Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Ernie Ball 2239 RPS Super Slinky Electric String Set (9 - 42)

Product Description



A patented winding of bronze wire is tightly wrapped around the lock twist of the ball end. String slippage and breakage are minimized at the ball end where these most often occur.
RPS strings last longer and stay in tune better than conventional plain strings.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Rock & Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul (2011)

Product Description


Filmed on June 9, 2010 at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, forever associated with the legendary Les Paul, this DVD captures Jeff Beck celebrating the great man with a selection of Les Paul songs and other great rock 'n' roll tracks on what would have been Les Paul's 95th birthday. Jeff Beck is joined by some very special guests including Imelda May and her band led by Darrel Higham on many of the tracks plus appearances by Gary US Bonds, Brian Setzer and Trombone Shorty. The intimate setting puts you right there in the audience for a performance featuring stunning musicianship and truly great songs.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Free Download Audacity 1.3.13.exe for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7

Free Download Audacity 1.3.13.exe for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7

Features:
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:
  • Record live audio.
  • Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
  • Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files.
  • Cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together.
  • Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
Features:

Recording

Audacity can record live audio through a microphone or mixer, or digitize recordings from cassette tapes, vinyl records, or minidiscs. With some sound cards, it can also capture streaming audio.
  • Record from microphone, line input, or other sources.
  • Dub over existing tracks to create multi-track recordings.
  • Record up to 16 channels at once (requires multi-channel hardware).
  • Level meters can monitor volume levels before, during, and after recording.

Import and Export

Import sound files, edit them, and combine them with other files or new recordings. Export your recordings in several common file formats.
  • Import and export WAV, AIFF, AU, and Ogg Vorbis files.
  • Import MPEG audio (including MP2 and MP3 files) with libmad.
  • Export MP3s with the optional LAME encoder library.
  • Create WAV or AIFF files suitable for burning to CD.
  • Import and export all file formats supported by libsndfile.
  • Open raw (headerless) audio files using the “Import Raw” command.
  • Note: Audacity does not currently support WMA, AAC, or most other proprietary or restricted file formats.

Editing

  • Easy editing with Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete.
  • Use unlimited Undo (and Redo) to go back any number of steps.
  • Very fast editing of large files.
  • Edit and mix an unlimited number of tracks.
  • Use the Drawing tool to alter individual sample points.
  • Fade the volume up or down smoothly with the Envelope tool.

Effects

  • Change the pitch without altering the tempo, or vice-versa.
  • Remove static, hiss, hum, or other constant background noises.
  • Alter frequencies with Equalization, FFT Filter, and Bass Boost effects.
  • Adjust volumes with Compressor, Amplify, and Normalize effects.
  • Other built-in effects include:
    • Echo
    • Phaser
    • Wahwah
    • Reverse

Sound Quality

  • Record and edit 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit (floating point) samples.
  • Record at up to 96 KHz.
  • Sample rates and formats are converted using high-quality resampling and dithering.
  • Mix tracks with different sample rates or formats, and Audacity will convert them automatically in realtime.

Plug-Ins

  • Add new effects with LADSPA plugins.
  • Audacity includes some sample plugins by Steve Harris.
  • Load VST plugins for Windows and Mac, with the optional VST Enabler.
  • Write new effects with the built-in Nyquist programming language.

Analysis

  • Spectrogram mode for visualizing frequencies.
  • “Plot Spectrum” command for detailed frequency analysis.

Free and Cross-Platform

  • Licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
  • Runs on Mac OS X, Windows, and GNU/Linux.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Epiphone G-310 SG Collection Electric Guitar, Ebony

Product Description


Amazon.com Product Description

Based on the 1967 SG, the Epiphone G-310 has all the SG style and features you want, but with bolt-neck affordability. It also has a full pickguard and sports two hot open-coil Humbucking pickups with individual volume and tone controls.

SG style and features with bolt-neck affordability.


Twin open-coil humbuckers and the industry-standard Tune-O-Matic bridge.
Rosewood fretboard with dot inlays.

Angled Headstock
Unlike cheaper designs, all Epiphones feature a 14-degree headstock that gives you more pressure at the nut and so you get more sustain with less tuning hang-ups caused by "string-tree" gadgets.
Double-Waxed Pickups
Epiphone utilizes a double vacuum waxing process that ensures optimum performance. The pickup is first placed in the specialized wax vacuuming system before the cover is put in place to ensure that the wax fully penetrates to the very center of the pickup and solidifies all parts. After the cover is placed on, it is again given a second vacuum wax bath until the unit is completely saturated with wax.
Output Jack
To increase reliability and ensure consistent performance, Epiphone's proprietary output jacks feature an improved contact shape and heavy-duty spring steel.
Toggle Switches
All Epiphones feature our all-metal, USA designed switches for reliable contact and longer life.
Tunomatic Bridge
Fully adjustable, the tunomatic remains a classic after over 50 years. Unlike guitars fitted with tremolos, there are no tuning or re-stringing difficulties. Plus, tone and sustain are improved because all string vibrations are transferred directly to the guitar.
Potentiometers
Epiphone is passionate about performance. That's why their instruments use one-inch diameter potentiometers for better "throw," longer life and reliable service.
Quick-Connectors
For unequalled reliability as well as ease of service, Epiphone wiring harnesses feature quick-connectors.
Specs

