. Then I had to take those real lessons and all my illusions were shattered.

I was really and thoroughly disappointed with my first actual banjo lesson. Maybe it was because I was trying to show off and display to my instructor my �hard-eaed� banjo-playing skills. Or maybe I was nervous. All I know is, the instructor took one look at me and I immediately missed a chord. Admittedly, I have absolutely zero experience in musical instruments and this was the first time I actually played for someone. But I was always a relaxed and competent public speaker so crowds (even a �crowd� of one) shouldn�t faze me. I thought playing the banjo would be a breeze. After all, I�d been practicing for months, right? Wrong. It was just horrible.

Just the thought of playing in front of my banjo instructor still rattles me. Now, I�m puzzled as to how I can actually lea anything from my banjo lessons if I can�t even play in front of my teacher. He�s nice and accommodating, so it�s not a clash of personalities at all. Not to mention the fact that he plays the banjo great and I gain much just by watching him play. And yet, I have to ask myself, will I sound any differently when my next lesson comes around?

he big question in my head is, how will I know if I�m making any progress if I can�t play in front of him? In fact, how will I even know if I've leaed anything from one banjo lesson to the next? I realize there�s no way of getting around it, but I still can�t will myself to play in front of him. For now, I�m going to start recording my banjo playing and let him hear it. But even with that, it might still be hard to play, knowing that� I�m actually still playing for him. I only hope that things will get better eventually.

Phillip Culver has written many articles based on arts and entertainment. View more arts and entertainment articles here. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Culver

Guitar Lessons Guitar Vibrato

Playing a guitar without vibrato is like eating Mexican food without salsa. Vibrato is one of the most definitive techniques in defining your musical style, your own personal unique sound. No two players have the same vibrato sound. Some play slow and wide while others play narrow and fast, and that's the beauty behind spending a lot of time leaing different vibrato techniques. It's like eating different salsa's every time you go to your favorite taco stand. Enough talk about food, lets talk technique. Vibrato is sometimes confused with tremolo. Basically it is just a technique of vibrating the string sharp and flat around a root note. For example if you are playing the 7th fret on the 3rd string with your 3rd finger on your fret hand you can just push the note up slightly and them pull it down slightly. Do this in quick succession so the over riding effect is a "wobbly" tone around the root note you are playing. Use your hand, wrist, and arm to make the movements. Never just wiggle a finger. Some people use a technique of pulling the string down towards the floor and then releasing back up. Try this in a variety of speeds and levels of bending during your vibrato. The trick is to be consistent and smooth with your motion. If you are playing a slow blues riff then you may want to slow down and make a wide circular motion with the string, or if you are playing a fast rock lick you may just ad a fast narrow vibrato to accent the final note in a run. It is possible to add vibrato using any finger you play with, but it is most commonly done with the first and third finger on the fret hand. Using your first finger is a bit trickier. I usually use my first finger for fast vibratos similar to BB Kings style. I will literally lift my other finger far off the fret board, press down and just "vibrate" the string as fast and as open as possible. That's funny the work vibrato is a lot like vibrate, because that's actually what you are doing vibrating the string. When you combine vibrato with string bending, harmonics and legato techniques you begin to discover the musician inside of you. Playing guitar is about discovering your inner flow of creativity and having the techniques to be able to express them. Vibrato is one of the more personal and effective techniques. As with all aspect of playing guitar you need to experiment with these techniques, and most of all have fun!

Guitar Lessons Holding The Guitar

It is important for a person to lea how to handle the guitar properly while leaing to play. As a beginner, he must understand that it is not advisable for him to lea to play while he is standing. He must make himself comfortable with his position so that he will be able to execute correctly while playing his guitar. He must lea that the first technique to lea is how to hold the guitar before attempting to play it. Here are some guidelines you need to know to hold the guitar properly:

1. Find an armless chair where you can sit comfortably and place your back against the back of the chair. Remember not to repeat any mannerism such as slouching.

2. When holding the guitar remember to have contact from the chest and stomach with the back part of the guitar. Make sure that a parallel position of the lower neck of the guitar to the floor is maintained.

3. He should place his face near to the first string of the guitar- which is the thickest one. With the other hand, the sixth string, which is the thinnest one, should be vertically aligned with the floor.

4. A right-handed person holding the guitar will point the headstock to the left (this is the normal position); while the left-handed player will let the headstock point to the left.

