DANCE MUSIC

What is Dance Music? The definition of dance music is quite simply- Music composed/ played specifically for dancing to. Dance music includes a whole variety of music from waltz to tango, disco to rock.From the dawn of mankind humans possessed the desire to danceIn accient times, the first purpose of dance was ritual ? to the gods of nature. Dancing is proven to make us feel good. Dancing is used in celebrations. In ancient Greece,after harvesting grapes, the occasion was celebrated in honour of the God of wine, Dionysus, where people danced all night long. Although dance and music can be traced back to prehistoric times, it is unclear which came first. As rhythm and sound go hand in hand and inspire movement.The relationship between the two has always been symbiotic.

Our ears have the fewest sensory cells of any sensory organ–3,500 inner hair cells occupy our ears versus 100 million photoreceptors in our eyes. Yet our mental response to music is amazingly adaptable; even a little study can retune the way the brain handles musical inputs. It?s a well known fact that music is good for you, as it builds neuropathways and stimulates the mind. Recently scientists discovered what makes a tune catchy, after locating the brain area where a song’s hook gets caught. Its in the auditory cortex,which handles information from ears. Dance Music in particular stimulates our brains, as studies found, thus the popular demand for night clubs. An uplifting melody with an uptembo rhythm increases our stimulation in the auditory complex.

In recent times the term ?dance music? is more familiarly known as club music, electronic music?techno, trance, house, eurodance, breakbeat and trance,drum and bass,hip hop,raga. Electronic dance music evolved in the 1970s. Kraftwerk, Georgio Moroder, Donna Summer and Sylvester are just a few of the artists who started the dance music phenomenon. From 1988, many terms of dance music evolved From Acid House to Techno to ambient wave to trance.

Nowadays we have all sorts of dance music from all over the world. We hear it on our radios, Tvs, in our night clubs. A recent survey found dance music is the most popular genre among music tastes, and is growing in popularity even more each day. I found this interesting web station last week with a nice mix of dance music.

http://www.energywebradio.com

By Tracey Lee

Piano improvising and arranging is an art but definitely not a science. It is all based on chords and chord progressions. There aren’t any steadfast rules for creating an arrangement, nothing to dictate the limitless potential of your imagination. Musicians learn to arrange by simply arranging ? and improvise by improvising — over and over again. It’s a big game of trial and error. But it?s also a scientific method: you keep the experiments that work, and abandon those that don?t work.

That being said, there are a few things that can help you in the knowledge of piano improvization. Don’t think of these as rules, but rather points on a roadmap guiding you through the vast world of arrangement and improvisation possibilities.

- The first step, of course, is to learn as much as you can about chords and how they work. Once you get a handle on piano chords and the chord symbols that represent them such as Fm7, G9, D, C7, etc., you can then learn how to break those chords up in various patterns.

- Learn several different chording patterns, such as open voicing, arpeggios, upward inversions, western bass, Alberti bass, swing bass or boogie bass. This course guides you through these techniques, in addition to others, and teaches you to understand when they’re the most appropriate.

- Learn some right hand fillers, like octaves (and the multitude of harmonic possibilities associated with octaves), tremelos, grace notes, twangs, runs, and turnarounds. Again, this course teaches you these fills and several others.

- Study pre-arranged sheet music. Your local music shop will have tons of music books containing several arrangements; read and play through these in detail. Seeing what other people have done with various pieces of music will help you understand the art of arrangement and also introduce you to new techniques!

- Dig into different musical styles, like ragtime, blues or country-western. Pick up some compilation CDs focusing on a particular style of music or purchase some piano sheet music specializing in the style. Understanding the fundamental elements of various styles will help you learn to arrange any song in that particular style — or just add a few stylized elements to any arrangement.

- Jump online and type in ?chord piano? or ?piano chords? into your search browser, and you will come up with a zillion choices where you can learn all you need to know about chords in a reasonably short time. It?s not rocket science, and once you learn a few piano chords, you probably will become addicted to chords and their application to your piano playing.

