Music Shows

With the popularity of YouTube and Google Video, it’s become very easy for instructors to upload videos of their lessons.

The amazing thing about all of this is that it’s all free access! Once it’s up there, anyone can watch and learn.

Recently, I uploaded a video piano lesson showing students how to improvise at the piano using just 2 chords – A minor and F Major.

The beautiful thing about this is you can actually see what I’m doing … even if you live thousands of miles away from where I live in San Diego.

This lesson is just a little over 3 minutes long but it illustrates how to use something called the open position chord. This chord position spans an octave and really “opens up” the sound for you. The left hand is the anchor for the entire improvisation while the right is free to play anything it wishes from the A aeolian scale.

If you don’t know what an “aeolian” scale is, it’s just a minor scale located on the white keys. You start with an “a” note and end with an “a” note and there you have it.

We use this scale and 2 chords to create a short improvisation. One thing I like to teach students is to limit choice. In this lesson, you get 2 chords to play and that’s it! You don’t have the opportunity to get sidetracked with chord changes. All focus is on these 2 chords and the music that can come from them.

So many students would just love to sit down at the piano and play. Yet these same students think you need years upon years of study to improvise successfully.

But that’s where they’re wrong! What If I was to show you a simple technique that will have you improvising in no time at all. Would that be something you might be interested in? If you answered yes, listen, because what I’m about to share with you will have creating a rich full sound at the keyboard.

The technique I’m referring to is the ostinato pattern.

It’s not difficult. All you have to do is get the pattern down in your left hand. Then, you simply “jump in” with the right to improvise your own unique melody in the Key of A major.

The problem students sometimes have is maintaining the pattern in the left hand. The reason for this is usually the same – they are playing too fast! There’s no reason to. After all, the goal is for you to create your own music. And music is what we want. To get it, you need to SLOW DOWN at first until the pattern is firmly established. Then you can add in your improvised melody.

The lesson “December Twilight” contains 2 chords – A Major and D Major. That’s it! Just 2 chords is all we need to begin our improvisation.

No need to make it any more complicated than that. In fact, problems arise when students try to make something more than what they’re ready for. My advice? Slow down, take your time, and you’ll be well on your way to successful improvisation!

Phones are simply incredible and one of the hottest technogadgets to ever hit the market. No, they’re not just cell phones. IPHONES are portable movie players, music players, game players, and digital photo albums rolled into one! But once you purchase an IPhone where do you go to get downloads of your favorite music, movies, videos, and games? Can you get all of these options from one service? Yes you can. While there are many websites that offer IPhone downloads on the internet, I will just introduce you to one that I experienced- I Phone Magic.

IPhone Magic advertises itself as the largest downloading entertainment media site on the internet with over 95 million files of the latest movies, music, games, videos, photos, and TV shows available. They also offer the consumer data transfer software. IPhone Magic features a one- time fee for unlimited downloads and a money back satisfaction guarantee. No download limits or extra fees.

The IPhone Magic site itself is very user friendly and easy to navigate. Available titles for download are easily accessible and you can always find what you are looking for. The entire downloading process was fast and much easier than anticipated, which is always good, especially if one is technically challenged. IPhone Magic offers free 24/7 tech and online support if you have any difficulties or questions arise.

Overall, IPhone Magic offers the consumer a huge array of entertainment media from which to choose, including many new releases. The downloading experience was very positive and surprisingly easy. IPhone Magic provides tutorials to get you started right away and you can begin downloading within a few minutes. It was refreshing to know that tech support was available in the event of a problem or question. IPhone Magic provides unlimited downloads for 24 hours, 7 days a week, and a one-time charge. That is, you can download as many games, movies, videos, and music as you want for a lifetime! Many sites charge per download so the one time charge is a big plus as it eliminates any worry about excessive fees.

If you are currently looking for an internet resource to download entertainment media for your IPhone, I would consider looking into IPhone Magic. I’m impressed with their members site and overall services and give them an excellent rating.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Snyder

Have you ever wondered how someone can just sit down at the piano and play? It’s unfathomable to most how it’s done. But to a select few, it’s just a matter of knowing how to improvise freely on the keyboard.

You don’t have to know years of theory or harmony training in order to create your own music. Not if you start your journey out with simple means.

For example, take a look at the lesson “Winter Scene” (available below). Here we have a piano lesson that uses just 2 chords. Yet 2 chords are all that is required to create your own unique music! How is this accomplished? By limiting choice.

You see, when you have too many choices you lose the ability to focus. And focus is important for successful improvisation. I define successful improvisation as a person’s ability to move forward with the music without self-judgement or criticism.

In the lesson “Winter Scene,” the left hand gets 2 easy chords to play while the right focuses on creating an improvised melody from the Dorian scale. With these materials, almost anyone can sit down at the piano or keyboard and begin making music. It doesn’t take a Mozart or Beethoven to do this. On the contrary, it’s usually those with little or no experience at piano that are able to begin improvising freely.

And it’s the students with years of classical training that often have problems. They always want to make piano improvisation more difficult than it has to be. This is because most of these students are trained to believe music is inherently difficult.

To play the piano and to learn the art of improvisation, one must let go of the need to be in control and allow for mistakes. With this attitude and the right instruction, there’s no telling where a student’s imagination might go!

This New Age pianist has been playing piano for over 15 years now, and while I’m constantly learning new things, the one thing that’s helped me out – as far as composing goes – is looking at music as sections.