  • Pickups: Two open-coil humbuckers
  • Hardware: Chrome
  • Scale: 24.75 inches
  • Nut width: 1.68 inches
  • Neck: Bolt, Mahogany
  • Fretboard: Rosewood
  • Inlays: Dot
  • Body material: Alder
  • Tailpiece: Stopbar
  • Finishes available: Ebony, Red, Vintage White

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Paul Gilbert: Get Out of My Yard (2007) Guitar Instructional DVD

Product Description


Hot off his latest tour with G3 featuring Joe Satriani and John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert presents his amazing, brand new DVD containing over two hours of personal guitar instruction and live performances from the world's most insane shred guitarist. Contains over 2 hours of personal guitar instruction and live performances from the world's most insane guitarist, Paul Gilbert. WARNING: Your Playing May Never Be The Same!!!

The Jazz Theory Book [Spiral-bound]

Product Description


Endorsed by Jamey Aebersold, James Moody, Dave Liebman, and others, The Jazz Theory Book presents all the information any student of jazz needs in an easy-to-understand, yet thorough, manner. For intermediate to advanced players, and written by one of the acknowledged masters of jazz, it is used by universities around the world.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Legal Music Download Sites VS P2P File Sharing

This article compares the differences between legal music download sites VS file sharing networks. 
1) Music files available for download:
The p2p file sharing networks heavily out number the legal music sites when it comes to the amount of files available for download. A p2p application provides millions of unlimited mp3 music files, while a legal music download site provides legitimately licensed music files in the hundreds of thousands.

2) The cost of downloading music:
You can download p2p file sharing networks for free, or for a very cheap one-time fee. A legal music download site is usually either "subscription-based" or "pay-per-download". A legal site will also usually charge extra for the ability to rip or burn music.

3) Variety of files available for download:
A legal music site mainly provides ONLY music files for downloading. A p2p application gives you, besides music files, full movie, game, video, software, TV show and ring-tone files to download as well.

4) Legal Issues & Controversy:
Legitimate legal music download sites are completely free of controversy and 100% legal to use. P2p file sharing networks, while legal, are not without lawsuit concerns and controversy due to how the file sharing technology can be used.

If you choose to use a p2p file sharing program, there are potential risks you need to be aware of, including: 
Lawsuit Risks - Peer to peer file sharing networks have been ruled legal in a court of law. However, if you download and share "copyrighted material" you could risk becoming targeted, and possibly sued, by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Virus And Privacy Risks - In using a file sharing application, you risk the possibility of installing harmful spyware, viruses, worms and malware on your computer. And if that's not bad enough, many p2p applications also leave you exposed to online hackers and identity thieves that can steal you personal information.

Legal Music Download Sites VS P2P File Sharing - Summary:
At first glance the p2p file sharing networks may seem to offer an easy way to get unlimited free file downloads. But remember, nothing is really free and this is especially true with the p2p file sharing applications.
The file sharing programs come with a price of increased privacy and security threats, and potential RIAA lawsuit risks. The ONLY way to guarantee getting safe music downloads online is by using a legitimately licensed music site that provides downloads of music legally licensed from the record labels and artists themselves.

Friday, April 1, 2011

The Influence Of Blues Guitar On Modern Music

Anybody interested in modern music sooner or later asks the question, "Where did it begin?" Well, if you leave blues guitar music out, you will not have much of an answer. So let us look at where the blues came from, where it went and who it met on the way. We will also take a look at the "blues guitar sound" and how it has its unique effect on our feelings.

The blues as a musical phenomenon began around 1911 when W.C. Handy published popular songs, notably "Memphis Blues" and "St Louis Blues", which affected the hearts and souls of the black people. By the nineteen twenties the general population were beginning to hear this new music through its influence on jazz. Early blues singers like Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday sang with jazz bands while others played with "jug bands" accompanied by fiddle, kazoo and washboard.

Of course to people like W. C. Handy who were brought up singing in church, the piano was the natural instrumental accompaniment to their songs. But the guitar is portable and always was popular so it had to have a place in blues and jazz. Blues guitar players like twelve string guitarist Leadbelly and future electric guitar player B.B. King were making sure the guitar would be an integral part of the blues. Other blues guitarists made their living in smoky saloons playing slide guitar using a bottle neck or the blade of a knife to fret the notes.

After the Second World War young artists like Elvis Presley and Bill Haley were wrapping the blues in a new package called "rock'n'roll" and the players of the electric blues guitar like B.B. King were heralding the arrival of the lead guitar, soon to be a great attraction for both musicians and audiences. Throughout the evolution of the blues the guitar had always taken its turn for solos in jazz bands but now it competed with the singer for the attention of the audience. <

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Easy Piano Improvisation

Have you ever wanted to just sit down at the piano and play what you feel? Without worrying if it's good enough or if you have enough "talent?" You can when you learn how to play piano using the amazing open position piano chord!