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He can be reached at http://www.chordpiano.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Piano Chord Progressions with over 56,650 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to for families to give thanks for all the blessings they have received over the past year. Its also a great time to teach your children to do the same. Children taking piano lessons, because they are supported by so many people, have a wonderful opportunity to learn this tradition. You can help them realize how many people are included in their musical community of support and play an important role in helping them reach their musical goals. For most students these would include:

1. Piano Teachers

2. Their Parents and Family

3. Friends who recognize their need to practice

4. Music teachers at school.

5. Choruses they may also be involved in at school or church.

6. Family members who give them music gifts such as CDs or music books.

7. The Piano Technician who tunes your piano and keeps it good playing condition.

8. Other piano students who share their enthusiasm for music with them.

9. The local music store that provides a great selection of music for teachers to choose for their students.

10. The Piano Sales Gallery that also provides a wonderful piano and Recital Hall where students perform for their family and friends and for auditions.

Thats a lot to be thankful for! So take a few minutes to help your child one night at the dinner table this holiday season, or on Thanksgiving Day, give thanks for all their musical blessings.

For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources Youll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child – right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their free internet newsletter so you can download free piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.

These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com

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As a musical genre traditional Jazz requires a fairly specific Guitar sound ? generally this has involved a very clean dry tone ? with little to no effects (perhaps only a hint of reverb) ? usually the neck pickup is used with the resultant sound required to be clear enough to pickup the subtle nuances and articulation of the playing.

Jazz Guitarists therefore need to carefully consider thier Guitar when setting out ? luckily Jazz has been around for many years and there is a wide selection of instruments available. Traditionally Jazz Guitars are hollow body semi acoustics (though not always) and these have tended to favor P90 or Humbucker style pickups to produce the required sound ? as stated there are many guitars on the market today ? but here we list 5 classic Jazz guitars that helped shape the scene.

1Gibson ES150

Made famous to the jazz community by Charlie Christian the ES 150 became his guitar. The ES150 became one of the world?s first commercially available electric guitars. With its single coil pickup fitted at the neck and its acoustic shaped body with f holes ? the 150 has that sweet warm jazz tone that became a world favorite.

2Gibson L5

Another of Gibson?s Jazz power trio (the others are the ES150 and the ES175) ? the L5 features a large resonant body. With a history that goes back nearly 90 years the L5 has changed a little over this time and has featured different pickups (from P90?s to Humbuckers). As the prestige rhythm guitar it has been played by a variety of greats including Wes Montgomery.

3Gibson ES-175

With it?s stylish Florentine single cutaway ? the ES175 represented a departure for Gibson from their usual design ? Debuting in 1949 ? the 175 has been associated with a variety of Jazz greats from Herb Ellis to Pat Metheny.

4Gretsch Country Gentleman/Nashville

While Gretsch are not considered jazz guitars per se ? both the Country Gent and the Nashville are able to produce both versatile and authentic jazz tones. Both guitars offer a range of controls for adapting the tone of the guitar and can produce some versatile jazzy results ? whilst the FiterTron pickups produce something that?s unlike it?s Gibson counterparts.

5Fender Telecaster

With it?s sweet and mellow neck pickup tone the telecaster offers something a little different that the usual Jazz fare ? Traditionally a country guitar the telecaster has been featured with Jazz artists including Ed Bickert and Mike Stern.

The author runs the blog Jazzbox-Cafe which offers a lively and fun look at the world of Jazz Guitar – offering tips on equipment and technique and a forum for those that love the genre.

The origin of hip-hop can be traced back as far as the ancient tribes in Africa. Rap has been compared with the chants, drumbeats and foot-stomping African tribes performed before wars, the births of babies, and the deaths of kings and elders. Historians have reached further back than the accepted origins of hip-hop. It was born as we know it today in the Bronx, cradled and nurtured by the youth in the low-income areas of New York City.

Fast-forward from the tribes of Africa to the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica in the late sixties. The impoverished of Kingston gathered together in groups to form DJ conglomerates. They spun roots and culture records and communicated with the audience over the music. At the time, the DJs comments werent as important as the quality of the sound system and its ability to get the crowd moving. Kool Herc grew up in this community before he moved to the Bronx.

During the late sixties, reggae wasnt popular with New Yorkers. As a DJ, Kool Herc spun rhythm and blues records to please his party crowd. But, he had to add his personal touch. During the breaks, Herc began to speak to his audience as he had learned to do in Jamaica. He called out, the audience responded, and then he pumped the volume back up on the record. This call and response technique was nothing new to this community whod been reared in Baptist and Methodist churches where call and response was a technique used by the speakers to get the congregation involved. Historians compare it to the call and response performed by Jazz musicians and was very much a part of the culture of Jazz music during the renaissance in Harlem.

