September 28, 2021

Getting grips with my electric guitar

I’ve been working on my electric guitar playing. But have been struggling with back pain. What You Need To Know About Picks And Straps Electric guitar picks can be used to produce specific sounds. That’s not something you can do with your fingertips. Playing the electric guitar with a guitar pick is always recommended. Beginners and experienced players alike can benefit from this. A strap makes playing guitar easier. The following reasons explain why: The first step. Playing an electric guitar on your leg can be uncomfortable. The V-shaped guitars are especially uncomfortable. Using a strap allows some of the weight to be carried by your shoulders instead. The weight of the guitar can also cause you to lose sensation in your leg. Your legs may become tingly. Secondly, there is the option of standing. Additionally, if you ever decide to stand up and play. If you’ve never practiced this before, you should do so before. Beginners should buy a strap that makes them feel comfortable. Despite their great looks, leather straps quickly crack and appear old. Straps made of woven or polyester are more durable. Make sure not to pick one that’s too thin and uncomfortable.

Art 0 1 min read
May 28, 2020

Getting the hang of playing the guitar

Here comes 2020, and me trying out playing the guitar for the seventh time. Or it feels like the seventh time. I remember trying when I was a young girl, my uncle had came to visit. And passed me his guitar. I could barely hold it but was fascinated by the instrument. And the sounds he could make from it. I tried it again in primary school, in one of our lessons where someone had brought in a load of musical instruments. I remember that guitar not sounding very pleasant. But perhaps it wasn’t in tune. In high school, there was a cute boy who was trying to impress me with his guitar playing and tried to teach me. I tried a couple of times before realising I much preferred music than the boy. And if you want to count it… guitar hero. I was entranced by Eric Johnson’s Cliffs of Dover in the game. So while I couldn’t play the real thing, I very much enjoyed the game until I realised that this is not real life. Fast forward to now, while I have my many hobbies. Playing guitar is something I still would love to do. My friend is at Guitar Tuition East London at the moment taking guitar lessons in London, and she’s really inspired me to get going again. Seeing her make so much progress being a complete beginner in music has been so encouraging. Perhaps after this whole lockdown I will get to go have some guitar lessons to help me too. Even though I have a background in classical music training, it never seemed to quite translate when I approached the guitar. It seems much more alien to me having never played a string instrument before. I’m excited to see how I progress in learning and hope you will wish my seventh time lucky.

Art 0 1 min read
April 4, 2020

How To Play A Trumpet

I’ve been playing the trumpet since I was little kid and thought it would be helpful to talk about what things you might think about if you wanted to learn too! So, you’re thinking of taking up trumpet playing. Cool. Or maybe you’re just curious how the trumpet makes its sound. Still cool. What is a trumpet? A trumpet, typically, is a metal tube with one end flared like a bell and a narrower end fitted with a mouthpiece. It is often made of a length (6 – 1/2 ft) of hard bronze that had been bent and coiled, and is hollow through and through, with valve-controlled inlets. Between the mouthpiece and the bell, the body of the trumpet viewed sideways, curiously resembles a paper clip! A typical trumpet has three upward protruding valve heads which (you see) the trumpet player alternately presses down and releases when they’re playing music. Each valve is encased in its respective cylinder connected to the main tube. You will also see three rings on different positions on the trumpet’s body. The first ring (sometimes a hook) on the front end of the valves acts as fixed support for the little finger. This helps your right hand get good leverage when pressing/releasing the valve heads. The two other rings located near the bottom, on each end of the cylinders are the slide handles. These slide handles or slides fine tune the pitch and tone of a note. The mouthpiece is a separate piece that is fitted on the narrow end of the tube. There is an assortment of mouthpieces that produce different sound qualities from mellow to sharp, and in different keys. How To Play the Trumpet The sound made by the trumpet is produced by making a buzzing sound with your lips blown through the mouthpiece. This basically creates the trumpet sound. Try it! Pitch is regulated by the different ways your lips open, its position, and the power when you blow on the mouthpiece. You can play a C, a G, and a higher C by just blowing on the trumpet, without playing any of the valves. The three valves also control what notes you play. The first valve opened (pressed or played) lowers the note by one tone (e.g. from G to F). The second valve lowers the note by a semi-tone (e.g. from C to B). The third lowers the note by one and a half tones (e.g. from G to E, or from C to A). Trumpet playing seems complicated! But you can learn and master it with regular practice and determination.