I’m always telling my students to work within an 8-bar framework. Why 8-bars? Because it’s a nice, neat time space to work in. And, more importantly, it doesn’t overwhelm beginning students who feel they must come up with 100 bars at their first attempt.

The beauty of working within this framework is that it teaches you about phrases. Music has been compared to writing in the sense that it’s made up of small phrases (like sentences) bigger sections.. periods of music (like paragraphs) and finally, complete movements (chapters).

Composers always think in sections because they know this is how music is constructed. – at least 99% of the music in the western world.

When you master the 8-bar phrase, you learn how to complete a section of music. And you learn that the art of composition has everything to do with repetition and contrast.

There’s only so many times you can repeat an 8-bar phrase before it gets stagnant. Here is where we introduce new material – a contrasting section. Perhaps another 8-bars or so.

Another thing I have my students do is learn how to create a complete ABA form.

This musical form is the most common one used and it’s also quite easy to create. Once the first 8-bar phrase is complete (the A section) it’s time for some contrast. Maybe 4-bars… perhaps 8 or more will do the trick here. Finally, the first A section is repeated (with some variation) and that’s that – a small ABA form is finished.

It’s a good idea to master these small sections of music before delving into 400 bar compositions.

Las Vegas is one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world, and the retailers and casino owners know it! You’ll often pay premium rates for entertainment, lodging and food just because everything Vegas is in high demand.

But if you think that a Las Vegas vacation is going to cost you an arm and a leg, you may be surprised to find out that there are many things you can do in the city that are completely free.

Downtown Las Vegas has plenty to offer in the way of free shows and historical sites. Fremont Street downtown has free shows such as daredevil acts, live concerts and other entertainment events.

The Hawaiian Island Performers perform on Las Vegas Boulevard everyday from 11 am to 10:30 pm at the top of each hour. They display traditional dancing, music and performances in the midst of Hawaiian themed shops. Best of all, watching the exotic acts doesn’t cost a dime.

The Bellagio hotel has an exciting light and water show each weekday from 3 pm to midnight, and each weekend from noon to midnight. Enjoy the choreographed fountains and music with hundreds of other Vegas visitors.

The Bellagio isn’t the only hotel that offers exciting free events. The MGM Grand Hotel and Flamingo Hotel both have wildlife exhibits that rival any zoo. The MGM features adult lions and cubs each day from 11 am to 10 pm. The Flamingo is home to a Wildlife Habitat that contains birds, turtles, fish and penguins. The penguin feedings at 8:30 am and 6 pm are always a popular sight to see.

The TI (formerly Treasure Island) hotel and the Rio Hotel both have live events that shouldn’t be missed. The “Sirens of TI” is a live battle show between pirates and sultry sirens. Catch this show nightly at 7 pm, 8:30 pm, 10 pm and 11:30 pm.

The Rio Hotel is the home of the Masquerade Show in the Sky. It is a Mardi Gras parade and party complete with floats and beads. It’s free to watch the show, and, for a small fee, you can wear a costume and ride along on the floats. You can catch the parade at 3 pm, 4pm, 5 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm.

Of course, all of the shows and showtimes listed above are subject to change, so make sure to look up the showtimes or simply check with your hotel concierge before you venture out each day, so you can schedule your other Vegas activities around them.

These events just scratch the surface of what Las Vegas has to offer for free. Whether you’re into music, wildlife or just a fun party atmosphere, you can find it all in Vegas. Don’t be afraid of exploring all that the city has to offer.

Downloading. This has become the tool of choice for people who want their favorite shows, movies, music and even games…fast. The time when companies like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video ruled the movie and game section is now coming to an end. Online video game and movie companies are now taking things to the next level, people don’t want to get in their car and drive to the store and rent a movie or game and then return it when you are done with it. No, you want to sit at home and watch the movie right away, and the only thing you should be getting up for is the popcorn.

Downloading a movie is much better than renting one. Getting your favorite music or game has always come natural to the younger generation of our time, problem is you gotta know where to look. Most will search on Google for their favorite game or movie, when all you need to do is become a member of a website that provides this kind of service for a small monthly or yearly charge. Imagine just having to search for your favorite movie and then clicking a button and in minutes if not sooner, you have what you want at your fingertips. The information era is making everything easier, movies are clearer, games look and perform better, music is crisper.

Having one of the most well put-together databases on the web takes some serious work. Searching for movies shouldn’t have to be like pulling teeth from a T-Rex. Mp3 downloads have gotten a bad reputation in the past 10 years, from illegally downloading them from networks like Morpheus or Kazaa to Napster (which is now legitimate). Companies like Apple have gotten into the mainstream of things and started to offer good, solid alternatives to downloading music illegally.

Games are another phenomenon that is taking the country by storm. Online gaming and console gaming is getting bigger and bigger, with consoles like the PlayStation 3, X-Box and Wii there is no end in sight. Games are getting faster, look better, and they clearly outperform their older counterparts a million times over.

TV Shows are another thing people want to own, but they are getting expensive to purchase in bulk. If you want a whole season of a show then you better be able to pony up the cash for it. They can cost as much as $100 for a single season, and if you love a show and it keeps going for 10-11-12 seasons then it can get pricy real fast. Most of the time, you wont need to buy whole seasons, just the episodes you want to watch.

All of this and more can be obtained if you just know where to look, companies that offer that kind of downloading capability don’t have crappy video or audio quality, most of it is either higher than TV or PC quality..leading into Hi-Def or higher.