Hercs DJ style caught on. His partys grew in popularity. He began to buy multiple copies of the same albums. When he performed his duties as a DJ, he extended the breaks by using multiple copies of the same records. He chatted, as it is called in dance hall, with his audience for longer and longer periods.

Others copied Hercs style. Soon a friendly battle ensued between New York DJs. They all learned the technique of using break beats. Herc stepped up the game by giving shout-outs to people who were in attendance at the parties and coming up with his signature call and response. Other DJs responded by rhyming with their words when they spoke to the audience. More and more DJs used two and four line rhymes and anecdotes to get their audiences involved and hyped at these parties.

One day, Herc passed the microphone over to two of his friends. He took care of the turn table and allowed his buddies to keep the crowd hyped with chants, rhymes and anecdotes while he extended the breaks of different songs indefinitely. This was the birth of rap as we know it.

Hip-hop has evolved from the days of the basement showdowns to big business in the music industry. In the seventies and eighties, the pioneers and innovators of the rap record was the DJ. He was the guy who used his turntable to create fresh sounds with old records. Then, he became the guy who mixed these familiar breaks with synthesizers to produce completely new beats. Not much has changed in that aspect of hip-hop. The guy who creates the beat is still the heart of the track. Now, we call him the producer. Even though some DJs work as producers as well as DJs (quite a few start out as DJs before they become producers), todays title DJ doesnt carry the same connotative meaning it did in the eighties. Todays hip-hop producer performs the same tasks as the eightys DJ.

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?My 6 year old daughter really loves the piano and wants to learn to play, but when I try to help her she gets very upset with me. What should I do??

The parent who asked the above question has fallen into a hole that I call The Piano Parent Trap!

If this is you, you don?t have to feel bad. In fact you should be flattered! This is just a problem of conflicting needs. The role of Mom or Dad is very important to the emotional security of children. Your acceptance and approval is everything to them! When parents move out of the parental role into the role of piano teacher, young children can become confused and anxious. The expectations of children are that Mom and Dad will always play the specific role needed to protect their emotional security. Because children must have their emotional needs met to feel loved and secure before they can learn, they may refuse to allow a parent to be ?the piano teacher,? even when they want to learn. And surprisingly, the child who really wants to play the piano may resist a parent’s help even more! So, how does a parent get out of this trap? It?s not really that hard. Here are two key things you can do.

1. Find the right piano teacher.

Look for a piano teacher you feel your child will be comfortable with. This decision should never be based solely on location and price — those are important to your convenience, but they tell you nothing about the lessons your child will receive. You should talk with the teacher to get an understanding of how they will work with your child and the type of programs they offer. You should look for a teacher with a warm enthusiastic personality that inspires confidence, and they should go out their way to say, ?I want to be your child?s piano teacher!? If upon your interview you don?t get this message, keep on looking. Remember, piano teachers are not selling a product, they are the product! The right teacher for your child is someone who will build a supportive relationship that challenges your child to do their best.

2. Be supportive, but don?t try to be in control.

From the time your child approached the age of two they most likely have been sending you the same conflicting message over and over: ?I need you ? Let me do it myself!? Get used to this because it isn?t optional and it doesn?t really go away when kids get older– it just comes with the package! There are, however, a couple of options you do have that involve your making a choice. I?ll lay it out for you simply. Your choices are between Door Number One and Door Number Two. If you should choose Door Number One, you are in control. If you should choose Door Number Two, you are in charge.

Now you might be thinking this is some kind of a joke — they are the same door! But not so, they are very different! A Door Number One approach requires you to make all choices for your child without their participation in the decision, such as when they should do their piano practice, what songs they should try to learn, and how fast they should progress. However, because this approach ignores children?s need for independence, they will fight for this control ? they may actively resist practicing at your appointed time, or could act totally passively and claim that they are just unable to learn new skills.

In contrast, a Door Number Two approach recognizes children?s needs for independence but provides needed support and guidance. It allows children to make choices among options you identify for them, which lets them ?do it themselves? while still receiving needed protection. As a result, here is your real choice in basic terms: Behind Door Number One lurks a hungry lion, while a happy child and family are behind Door Number Two!

3. Guide your child by following an authoritative, not an authoritarian approach.

An authori-tarian approach teaches power and control. In contrast to this approach, an authori-tative model teaches ownership and responsibility. These differences can be seen in the following descriptions.