5. A person who is left-handed must find a guitar especially designed for left-handed people as most guitars are designed for right-handed guitar players.

6. If a person is seated on a chair, he must make sure that the entire body of the guitar rests on his laps; holding the face of the guitar with the right hand while the left hand supports the bottom neck part.

7. Now that the left hand is ready on the frets, he must concentrate on the positioning of the fingers on the frets before executing the chords. The thumb will rest at the back of the fretting hand supporting the fingers on the front.

Holding the guitar properly is an important factor. If he holds the guitar in the proper way when playing, he will have the confidence to execute well.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and Guitar Playing Techniques. Both sites offer free lesson and product sales.

Facts about MC Big Proof

Facts about MC Big Proof
�If I was you, suicide would be a way of life. If you was me , you�d kill you.� (Proof)

Before I start talking about D12�s gifted Mc Proof, I would like to thank and to give credit to the webmaster of the following Derty Harry website for the rare info I found about Deshaun Holton aka Derty Harry aka Proof:

http://angelfire.com/bxc3/dertyharry/main_bio.html


Deshaun Holton aka Proof was bo on October the 2nd 1975 in Detroit.
Although they didn�t attend the same High School, Eminem and Proof have been friends since 1988. They used to live in the same street in Detroit.
Proof used to go to Osboue High school while Eminem was attending Lincoln High. Both friends used to skip high school in order to rap together: in fact Eminem skipped Lincoln High and used to come to Proof�s school very often, because both friends wanted to rap together. This is how they met:

�I was skipping school, and he was skipping school also, passing out flyers for his concert he was having in Centerline. That had to be, like, '88 or something.� (Proof)

Some (white) underground Mcs from Detroit like Backstab the Kingpin are convinced of Proof�s racism. But Deshaun�s statements seem to prove the contrary.

CDNow has asked Proof how he felt about Eminem�s skin color at the time they met:

CDNow: Did you wonder what this blond, white kid was up to?

Proof: �You know, I went to Catholic school and had a great, great friend of mine who happened to be Irish; we were best friends since the sixth grade. So when I saw [Eminem] was white, I didn't even jump off like that; when he rapped, he was dope. What made us get dope and become great friends was we both rhymed "first place" and "birthday," and we've been tight ever since [laughs].�

Eminem and Proof have been real friends since the beginning. When Eminem was kicked out of his home, he would sleep at Proof�s house.
It is well known that Proof is an amazing freestyler.He won the freestyling competition in the Source magazine in 1999. He his a better freestyler than Marshall, but Marshall�s force is in the way he handles his words in his lyrics. That�s exactly what Proof states about their complementary talent:

�We were both impressed with each other. The advantage I've got over Em is freestyling; I'm the kind of guy who freestyles off the head, right? The advantage he had over me was that he knew how to write intricately; he knew how to put a song together and bring feelings about. That's why I joueyed under him, like, "Yo, show me the ropes, homeboy."

The idea of the D12 group composed of talented MCs and sick aliases with popped into Proof�s mind:

"I was in New York; I had this deal with Tommy Boy that didn't work out, unfortunately. But I just had this idea that we could put together a team of dope MCs, put a lot of Detroit on as far as having MCs with skills. Everybody's solo took so we'll make aliases, like Eminem's Slim Shady and I'm Derty Harry, and call it the Dirty Dozen -- and at this time, to be honest with you, we thought The Dirty Dozen was a Weste movie; we didn't know it was an army movie [laughs].
That fits us, army rather than Weste, 'cause we see ourselves more as gun-slingers, lyric-slingers. Then the idea was to form a pact whereas this team, whoever gets out first comes back and gets the rest of the group."

Proof has always been confident in Eminem�s loyalty, even if some other members of the group may have been worried:

�Not me; I've been there since day one, almost. I think the rest of the group may not have been there, but Proof has been beside Eminem all this time. I play a leadership role in the group, where I talk to everyone else; Em is like the president, and I'm the general. I talk to the rest of the fellas and put 'em in line and show 'em the direction. It's a family, too, so there'll be a lot of fighting and bickering, and some people might have felt it might not be the way it should be. So, yes, there were times when people felt funny about things. But now everybody thinks back to that, and we were tripping out over nothing.�

Acccording to Proof, Eminem�s success was the best thing that could have happened to D12:

�Right. Some people look at us like, "You're gonna be Eminem's group. You're gonna be in his shadow." They don't realize how positive and great that is to hear; if you're in the shadow of a guy who can sell almost 10 million records in just the states alone, great. That's not a dis to us. But when they hear the album, they hear the individuality of each person, how everybody holds their own.�

It is so true that each D12 emcee has his own talent and ability to rap.

