Playing Piano by Ear [playing karaoke song]
If you've ever watched musicians in jazz clubs, you've seen the most amazing piano players. It seems they can just pick up and play songs they had never heard before, just like that. There are people like that. Whatever their instrument, they can hear a song once and play it without error or even hesitation! Most need music; carefully written notes and keys and time signatures to guide them. But it's possible to reverse this trend.
You can actually learn the piano by "playing by ear," but it's not the common route. The common way to learn piano is to learn to read music simultaneously. No matter how they learned, most professional musicians can play by ear, but this was a talent most honed with many years of practice, reading music, listening, ad imitating. Of course, playing by ear CAN be a born talent. It is said that Mozart could play and compose great and complicated compositions as a child before he ever saw a sheet of music.
But don't let that fool you into thinking if you could somehow activate this talent in yourself, you wouldn't need to learn to read music. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a necessary skill if you want to be a good musician, and certainly if you're contemplating going professional. Reading music gives you access to all the great music every written. You don't need to have heard it to play it. Plus, learning to read music and play piano from it gives you great hand to eye coordination, improving your overall musicianship. And, if you learn to play the piano by reading music, you'll find that just seeing the notes on the page will give you a good idea of what it sounds like. You'll be learning to play by ear unconsciously while you're reading the music. Then you'll have an extra talent -- when you concentrate on learning to play by ear, you'll easily be able to translate that piece to written music should you need to. [playing karaoke song]
Reading music is an important basic, therefore, and most beginning piano instruction will include music reading instruction. It will give you all the basics you need to learn to play by ear. Without good technique and a solid understanding of music theory, playing by ear will be much, much more difficult for most people. So spend time with your scales and positions. These seemingly mundane tasks should be a part of every practice session. They build good habits, and just as importantly, they train your ear. We're not all Mozart, but we can gain some of his skill with practice!
Once you reach an intermediate level, you may need to search for a teacher skilled in the art of playing by ear. This will give you another jump in your abilities. They can teach you tricks of listening that will help you pick out the chord progressions that form the basis of any piano work. They will usually combine this skill with regular music-related teachings.
Whether you want to play for your own pleasure, play for friends and family, or even make a career in music, you'll be well-served by opting to both read music and hone those playing by ear skills. If you've ignored either, it's never too late to start. There are even Internet or computer-based courses that teach these skills. Start searching, start learning, and have a lot of fun in the process![playing karaoke song]
by Kim Brockman
Monday, December 10, 2007
Music Therapy
Music Therapy [music song therapy]
Music therapy uses music to promote positive changes in the well being of an individual. These positive changes may be manifested in changes in physical development, social and interpersonal development, emotional or spiritual well being or cognitive abilities.
The therapeutic benefits of music have been known and harnessed since ancient times. However, music therapy in modern times dates back to the World Wars when music was used in hospitals in the rehabilitation and recovery of soldiers who had suffered physical or emotional trauma. The University of Kansas was the first University in the United States to offer a degree program in music therapy in 1944. Early exponents of music therapy in the 1950's to 1970's included the French cellist Juliet Alvin and Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins. The Nordoff-Robbins approach is still used in many countries around the world including the USA, UK, Australia, Germany and South Africa.
So, how does music therapy work?
Music is universal and connects across language barriers. Most people can respond to music in some way regardless of illness or disability. [music song therapy]
Music has an inherent ability to generate an emotional response in the listener. It stimulates a relaxation response that can therefore lead to physiological changes in the body. Music is known to reduce stress thereby producing related benefits such as lower blood pressure, improved respiration, reduced heart rate, better cardiac performance and reduced tension in muscles.
Music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain and this stimulation has been shown to help in development of language and speech functions. It promotes socialization and development of communication, self-expression and motor skills. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder have been found to respond very positively to music and many of them display high levels of musical skill. Music encourages verbal as well as non-verbal communication and promotes social interaction and relatedness. It's a valuable outlet for self-expression and creativity. It has also been successfully used in pain management by providing a distraction from the painful stimulus as well as a means of relaxation and stress alleviation.