Authoritarian approach

?Parent is in control — child is powerless.

?Child believes parents and other adults are in control them.

?Child believes others are responsible for their behavior.

?Child waits for others who know more than they do to tell them what to.

?Child is passive and does not assert their opinions and ideas or take initiative, or is very angry and acts out! Or, is passive and later becomes very angry!

Authoritative approach

?Parent is in charge of setting appropriate consequences for their child?s behaviors.

?Child has the choice to make reasonable decisions within protected limits where they can learn from their mistakes.

?Child learns they are responsible for the consequences of their choices and learns to take initiative and trusts their ability to make intelligent decisions and act responsibly.

?Child learns to be assertive and can ask adults for information and guidance when making important decisions, but accepts ownership and responsibility for their actions and decisions.

How can you start to use an authoritative approach to get out of the Parent Trap and open ?Door Number Two??

An easy way is to reverse roles. For example, after your child comes home from piano lessons, ask them to teach you what they?ve learned because you want to learn it too! This lets your child be in control as they share their special piano knowledge with you. Kids can?t resist this. It?s just so much fun to be the teacher, and children love to reverse roles! Your young teacher will probably even correct your playing, and tell you that you?re doing it all wrong, especially if you play ?their song? perfectly! So, be wiling to make a few silly mistakes that your little teacher can have fun correcting. Just don?t get defensive. I can guarantee you?ll get a lot of mileage out of this strategy!

For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You?ll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child – right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f?ree internet newsletter so you can download f?ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.

These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com

Purchasing a classical guitar can be a difficult task particularly if you are not yet an accomplished player. Here are some tips and hints on finding a good quality classical guitar whether it is in the hundred dollar range or the thousand dollar range.

If you are have ever gone into a well stocked guitar shop you have no doubt been confused by the selection of guitars. There are literally hundreds of shapes, sizes brands and types of guitars. And the price can range from a hundred dollars to several thousand. .If you are a beginner, judging the sound quality can be difficult to do because your ear is not yet highly trained. Here are some tips to help you make a good choice.

When in a guitar shop and looking at the guitars you should always ask a sales person to help you. This way you can take guitars down and play them. If you cannot play very well you should ask the sales clerk to play for you so you can get a feel for the sound of the different guitars. If the sales clerk doesnt play you should ask if there is someone working in the shop that does play. As a last resort you should even ask other customers in the store. Not listening to the different guitars is like shopping for a car but never test driving any of them. Guitars have very different feels and tones and you should listen to a lot of them to get a sense of what you like. Dont be bashful in this respect. Guitarists are usually a very gregarious bunch and a guitarist will almost always jump at the chance to play for someone else. If you dont yet play well and you cant find somebody to play for you I recommend you not purchase a guitar. You should come back another time when someone is available to play or you can bring a friend who knows how to play.

Check the size and shape of the guitar

Classical Guitars, of course, come in different sizes and shapes and you should sit with a wide variety of them to get a feeling for what is comfortable to you. Your body shape has an effect on this. If you are over six feet tall the smaller guitars might not be comfortable for you and the fret board may be uncomfortable for your hands. So even if you cant play music you should always hold and sit with the guitars to get a sense of how the different ones feel.

Check the mechanics and playability of the guitar

Here are several things you should do when considering the purchase of a classical guitar.

1. Play every note on every string all the way up and down. Listen for frets that dont play properly. They will give a rattling sound and if this occurs on any fret at all you should put the guitar aside and try another one. This is a sign of inferior quality. Every string should play cleanly on every single fret.

2. Check the action of the strings against the frets in terms of how much pressure is needed to play notes and chords. You should play bar chords all the way down the frets to insure good pressure. If it is too hard to press the strings in order to make a clear chord this could be a sign of an inferior guitar.

3. Play harmonics on the strings. This is an excellent test of the quality of the guitar. Playing harmonics is the technique of plucking the note with your right hand and only lightly touching the string with your left hand. Test the harmonics of all the strings on the 5th, 7th, 12th and 19th frets. If you do not know how to play harmonic notes ask the sales clerk to help you.

4. Examine and test the tuning pegs. Do they look clean and sharp? Wind and unwind them while watching and feeling for smooth turning motion.

