Facts about Music

It can be a stressful time in choosing what music the bride should walk down the aisle to. The appropriate choice of music can set the right mood and set up the perfect beginning to a ceremony. There are various options available in terms of song choice, but the main thing to remember is that normally three pieces of music are chosen; one for the entrance, one for the signing of the register and another for the exit.

One of the main things to note at this stage is that the entrance of the bride doesn’t usually take much time, so if you pick a five-minute song, you may only hear the first minute or so. Of course the musician(s) performing on the day can offer some advice here, but it is usually best to pick the longest song for the signing of the register, although you may need one or two others depending on how long it will take.

At the same time you are deciding on the pieces of music you would like to hear, it is important to think of what instrument(s) you would like them performed on. It is important to think of your music at this stage because your favourite jazz standard might sound a bit odd with a string quartet, or a heavy rock classic might struggle to work on the piano.

In terms of the style of wedding aisle music you would like to hear, there really are many options. You could pick something that is special to you, whether that is a piece of classical music like Pachelbel’s Canon, or a pop song that you remember hearing the first time you met. However, you could simply pick some music that you feel is appropriate to the day.

String quartets are very common for wedding ceremonies and they usually specialise in classical repertoire, although covers of pop songs are also becoming more common. However, a cheaper and more flexible option could be to hire a pianist to play wedding music to walk down the aisle to. A pianist will usually have a wider range of songs than a string quartet and another advantage is that he or she can be used for the reception as well. It is usually very easy to play multiple styles of music on the piano, from jazz and latin, to pop, blues and rock, which can cater for all tastes on you wedding day.

Whether you are purchasing an instrument for yourself or for your child, violin price is often an concern. As a parent, it is understandable to not want to spend a lot of money on a musical instrument until you are certain your child will enjoy his or her lessons and continue to play the instrument. That is where price enters into your criteria for the violin purchase.

However, you should be aware of what to look for when purchasing a new or a used violin. Buying an inexpensive Chinese-made violin for under $300 does not come without its issues. There are many things to look for in the way the violin is made that can assist you in making that purchase decision. In the long run, the materials used and the construction of the instrument play key roles in not only how the instrument sounds, but also in the ease of playing the instrument. This is very important for the new student as well as the experienced one. It is very discouraging if the mechanics of the instrument adds to the difficulty in learning to play it. Also, the sound of inexpensive strings in themselves will not add to the tone of the violin and may bring you to an early decision to end the student’s lessons.

It does not pay in the long run to spend less on an instrument when you might end up having to replace the strings, the bridge, or the pegs. The inexpensive violin may end up costing you $100 to $200 in upgrades.

When purchasing a violin, one should examine the fingerboard, which should be made of ebony, a hard wood which is naturally black in colour. In less expensive violins, this is often made from a softer, lighter wood that has been painted or stained to resemble ebony. If you examine the underside of the fingerboard carefully where it joins to the body of the violin, you may be able to detect where it has not been painted. If this is the case and the wood is lighter in colour, then it is not made of ebony.

The bridge is also a very key part to examine. The bridge should be footed and sit in an upright position to the body of the violin. It should not be leaning. If you examine the bridge from a level view from the bottom of the violin along the strings, the strings should not line up in a straight line. The “E” string should be lower, for example, allowing for the ease of playing the individual string with the bow. If the bridge is properly made and mounted, the instrument will be easier to learn to play and make it more enjoyable to learn.

The sound post, which can be seen inside the body of the violin through the f-hole and under the treble side of the bridge, should be vertical and not leaning. The sound post is a small dowel usually made of spruce that is held inside by the friction between the top and back plates of a violin and is situated under the treble side of the bridge. It is important for structural support, as well as the tone because it transfers vibrations from the top plate to the back plate of the violin. Its position, as well as its size and type of wood, make a difference in the tone of the violin. In a later article, we will discuss how to adjust the sound post.

It is also important to look at the purfling on the violin. These are the “lines” that run parallel to the outline of the violin along the front and back of the violin. Usually these are made by carving and are inlaid with another thin strip of wood. This adds strength to the instrument. On an inexpensive instrument, the purfling may be faked by simply being painted to appear like inlay.

In most cases of a higher quality violin, but there is always an exception to the rule, the violin company or maker will have a label inside the violin that can be viewed through the f-hole on the body of the violin.

Most importantly, there is no substitution for playing the instrument and listening to its tone, its richness and its depth, the way it feels in your hand and the mechanics of how it plays. You cannot do this when ordering online!

Prices for violins vary. There are many reasons to consider paying more for your purchase. However, if the student decides the violin is not for them, you are going to get a better resale price for the quality violin you purchased that was well cared for.