Children with developmental and learning difficulties, children and adults with autism spectrum disorder or special needs as well as the elderly and dementia sufferers have all been shown to benefit from music therapy. Although the benefits of music therapy have been accepted intuitively and based on anecdotal evidence it wasn't till recently that quantitative evidence of its efficacy started to emerge. In a recent study conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine, blood samples of a group of male Alzheimer's patients who were treated with music therapy were found to have significantly elevated levels of melatonin, epinephrine and norepinephrine which are chemicals which act on the brain to control mood, depression, aggression and sleep. The benefits of the therapy were still evident even six weeks after cessation of the therapy and in the case of melatonin the effects persisted even longer. [music song therapy]
Music therapy is gaining wider acceptance in the general medical community and has certainly stood the test of time. Music therapists can now be found practicing in a variety of institutions dealing with mental health, developmental and early intervention programs, correctional institutions and special education programs to name but a few. Many are having success where traditional treatment methods have failed.
by Michael Claasz
Music therapy uses music to promote positive changes in the well being of an individual. These positive changes may be manifested in changes in physical development, social and interpersonal development, emotional or spiritual well being or cognitive abilities.
The therapeutic benefits of music have been known and harnessed since ancient times. However, music therapy in modern times dates back to the World Wars when music was used in hospitals in the rehabilitation and recovery of soldiers who had suffered physical or emotional trauma. The University of Kansas was the first University in the United States to offer a degree program in music therapy in 1944. Early exponents of music therapy in the 1950's to 1970's included the French cellist Juliet Alvin and Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins. The Nordoff-Robbins approach is still used in many countries around the world including the USA, UK, Australia, Germany and South Africa.
So, how does music therapy work?
Music is universal and connects across language barriers. Most people can respond to music in some way regardless of illness or disability. [music song therapy]
Music has an inherent ability to generate an emotional response in the listener. It stimulates a relaxation response that can therefore lead to physiological changes in the body. Music is known to reduce stress thereby producing related benefits such as lower blood pressure, improved respiration, reduced heart rate, better cardiac performance and reduced tension in muscles.
Music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain and this stimulation has been shown to help in development of language and speech functions. It promotes socialization and development of communication, self-expression and motor skills. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder have been found to respond very positively to music and many of them display high levels of musical skill. Music encourages verbal as well as non-verbal communication and promotes social interaction and relatedness. It's a valuable outlet for self-expression and creativity. It has also been successfully used in pain management by providing a distraction from the painful stimulus as well as a means of relaxation and stress alleviation.
Children with developmental and learning difficulties, children and adults with autism spectrum disorder or special needs as well as the elderly and dementia sufferers have all been shown to benefit from music therapy. Although the benefits of music therapy have been accepted intuitively and based on anecdotal evidence it wasn't till recently that quantitative evidence of its efficacy started to emerge. In a recent study conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine, blood samples of a group of male Alzheimer's patients who were treated with music therapy were found to have significantly elevated levels of melatonin, epinephrine and norepinephrine which are chemicals which act on the brain to control mood, depression, aggression and sleep. The benefits of the therapy were still evident even six weeks after cessation of the therapy and in the case of melatonin the effects persisted even longer. [music song therapy]
Music therapy is gaining wider acceptance in the general medical community and has certainly stood the test of time. Music therapists can now be found practicing in a variety of institutions dealing with mental health, developmental and early intervention programs, correctional institutions and special education programs to name but a few. Many are having success where traditional treatment methods have failed.
by Michael Claasz
iPod. The Next Generation Walkman Replacement
iPod. The Next Generation Walkman Replacement [karaoke song ipod]
An iPod is a portable digital media player designed and marketed in 2001 by Apple Computers. Currently, it is the best selling audio player with over 50 million sold and 1 billion legal downloads sold through its online music store, iTunes.
The popularity of the iPod became Apple's first and successful attempt to branch out from its iMac products and a reputation of being just a computer company. It's easy to see why the iPod dominates the market, with Apple's ingenious marketing strategies, great features, and appealing look of their products, it is destined to dominate the mp3 market for some time to come.
We need to understand that it is an mp3 audio player that has models incorporating video capabilities. The ability to have a large memory capacity enables the user to store thousands of songs for music and thousands of photos and videos. This makes the iPod such a desirable product, especially to the youth market. The newer models boast a memory of up to 80 gigs. This can be comparable to a hard drive in a home computer. Many people use their unit as an external hard drive to store data off of their computers. [karaoke song ipod]
There are many models to choose from as well as upgrades from previous versions. Each new version brings it's own unique features and accessories that can be added on. These accessories contribute immensely as revenue generators for Apple and keeps the public interested in spending more money to get the latest add on features.