It is less known that Proof�s first stage name was �Maximum�. Proof has always been appreciated in Detroit for his raps and his freestyling qualities. He changed his nickname when people started calling him �Living Proof�, because in many people�s minds, Proof was the �living proof of the living MCs in Detroit".


Proof has collaborated and still collaborates with numerous artists such as Dogmatic.
Proof�s first released Cd was called �From Death� and was co-produced with Da Goon Squad.

He has released a CD called �Promatic� with Dogmatic and a six Track solo EP called �The Search For Jerry Garcia�.
As well as for Eminem, Detroit has been very influencial to Proof who describes his hometown as �the type of place where eye contact can get you killed� and also as � a city where the sun never shines, full of pot holes, snow and con artists ready to jack everything you got�.

My name is Isabelle Esling. I do teach English and German at public schools. I'm an Eminem biographer and a freelance music joualist.

Guitar Lessons Playing Rhythm Guitar Is Important

Leaing to play good rhythm guitar was the hardest thing for me to figure out when I was first leaing. Most people associate playing rhythm to just strumming chords, but it is so much more. I love playing guitar solos and when I sit down to play by myself I usually end up playing an amazing 20 minute solo for myself. Man it�s a lot of fun, but in reality 95% of your playing will be rhythm.

I read an interview of Eddie Van Halen once in which Eddie stated that he was primarily a rhythm guitar player first and a soloist second. Most of the songs you hear and the �riffs� you groove to are not solos but guitar rhythms. The guitar solo is missing in most mode rock music (too bad). I thought this was an indication that mode guitarists just did not have the talent. Listen to bands like Tool and you quickly lea that these guitarists are just as talented as their fathers. They focus more on supporting the song and providing the �vibe�. Each generation of musicians needs to do there own thing, but guitar solos are starting to make a come back.

Leaing to play rhythm properly is IMPOSSIBLE if all you do is sit in your room a jam by yourself. Most guitarists have a hard time leaping from playing alone in their room to playing in a band. There are things you can do to make the transition easier. The most important advice is to buy a drum machine or at least find some sort of rhythm device to play along with. Use the drum machine every time you play. Tuning my guitar and tuing on my drum machine is automatic for me.

Another effective way to lea rhythm is by playing along with your favorite songs. Tascam sells a machine called a guitar trainer that slows down a CD so you can lea a song at a manageable speed and then allows you to increase the speed as you lea the song. If you cannot afford one of these devices then play along to a CD or Ipod. I often load a song on my Ipod and then put my amp head phones over the Ipod head phones. Be careful of the volume.

Leaing good rhythm guitar will land you gigs and teach you more about how to play music. So when you sit down to practice focus about 75% of your time on perfecting this demanding skill.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and lea Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 Free Guitar Lessons and Information about playing Guitar.

Eminem Short Biography

The story of Eminem is similar to that of his songs, it needs a little censoring. Some may not be appropriate for those viewed as too young, but here I feel it's important to look at why his music, and consequently Eminem himself, appears so angry. Everywhere you look in his life from his hard child hood with an unstable cruel mother, to his well-publicized and rocky relationship with wife Kim, you see that Eminem raps about what he knows. His life is the subject of his music and he makes no excuses. But a hard upbringing only propelled him into superstardom as you can read in magazines like The Source and XXL. Eminem took his humble beginnings and built a career.