Greg Weir is a fiddle (violin) player from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. Greg runs the Violin Price website, a web resource for people interested in learning, playing or collecting violins.

I’ve spent countless hours learning new songs, practicing and picking away and I’ve found out that so many players just keep improving their guitar playing faster than me. It gets me a little frustrated to see them play with such passion and technical expertise that I often find myself asking why. What are these musicians doing that I’m not? I get it that practice is the foundation but there seems to be more to it than that. I started doing a little research and I think I’ve found out what sets them apart from my “system” if you could call it that. It’s just a little shift in their mindset. Here are three tips that have set me on to a better flow of results that I think you will see can improve your skill dramatically.

1. Staying in the rut of playing the same old style of music.

Now I know some you including me love playing only one or two styles of music. Whether its Rock, Country, Blues, Jazz or Classical, the musical styles of other guitar players can often reveal a certain technique or rhythm that could very well blow your mind if you were to incorporate it into your favorite genre. For example, Steve Vai has been thought of by many to be one of the finest guitarists period. Ever hear any of his tracks? This guy can play it all. And it’s not uncommon to hear him jump from one style to another on the same track and it just seems to work for him. I can guess he worked like heck and practiced for hours on a variety of musical styles and I know that doing that can jumpstart your musical imagination, get the juices flowing to spur you on to being a better player

2. Playing by yourself or at least not having an audience.

Remember when you were a kid and you and your buddies were riding bicycles? Everyone started popping wheelies and you started to try doing them as well? I remember trying that out and couldn’t for the life of me get the hang of it. I would start out not being able to stay up on one wheel and then after a few days the magic would happen and I’d be able to ride quite a long time on that back wheel. Well the same concept can be applied to you playing. When your around others and jamming, you can really get inspired, learn new things from your friends and dramatically improve your playing skills. So by getting around other players and having fun, you will quickly improve your playing and have a great time while you’re at it.

3. Not practicing enough. (Yeah, I know)

So many times in my practice sessions, I would stare blankly at the wall not knowing what I should do next. Learn a new song? Work on my scales, figure out a new technique? This would often produce repetitive routines that got me nowhere. It also made me less inclined to play my guitar I have spent days or weeks without ever having picked up the guitar at all. Not a good thing. I now know that not having a structured practice method is really no method at all. Getting online I found several great instruction products that I can use to help me with a sound structure and boy, it goes a long way to making you a better player. Many of these programs have great software and video tutorials that blast through any blocks you may have in your practice. I never knew that these products were available and have helped me tremendously.

Well, I hope these three tips can help you in your quest to improve the enjoyment in your playing. As always feel free to comment with any of your tips. Enjoy your time playing and I hope you find real progress.

Much like an electric guitar, bass scales follow the same 12 notes. These notes are grouped on various ways – Major, Minor, Melodic Minor, Minor and major Pentatonic and so on. Although this may seem relatively foreign for you personally, that which you hear on bass players now a-days come from these bass scales. To higher appreciate the importance of bass guitar scales, consider these fine points.

Bass Guitar Scales provides character for your music

You will find “happy” scales (mostly majors), “gloomy” scales (minors), “bluesy” scales (minor pentatonic) and “darker” scales (Aeolian). Depending on your mood or song of choice, you may create a different mood or twist in your abide by using different scales. You should note that some of these scales usually interact with each other in a same song so you might hear complex sounds or mood swings.

Bass guitar scales will accelerate your learning process

Imagine this; you are a tourist lost in the middle of cosmopolitan Tokyo. You’ve lost your map and you don’t know how to speak Japanese. What will you need to do? Bass scales are the same as learning how to speak Japanese. Without them, you will be at reduction in identifying the simplest notes or chord progressions you might encounter. It will likely be very strenuous from you to come up with a good bass line without scales.

Practicing guitar scales increases hand flexibility

Practicing guitar scales for an hour or two improve your chances of playing even under the most strenuous part of your bass routines. Just like working out on the gym, guitar scales have varying patterns that offer challenging “terrain” or resistance on your fretting hands. While some major chords come as simple for you, choose to gradually climb up and check out more complex scales of jazz or blues. Watch how the likes of Victor Wooten, Charles Mingus and Dave Holland set up a show with their fast hands. You won’t achieve those sick bass lines without exercising bass guitar scales.

Bass scales were made so that you do not have to make your own. All you want do is to identify what type of style you want to play and what kind of mood you want to impart in your audience. Overtime, you’ll build confidence in playing without the worry of misplaced “notes” simply because you’re looking to get adventurous. Bass scales are the language you need to learn if you wish to speak to your audience’s ears.