This chord structure allows the complete beginner to create modern sounds at the piano
First, you must learn how to use it. The easiest way to do this is to simply learn the chords in the Key of C Major. We take the entire 6-note chord and move it up step by step. First we play C Major 7, then D minor 7, E minor 7, F Major 7, G 7, and A minor 7 and finally, B half-diminished. We play the chords first as solid chords (all tones together) then we break them up.

Once we've got this very large chord structure down in our hands, we can then use it to create music with. Improvisation simply means spontaneous expression - learning how to create in the moment. Improvising does not have to be hard! Once you get the chords down, you're left with the melody creation aspect and this is easy to because all you use are the notes from the C Major scale.

We use our chords much the same way a painter uses a palette of colors. We create using chords and the element of time.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Electric Guitar Tablature explain musical ideas

Tablature as a means of writing music down has been with us for hundreds of years, but many people today look down on tabs as a third rate method of musical communication.

In fact, tablature is not a dumbed down version of conventional musical notation, rather what we call sheet music grew from a need for more versatility in notation as music became more complex in medieval times. Electric Guitar Tabs have been a great help to the many people who have taken up the electric guitar and who wanted to get down to the business of playing as quickly as possible.

Conventional music notation has much more to communicate than tabs, but if you already know more or less how the song sounds, and are prepared to work at your own interpretation, then there is nothing wrong with using tablature.

Guitarists composing music using tabs and sharing the results of their work on the internet have brought a wide range of music within reach of amateur musicians who never learnt to read music. To some guitarists learning to read music is a waste of time that would be put to better use expressing their feelings through music. This attitude is at odds with the idea that the more
theoretical knowledge you have, the greater the pool of resources at your disposal for expressing your ideas.
Tablature, on the other hand, allows the guitarist to get to know the basic piece of music in his own way, and use his musical intuition and flair for improvisation to produce a musical work which will be as much his own work as the original composer's.
For that reason electric guitar tabs are a boon to the electric guitar player who does not want to just produce a copy of someone else's work.
You can find electric guitar tabs in music stores along with conventional written music, but the quickest and best place to look for electric guitar tabs is on the internet. Even though there's a
legal dogfight going on about tab publishers infringing the rights of the original composer, many tabs are still available for free.
However you need to exercise your discernment when making use of tablature produced by amateur guitarists. You might need to change things around a little if they don't sound right.
As for the electric guitar player who wants to broaden his musical knowledge, tablature also allows the guitarist to learn new chords, scales or modes very quickly.
Finally a reminder that using electric guitar tabs to learn new material is not a walk in the park - you need to supply some of the information which is otherwise written into sheet music. You need
to have some idea of the note values and a basic understanding of time signatures and tempo. What that boils down to is that you can hear the music in your head, and you just want to know
where to put your fingers on the fret board. That is what guitar tabs were originally made for.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

The Lure Of The Nylon String Guitar

As a fan of the electric guitar and an enthusiastic player of acoustic music, I would like to share some of the most fascinating aspects of the nylon string guitar to give you an idea of the beauty of this instrument as a stepping stone for beginner guitarists or as the subject of a lifelong devotion. Although a nylon string guitar fan can go on and on about the wonderful mellow sound and the potential for extracting new meaning from music, maybe we can focus on the more practical aspects of the nylon string acoustic like the different styles of music played on it and the advantages it can hold for an amateur or professional guitarist.
First let's talk about the types of guitars using nylon strings. Many experts say the flamenco guitar with its dry sound is more typical of what a guitar was like before the emergence of the sonorous and lyrical sound of the classical guitar which evolved in the first half of the twentieth century. The flamenco guitar has always been common in some areas of Spain, and it is simply the musical instrument used by a family or group of friends to play the local folk music. The classical guitar was developed to play the classical style compositions which became popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A descendent of the classical guitar is the basic nylon string acoustic guitar you see in music stores today.
The sound of the nylon string guitar is much more peaceful compared to the brighter sound of the steel string acoustic. Another major advantage of the nylon string guitar is that it provides musical accompaniment to songs without distracting attention from your vocals.
By the way - did you know that players of electric guitars or steel string acoustic instruments need to develop callouses on their left hand fingers? Nylon strings are generally a little kinder to your hands. You will find that your nylon string guitar is easy to tune and you can just pick your guitar up and play it at any time of day or night without disturbing anybody in the immediate environment. Also the wider fret board allows you to play chords and single notes without accidentally touching the wrong string.
Nylon string guitars are kinder to finger picking guitarists. Anybody can learn finger style guitar on nylon strings without running too much risk of breaking fingernails, plus you will be pleased at how your first finger picking efforts are rewarded by the more beginner-friendly tone of the nylon acoustic.
Now you have some idea of the attractive aspects of the nylon string acoustic guitar, I do hope you will find some time to devote to this beautiful and, in recent times, neglected instrument.