Archive for September, 2011

The Roots And Genre Of Soul Music

What do Barry White, Marvin Gaye, The Emotions, and Luther Vandrose, have in common with Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston, and Chaka Khan?  Soul is what they have in common, deep-rhythmic blues and vocals that can have you testifying, crying, or shouting out.  Soul music that touches deep into your being is what those artist and many more have in common. 

When was the last time you listened to some good old soul music, sat back, allow it to take you to another place, released your mind and body, and allowed your soul to be touched?  If you can’t recall it is time you got back in touch with some rare soul grooves. 

Soul music is a well-liked approach to music created back in the 50′s by influential artist like Ray Charles with his music and songs like “I’ve Got A Woman” “Confession Blues”, “Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand”, Little Richard with “Tutti Frutti” “Long Tall Sally”, “Good Golly, Miss Molly”) and James Brown  with his “Please, Please, Please”, “Try Me”).  The sultry blend of gospel with rhythm, blues, and beats began the birth of soul music.  Some found this early music almost disrespectful, as depicted in the biopic film Ray.  Soul music didn’t take real fast amongst the majority of gospel fearing crowd as they felt it was a disrespect to sing in a gospel manner while singing about love, women, and good times, however, soul music began to fill the airwaves and make a definite strong impact on the world of music.

The gospel music that concurred to the soul melted with the early rock and roll and rhythm and blues quickly started reaching top chart hits.  Record companies couldn’t move fast enough to sign on soul music artist like Aretha Franklin the “Queen of Soul” (“Rock-A-Bye Your Baby”, “Today I Sing The Blues”, “Won’t Be Long” and “Operation Heartbreak”) Solomon Burke (“Cry to Me”, “Just Out of Reach” and “Down in the Valley”),Otis Redding (“These Arms of Mine”, “Mr. Pitiful”, “I Can’t Turn You Loose” “Try a Little Tenderness” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”) and many more. 

Since the 50′s and 60′s era of rare soul music, many new subgenres of soul music has arose such as the Detroit (Motown) soul, Deep soul and Southern soul, Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago and Philadelphia soul.  There is also the Neo soul, Nu-Jazz, and soulful electronica, as well as ppsychedelic soul.  Psychedelic soul blends a mix of soul music with a touch of psychedelic rock.  This genre of soul music made its debut in the late 60′s and opened the doors to what we know now as funk music. 

In the mid 60′s and early 70′s many white artist started emerging the Motown and Sax sounds into their music which started the blue-eyed soul genre.  Kenny G would be a great example of a blue-eyed soul musician describing his use of the rhythm and blues sound attached with the sax.  The terms northern soul and modern soul became common terminology in the 70′s in reference to the nightclubs that were made popular by DJ’s playing rare soul music from their root beginnings.  Each subgenre has each own purpose and its own unique sound that makes them special yet holds true to what is known as soul music.  .

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The Purpose of Music Education Masters in Educating Parents on Music

You don’t need to learn how to become parents; you know it through instinct. But you do need to learn how to become good parents. Raising your child in a way that is most suitable for him is an art that needs to be developed. If your child has a musical talent, you need to spot it, take help of music education masters, and encourage your child to develop his talent.

Do you know that our parental skills form when we are just children? We follow and assimilate the habits of our parents or whoever influences us the most. When we become parents, we instinctively follow the same old pattern while dealing with our children.

Even though this style remains with us for life, we do want one thing for our child: we want them to be better than us. That is why parents encourage the child to participate in various activities like art, sports, science, languages, cultures, etc.

Sometimes it so happens that your child becomes interested in something you have no idea of, like music. Suppose your child is riveted to music and he starts dancing and singing along when music starts. It comes to the point where he says he wishes to learn to play an instrument. In this case, you have three options:

1. Ignore his request and wait for him outgrow his fascination and get a more realistic interest.
2. Agree to his request, buy him a musical instrument and take him to music education masters.
3. Agree to his request and support him all the way by exploring the music education process and organizing his education under professional music education masters.

The third option is the most beneficial. Why is musical education for parents necessary when there are professionals around and you have other things to do? The answer lies in the fact that without motivation and support at home, children lose their music interest midway through their lessons.

Most parents want to help but they cannot find good books or articles about musical education. I wish to clarify that I’m not asking parents to train under music education masters or know how to read music notes or know the techniques of playing music. I’m saying that they should know everything about the process of music education from beginning to end.

It is the mission of music education masters to make music an enjoyable learning experience for children by involving the parents in it. I’m writing several books and articles to help parents help their children learn music. I have no intentions whatsoever to belittle other writers. I only want to express my own views which I acquired through years of rich experience. It is up to you whether to accept them or not.