You would be hard pressed if you couldn't find an electronics store that doesn't have a section devoted totally to iPods and the adapters and gadgets to dress it up.
Some of the extras presently available to consumers include camera connectors, power adapters, auto charger, car holder, external microphone, external speakers and many more. If you want to expand the fun aspect of these versatile devices, get yourself a karaoke attachment and sing along with your favorite tunes.
With the iPod being focused on music and convenience, it stands to reason that they would find their way into the automobile market. In the US, 70% of the 2007 models will offer iPod integration.
If you're looking at portability as an option, which is the most popular way they're used, lithium, rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium polymer rechargeable type batteries can be used. Most lithium-ion batteries use a fast charge to charge your batteries quickly up to 80% capacity, then they will switch to trickle charging for the remaining 20%.
Docking units that use AC and DC power are also available to keep a full charge handy when the iPod is stored for a period of time. [karaoke song ipod]
Audio and video cables are available for these units to plug into your home stereo, or watch a video on your home theater that's stored on the iPod. There's even a remote control accessory to scroll through various functions and play lists.
There are a few companies releasing their own version of the iPod and accessories because they know that the market is very lucrative. Apple's version will probably reign supreme for a while yet especially with the new models and upgrades they constantly put out in the marketplace. They have also branded a name themselves and other companies wanting to get into this elite mp3 market, will have to contend with people calling their unit an iPod as a generality instead of the given product name.
In conclusion, with the great versatility of music, photo and video, coupled with fast transfer speeds, the iPod makes a great choice for those who love having a portable and personal multi-media device.
by Jack Kinakin
An iPod is a portable digital media player designed and marketed in 2001 by Apple Computers. Currently, it is the best selling audio player with over 50 million sold and 1 billion legal downloads sold through its online music store, iTunes.
The popularity of the iPod became Apple's first and successful attempt to branch out from its iMac products and a reputation of being just a computer company. It's easy to see why the iPod dominates the market, with Apple's ingenious marketing strategies, great features, and appealing look of their products, it is destined to dominate the mp3 market for some time to come.
We need to understand that it is an mp3 audio player that has models incorporating video capabilities. The ability to have a large memory capacity enables the user to store thousands of songs for music and thousands of photos and videos. This makes the iPod such a desirable product, especially to the youth market. The newer models boast a memory of up to 80 gigs. This can be comparable to a hard drive in a home computer. Many people use their unit as an external hard drive to store data off of their computers. [karaoke song ipod]
There are many models to choose from as well as upgrades from previous versions. Each new version brings it's own unique features and accessories that can be added on. These accessories contribute immensely as revenue generators for Apple and keeps the public interested in spending more money to get the latest add on features.
You would be hard pressed if you couldn't find an electronics store that doesn't have a section devoted totally to iPods and the adapters and gadgets to dress it up.
Some of the extras presently available to consumers include camera connectors, power adapters, auto charger, car holder, external microphone, external speakers and many more. If you want to expand the fun aspect of these versatile devices, get yourself a karaoke attachment and sing along with your favorite tunes.
With the iPod being focused on music and convenience, it stands to reason that they would find their way into the automobile market. In the US, 70% of the 2007 models will offer iPod integration.
If you're looking at portability as an option, which is the most popular way they're used, lithium, rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium polymer rechargeable type batteries can be used. Most lithium-ion batteries use a fast charge to charge your batteries quickly up to 80% capacity, then they will switch to trickle charging for the remaining 20%.
Docking units that use AC and DC power are also available to keep a full charge handy when the iPod is stored for a period of time. [karaoke song ipod]
Audio and video cables are available for these units to plug into your home stereo, or watch a video on your home theater that's stored on the iPod. There's even a remote control accessory to scroll through various functions and play lists.
There are a few companies releasing their own version of the iPod and accessories because they know that the market is very lucrative. Apple's version will probably reign supreme for a while yet especially with the new models and upgrades they constantly put out in the marketplace. They have also branded a name themselves and other companies wanting to get into this elite mp3 market, will have to contend with people calling their unit an iPod as a generality instead of the given product name.
In conclusion, with the great versatility of music, photo and video, coupled with fast transfer speeds, the iPod makes a great choice for those who love having a portable and personal multi-media device.
by Jack Kinakin
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)