5. Visually examine the whole guitar. Look it over very carefully from front to back and top to bottom. Are there any small cracks? Are the frets firmly installed into the fret board? Are there any cracks or glue exposed around the bridge?

6. Tap on the front of the guitar (The sound board) in a variety of different spots. Does it have a rich echoing sound or are there spots where it sounds dead and limp? The internal structure of the classical guitar is very important for the sound and important for the longevity of it. Dull thud sounds could be an indicator of an inferior instrument.

7. Examine the details. Look at the purfling around the edge. This is the decorated pattern that goes around the full body where the soundboard or face meets the sides of the guitar. Is it accurately laid in? If this has variations and inconsistencies it is a good sign that the guitar is of inferior quality.

8. Dont hesitate to take a good look inside the guitar sound hole. You will see wooden braces in there. Do they look straight, accurate and well placed? If you see sloppy globs of dried glue around these braces it could be an indicator of inferior craftsmanship.

9. Remember that there are three distinct areas you must consider when purchasing a classical guitar: The Look, The Feel, and the Sound. If you keep all three of these things in mind and carefully examine the guitar in relation to these you will be able to choose an instrument that will bring you a lifetime of trouble free playing enjoyment.

A Classical Guitar is a purchase that can give you a lifetime of enjoyment and you should consider the purchase carefully. Even if you dont plan on playing every day you should buy an instrument that is of good quality so it will maintain its sound quality for a lifetime. And to do this you dont need to spend thousands of dollars you just need to know how to identify a well made guitar.

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Hey, nobody said the music business was going to be easy. It truly is a jungle out there filled with: snakes, rats, rabid carnivores, sharks?well, you get the picture. In the course of your musical journey, there will be confrontations, arguments, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. You?ll get jerked around, screwed over, ripped off and disrespected. So, you want to be a rock star? Welcome to your nightmare.

But this is also a business of good people, who?ll give you opportunities and chances and help you out when you least expect it. That?s why it?s so important that you, as musicians and as a band, act professionally and respectfully regardless of the behavior of those you encounter. You don?t have to be a pushover and of course, you have a right to defend yourself against the questionable actions of others, but the music community can be a very small town and the behavior you exhibit will follow you throughout your musical career.

On the flipside of that, there are musicians out there who, either knowingly or unknowingly bring negativity on themselves through their own actions. Short temperedness, egocentricism, brazen entitlement, compulsive lying and just plain old psychotic behavior can brand your band as troublemakers and deprive you of important opportunities that you need to move forward in this business.

So, how can you make sure that you?re doing onto others as you wish they would do onto you? What can you, as musicians do, to eliminate aspects of your personality that may be causing bad blood between you and the people you run across on your way to superstardom?

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure you?re exhibiting professional behavior at all times:

1.)Be Timely And Courteous—Whether you?re playing out live or emailing booking inquiries from home, there is never a substitute for courteously or timeliness. At gigs, show up when you?re supposed to, be friendly, treat others with respect, set up quickly, end your set on time, break down quickly, be mindful of other bands on stage, compliment those around you and don?t forget simple things like, ?please? and ?thank you.? When you leave a positive impression in people?s minds, you?ll be high on their list when it comes time to fill an open booking slot, recommend a band for a review, etc.

2.)Make Sure Your Actions Match Your Words—It?s such a simple thing but you?d be surprised how many musicians seem incapable to doing what they say they?re going to. If you book a gig, show up and play. If you say you?re going to bring twenty friends and fans to your gig, do it. If you reserve an ad in a local music magazine, pay for it. If you write a check, make sure that it doesn?t bounce. If you say you?re going to send out a press package or a CD, mail it. It is true that many people in the music business are distrustful of bands that they don?t know, and with good reason in many instances. Build your good reputation in the industry by proving that you will do what you?ve promised. Start small. Once you?ve gain people?s trust, you?ll see more and more doors opening up for your band.

3.)Take The High Road—It may be tough but there?s nothing to be gained from returning someone?s improper behavior with a heap-load of your own. That doesn?t mean that you need to let every industry slime-bag from New York to LA ride roughshod all over your music project but there are ways to deal with the negative behavior in this business without branding yourself with a label equally as negative. Sending firm yet professional letters, making intelligent and informed phone inquiries and, if need be, taking legal action against those who have acted inappropriately are ways to handle unpleasant situations without drawing negative attention to yourself. Public scenes, yelling and screaming, long-winded and ranting emails, threats and accusations and spiteful actions may make you feel vindicated but it may chase away the good people as well as the bad and that just sets your band back.