Eminem (Marshall Bruce Mathers) was bo on October 17, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri where he lived for twelve years until he moved to Detroit. He never had much of a chance to make friends moving every other month because his mother continued to get evicted for the lack of pay. Eminem went to school up to the 9th grade where he failed three times before dropping out. He then continued to strive for that record deal to make him famous. While trying to achieve his goal he little Haile Jade Scott was bo on December 25, 1995 with long time girlfriend Kim Scott. (Eminem homepage) Eminem continued to rap after the birth of his daughter entering into 97 Rap Olympics in Las Angeles that produced 1,500 to the 1st place winner. Eminem furiously came in 2nd desperately needing the money not knowing that a few producers had seen him from Interscope. Finally he had the opportunity to show what he is made of with Dr. Dre, Dr. Dre was so impressed after hearing Eminem free styling on a Los Angeles radio station that he put out a manhunt for the Michigan rhymer. (Eminem homepage) a famous rap producer that wanted to open the doors for Eminem. The two instantly hit it off, recording four songs in the there first six hours of working - three that made it to his first LP. (Eminem Bio.) Now officially making it, Marshall and Dre set to make his second LP. The album became the Marshall Mathers LP and won 3 Grammies and was the first rap album ever to be nominated �Album of the Year�, selling more than 8 million records in the United States alone. (Eminem Bio.) Eminem continues to succeed with the his partners who started his career for him although he continues to face many difficult times between the media, his mother and the long conflicting relationship between him and his girlfriend. After they had broken up they had obviously still talked, either about there relationship of for the sake of their daughter Hailie who means more to Eminem then anyone in the world at this point of his life. I wanted to be a family to Kim and Hailie and raise my daughter the right way and not cut on her like my father did to me. My family is all I have ever fought for and all I�ve ever tried to protect. The only thing I�m scared of is being taken away from my little girl. (Chuck Weiner) Eminem was also scared to raise a family and wasn�t sure if he would have sufficient funds or know how too. When my daughter was bo I was so scared I wouldn�t be able to raise her and support her, as a father should. Her first two Christmases we had nothing, but this last Christmas, when she tued three she had so many f*ckin� presents under the tree, she kept opening them saying, �this one�s for me too?� My daughter wasn�t bo with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she�s got one now! (Chuck Weiner) Eminem can�t help but to spoil his little girl being that he feels it was degrading that way his mother treated him. If my mother is f*ckin� cruel enough, knowing she didn�t help me get where I�m at, try to take food out of my mouth and out of my daughter�s mouth, try to take me for everything that I have, then I�m not holding back on this album. She�s always been out to get me, and now she knows I have money so she won�t leave be alone. I know that�s not a nice thing to say about your mother, but unfortunately it�s true. (Chuck Weiner) Eminem has so much hate toward his mother that has built up in all the recent years in his life that he will do anything to keep Hailie happy and keep a healthy relationship between the two of them. His mom on the other he can�t seem to forgive because of all of the grief and trouble that she has put him threw.

Eminem has psychologically tued 360 degrees throughout his life. From the fighting and confusion with his mother, never meeting his father to being one the biggest success stories in rap history. The best example is an experiment of Eminems anger management, after he had started to rise he would get opinions from people saying �Your white, why are you rapping� & �Go play Rock and Role� and he said that drove him angrier and angrier and he emphasized it throughout his lyrics. Eminem was probably bo as a kid with no chemical imbalances, but after his mother put him threw so much hell after he has grown up he may have a chemical imbalance and not be able to control some of his emotions that he feels when people disrespect him. When he is presented on T.V. he looks as if he is always sad of something is always bothering him that he can�t be proud of his achievements of happy to be where he is and it�s got everything to do with his childhood and recent terrible interactions he�s had with friends, family and rivals.