Art 0 2 min read
March 18, 2020

Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs

I freaking love James Bond movies, so I thought I would make my favourite James Bond theme song list considering how much I like the music. James Bond movies have had a good run in coming up with some of the best movie theme songs. Some have made it to the top, while others held their high rank for several consecutive weeks. You may have your own pick on what Bond theme song should be on the top 10. But here are our Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs based on the UK’s Top 100 Singles Chart at the time. Writing’s on the Wall (Sam Smith, 2015). From the movie Spectre, this was the first ever Bond theme song that reached no.1 on UK’s Top 100 Singles Chart. No Time to Die (Billie Eilish, 2020). Because of her phenomenal popularity, Billie Eilish’s rendition of the Bond theme song of the same title as the movie, No Time to Die, made it to no.1 within a week of its debut with the biggest opening for a Bond movie. A View to Kill (Duran Duran, 1985). Though the song did not make it to no.1, A View to Kill is still regarded as one of the best Bond theme songs. It ranked no.2 on the Top 100 for 16 weeks. Skyfall (Adele, 2012). Despite the popularity of the movie Skyfall, which won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe, its theme song held only no.2 for 32 weeks. We Have All the Time in the World (Louis Armstrong, 1969). From the old movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, this hit single was 19 weeks at no.3. Die Another Day (Madonna, 2002). The theme song carrying the movie title was also no.3 in the charts for 17 weeks. The Living Daylights (A-ha, 1987). This was no.5 for 9 weeks. Licence to Kill (Gladys Knight, 1989). From the same movie title, Licence to Kill was no.6 for 11 weeks. You Know My Name (Chris Cornell, 2006). From the latest movie adaptation of Casino Royale, this Bond theme song held no.7 for 19 weeks. Nobody Does it Better (Carly Simon, 1977). From the movie, The Spy Who Loved Me, this single was no.7 for 12 weeks. A lot of popular Bond theme songs didn’t make top 10 based on the UK’s Top 100, including Diamonds are Forever (Shirley Bassey, 1971), Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey, 1964), From Russia with Love (Matt Monro, 1963), Live and Let Die (Paul Mc Cartney and Wings, 1973), You Only Live Twice (Nancy Sinatra, 1967). What was your Bond theme song that didn’t make the Top 10 list?

Art 0 2 min read
March 7, 2020

Top 10 Favourite Rock Singers of All Time

There will undoubtedly be different lists of who the Top 10 Favourite Rock Singers of All Time are. It’s not easy to even rank them from 1 to 10 in order. But definitely, voice quality ranks at the top of the criteria. Here are our top 10 favourite rock singers of all time: Robert Plant. His vocal prowess helped Led Zeppelin rise to the top in the 70’s. His high pitched nasal voice with a fine raspy texture is matched only by the unequalled skill of Jimmy Page on lead guitar. Freddie Mercury. The tone of his voice is very smooth and elegant, like dripping honey. His singing style is flamboyant and his presence on stage is infectious. His and Queen’s popularity soared after their 1985 Live Aid performance left the other performing bands and the entire Wembley Stadium in awe. Mick Jagger. Another flamboyant performer known for his showmanship. His distinct throaty voice and flashy moves brought the Rolling Stones the title of The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band. John Lennon/Paul McCartney. The Lennon-McCartney tandem is inseparable if you consider the popularity of the Beatles. Their voices, however, were distinct and recognizable from each other. Janis Joplin. She was a tiny firebrand, a comet of a rock star who had a unique soulful voice. She took the blues rock and roll world by storm with her powerful raspy vocals. Bruce Springsteen. Born in the USA. Bruce Springsteen sings while methodically strumming his electric guitar. His voice is deep and raspy, it almost approximates a growl. His rugged style can rouse a crowd. Axl Rose. Dramatic lead vocals of the 80’s band Guns ‘n’ Roses. His voice is throaty and high-pitched like a squeal, but later on incorporated a low, raspy quality. David Bowie. Bowie has a constant vibrato in his voice that gave it a unique sound that matched his avant-garde style. He appears almost stoical when he sings. Bob Dylan. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his voice was not unique and distinct, but his songs took on political color in what became known as protest songs. Sting. He was both songwriter and lead vocals for The Police. His distinctly raspy high-pitched voice is hard not to recognize. He is one down-to-earth dude. You may have your own top 10 favourites rock singers of all time. But here are 10 of our favourite top rock singers based on the distinct quality of their voice, live performance, and popularity.

Art 0 2 min read

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