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How To Find The Best Blues Guitar Course For You

When looking for the best blues guitar lesson dvds there are two basic types. The first type contains limited but highly focused lessons that are based on learning blues music in the style of certain historical periods like the Delta, Chicago or 1960’s Rock Blues. Also, there are specialty dvds available that focus on learning to play in the style of certain artists like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughn just to name a few.

This article will focus on the second type of blues guitar course. The kind created for students that desire comprehensive training in the fundamental skills required to play songs of many popular blues periods. These courses typically cover the essential riffs, techniques and music theory. Often these courses teach how to build interesting solos as well as being a supportive rhythm player in a live band.

General Guitar Skills Required Before Learning Blues Guitar

To get the most out of these complete blues instruction dvds it is first critical to have some familiarity with the basics of playing the guitar. Specifically, know how to play many of the major, minor and dominant seventh chords. Understand a few moveable bar chord shapes and at least one moveable major scale and minor pentatonic scale pattern. It would also be helpful to know basic fretting techniques for slides, bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs.

What To Look For In A Good Comprehensive Blues Guitar Course:

The Instructor: This is by far the most important factor in determining the value of a blues lesson dvd. Ideally the instructor will be an accomplished guitarist that has played extensively in blues bands. It is also useful if the instructor is competent in many non-blues styles of music and has written and recorded songs.

The blues course instructor must also be a gifted and experienced teacher. He must be able to identify with the learning styles and thought processes of students at each stage of their development. An instructor that is formally educated in music is ideal.

The Course format: The dvds would ideally offer continuous video and not just short segments. The videos should be accompanied by a printed support book or at least an ebook that can be downloaded from the internet. They should be well organized so that the lessons can build skills and understanding logically from one to another.

The Video Production quality: Close up shots must reveal the fingers on the fret board clearly so there is no ambiguity about what frets or what strings are being fingered. The videos should be of high enough resolution so that you can view them on a large computer or television screen without the image becoming fuzzy. Often programs that are downloaded from the internet don’t pass the sharpness test.

The Lessons Format: would include verbal explanation, full speed demonstrations, slow speed demonstrations, practice with the instructor and practice with a recorded back-up band (often referred to as Jam Tracks).

The Lesson Topics: Should At A Minimum Include: open blues chords, moveable blues chords, chord progressions, 12 bar blues format, common blues scales, common picking techniques, common fingering techniques, common blues strumming patterns, a selection of standard blues songs and how to improvise solos with a band.

Electric Blues or Acoustic Blues Instruction? Its important to know what type of blues music and therefore what kind of guitar lessons will fit the bill. Some blues guitar courses are for electric only, some are acoustic only and a few cover both.

It is worth noting that when acquiring advanced or specialty guitar lessons it is almost always beneficial to be exposed to the course teachings of many different master instructors. Each successful blues guitarist learns from past and present legends then melds those lessons into something that is unique. The more influences you have the richer your unique style can become.

One of the great advantages of video blues guitar lessons on dvd is that you can efficiently and relatively inexpensively learn a broad spectrum of standard styles, songs and artists. Now you should have a good set of criteria for finding the best blues guitar lessons for your specific interests.

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Kids Music – The Magic of Music for Kids

What’s so great about music? We all know that music can make us want to jump, dance, and tap our feet. But did you know that music has been linked to math scores, brain development, and anxiety relief? During the critical young ages of learning while the brain is still developing, the impact of music is at its greatest level. But even beyond the younger years, music can still play an important role, providing instruction for pre-teens, anxiety relief for adults, and even therapy for Alzheimer patients.

Psychologists and Educators are just beginning to uncover the many benefits that music provides for our mental health. While we all may be somewhat familiar with the idea that loud and fast music makes us feel different than quiet and slow music, research is showing that the predictable ways that music can influence us goes beyond altering our moods. Some studies show that we can predictably alter many of our mental states, and even heal damaged brains. Another study has found that students with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) were able to improve their focus, given neurofeedback results while listening to background music.

There are many genres of music, and for a student wanting to benefit from the motivational and instructional elements of music, the first step is to appropriately align their age and interest with a particular music genre. Parents and teachers know that pre-teens are not going to be caught listening to music that kept their attention as a toddler. But while there are many genres and songs to choose from for the very young and for adults, there are fewer selections for those in the middle, who could benefit the most from the educational value of music.

Educational music for kids can be influential for teaching values, instructional for memorizing the alphabet, for example, and motivational for wanting to learn more about a topic. Some teachers play “welcoming music” as the children are entering the classroom, which captures their attention and desire to learn more about the subject of the educational song.

Kids are hard-wired to want to learn, and the teaching approaches that work the best are aligned with the natural learning process and interests of the learner. Music for kids is a powerful way to connect, motivate, and teach young students, in a method that is not forced, but yet aligns with their interests and natural desire to learn.

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