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Defeating Stage Fright

If you don't suffer from stage fright, I hope you know how lucky you are. For some musicians, the thought of standing up in front of an audience and performing leaves them feeling weak in the knees, shaky, sweaty and miserable. It's a debilitating situation, one that has prevented many fine performers from becoming all they could be. But don't despair if it has you in its grip- it is curable! If you suffer from stage fright, or performance anxiety as it is also called, you need to know that a certain amount of nervousness is normal. It is natural to feel angst when having to demonstrate your musical abilities in front of others. Public speaking is another area that people get jittery over. But having the jitters is one thing; actually being so afraid that you can't do it - that's quite another, and very important that performing musicians solve it. The first thing you should note is that you are likely always going to experience nerves when you perform. Nerves are normal. You will likely always feel the jitters at least a bit. But most people can handle the jitters. And in fact, a bit of nervous tension makes performing exciting to most. It becomes a problem, however, when those nerves eat away at you and make you feel almost sick to your stomach! The second thing to note is that performance anxiety is almost always curable. But it takes a bit of psychology and a dose of ego to defeat it. You need to deal with it head-on starting at least one week before a performance. The technique described below can be done at home, at work or school, in a park... anywhere that you have a few moments of peace. Sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and relax. Imagine yourself going through the process of getting ready for the concert. Imagine the day. Picture getting dressed for the concert. Now imagine walking out the door of your house, getting in the car, and driving to the performance venue. Then imagine taking your instrument out, warming up, and finally, walking out onstage to perform. Through every step of your imagined concert, remind yourself toalways remain calm. If at any point you feel your body tightening up, or your breath or heart rate increasing, pause your imaginary story, slow your breathing down and relax yourself physically. When you feel calm again, resume your pretend concert day preparations. Then imagine walking out and playing. Stay calm and you will begin to feel a confidence you've perhaps not felt before. The imagination is a wonderful tool. If you do this every day, at least once a day, starting a week or two before your concert, you are going to surprise yourself with how well you do in the real situation. Keep in mind that you will not feel completely nervefree in the concert. That is not a reasonable goal. Musicians should feel a bit of nervous stress; that is healthy. Throughout your imagined concert scenario, you need to boost your ego. You need to keep reminding yourself that you can play that music. Tell yourself that there is no one in the audience who can play like you, and that you are going to now demonstrate to everyone how this music should sound. You may not be accustomed to thinking in such arrogant terms, but you must! You will find that the confidence you show in yourself will help defeat the fears you have. And one last suggestion: try to find friends you can play for from time to time. Part of solving performance anxiety is to put yourself in the performance situation as often as possible. You will find that with time, performance anxiety will be replaced with performance excitement, and you will love the feeling! ________________ Gary Ewer is the author ofThe Essential Secrets of Songwriting and Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory. He is currently an instructor in the Dept. of Music, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Good Artists Copy Great Artists Steal How to Reinvent Your Favorite Songs

Wait! Before you get all upset and threaten to call the cops, this article is not about copyright violations. That's not cool, not at all. What is cool, though, is finding a song you like, drawing inspiration from it, and using that inspiration to create your own original song. That's what Pablo Picasso meant when he said, "Bad artists copy, great artists steal." Steal the inspiration, but use it to make something you can truly call your own -- something that someone else might find to be worth stealing.

Crime Analysis: How It All Goes Down

1. First, find a song you like. Generally speaking, it's easier to draw inspiration from a simple song than a complex one, so pick a song that is relatively simple and straightforward. 2. Then, lea to play it. The easiest way to do that is to type into a search engine the name of the song you are looking to play plus the word "tab." So if you wanted to lea to play "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis, you'd go to a search engine and type in "Don't Look Back in Anger Tab". You can then find the tablature that will show you how to play the song. Alteatively, you can use tablature archive sites like Ultimate-Guitar to find your tabs. 3. Once you know the song, you can start getting creative with it. Is it an electric song? Play it acoustic. Is it acoustic? Play it electric. (If you only have one guitar, then pick a song that is performed on the type of guitar that is NOT yours; for instance if you only have an acoustic guitar, try stealing a song written on an electric). 4. Change the tempo of the song. Is it fast? Play it slow. Is it slow? Play it fast. Doing this, combined with changing it from electric to acoustic (or vice-versa), should give you something that is starting to sound a little different. 5. Next, transpose the song to a different key and/or scale (click here for an article on transposing a musical piece that goes into more detail on how to do that). The easiest way to do that is to use a capo, although I'd recommend switching scales in addition to switching keys to make sure your new piece sounds wholly original. 6. Once you've done that, switch up the rhythm a bit. One of my favorite strategies is to take a song where the chords are strummed and use arpeggios instead (click here for an article on arpeggios). I also like to add rests. 7. Now's the killer ingredient: new lyrics. New lyrics will give the song a new meaning, and are another opportunity for you to switch up the rhythm of the song a bit, as different words require a different rhythm. 8. One last but very important step: tweak the melody. By now the song should sound pretty different than the original you drew inspiration from -- in fact, if it's done properly, it should sound completely different -- but you want your song to be truly original, not just some lame rip-off. To do that, look for places where the melody still sounds a bit identical, and tweak accordingly.

And there you have it! You've stolen a song -- but you've reinvented it into something truly original at the same time. As the saying goes, "Good artists copy, great artists steal."

Still don't believe me? Check out how this formula was applied to reinvent Aimee Mann's song "That's Just What You Are" into an original song. Click here to visit.

Kid Mercury is a VIP member of the New York City Singer/Songwriter Sessions. He is also the founder and director of ActoGuitar, an online guitar education community.