4.)You Can?t Undo What You?ve Already Done—It?s much harder to undo past bad behaviors, or reverse negative reputations than it is to foster positive ones. It?s best when starting out to avoid acting rash as a rule. If you have a band member that is incapable of keeping his or her cool, perhaps it?s time to rethink his or her place in your group. The entertainment industry has a long memory and a spiteful tongue. Make sure when people speak of you, they?re speaking well.

This may all seem like such common sense that it isn?t even worth mentioning but you?d be surprised how many shows, interviews, tours, and record deals have never materialized because of burned bridges. You may have talent and great tunes, but if your attitude sucks you?ll get passed over time and again. No one wants to work with rage-aholics, egomaniacs or crazies. Don?t let anyone think that?s what your band is about. Sure it?s important to be creative geniuses but if no one likes you, you?ll be performing your masterpieces in the garage for grandma and her Pomeranian. Get smart and treat people right and you may find yourself rockin? all the way to the bank.

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians? assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

Purchasing a classical guitar can be a difficult task particularly if you are not yet an accomplished player. Here are some tips and hints on finding a good quality classical guitar whether it is in the hundred dollar range or the thousand dollar range.

If you are have ever gone into a well stocked guitar shop you have no doubt been confused by the selection of guitars. There are literally hundreds of shapes, sizes brands and types of guitars. And the price can range from a hundred dollars to several thousand. .If you are a beginner, judging the sound quality can be difficult to do because your ear is not yet highly trained. Here are some tips to help you make a good choice.

When in a guitar shop and looking at the guitars you should always ask a sales person to help you. This way you can take guitars down and play them. If you cannot play very well you should ask the sales clerk to play for you so you can get a feel for the sound of the different guitars. If the sales clerk doesnt play you should ask if there is someone working in the shop that does play. As a last resort you should even ask other customers in the store. Not listening to the different guitars is like shopping for a car but never test driving any of them. Guitars have very different feels and tones and you should listen to a lot of them to get a sense of what you like. Dont be bashful in this respect. Guitarists are usually a very gregarious bunch and a guitarist will almost always jump at the chance to play for someone else. If you dont yet play well and you cant find somebody to play for you I recommend you not purchase a guitar. You should come back another time when someone is available to play or you can bring a friend who knows how to play.

Check the size and shape of the guitar

Classical Guitars, of course, come in different sizes and shapes and you should sit with a wide variety of them to get a feeling for what is comfortable to you. Your body shape has an effect on this. If you are over six feet tall the smaller guitars might not be comfortable for you and the fret board may be uncomfortable for your hands. So even if you cant play music you should always hold and sit with the guitars to get a sense of how the different ones feel.

Check the mechanics and playability of the guitar

Here are several things you should do when considering the purchase of a classical guitar.

1. Play every note on every string all the way up and down. Listen for frets that dont play properly. They will give a rattling sound and if this occurs on any fret at all you should put the guitar aside and try another one. This is a sign of inferior quality. Every string should play cleanly on every single fret.

2. Check the action of the strings against the frets in terms of how much pressure is needed to play notes and chords. You should play bar chords all the way down the frets to insure good pressure. If it is too hard to press the strings in order to make a clear chord this could be a sign of an inferior guitar.

3. Play harmonics on the strings. This is an excellent test of the quality of the guitar. Playing harmonics is the technique of plucking the note with your right hand and only lightly touching the string with your left hand. Test the harmonics of all the strings on the 5th, 7th, 12th and 19th frets. If you do not know how to play harmonic notes ask the sales clerk to help you.

4. Examine and test the tuning pegs. Do they look clean and sharp? Wind and unwind them while watching and feeling for smooth turning motion.

5. Visually examine the whole guitar. Look it over very carefully from front to back and top to bottom. Are there any small cracks? Are the frets firmly installed into the fret board? Are there any cracks or glue exposed around the bridge?

6. Tap on the front of the guitar (The sound board) in a variety of different spots. Does it have a rich echoing sound or are there spots where it sounds dead and limp? The internal structure of the classical guitar is very important for the sound and important for the longevity of it. Dull thud sounds could be an indicator of an inferior instrument.

7. Examine the details. Look at the purfling around the edge. This is the decorated pattern that goes around the full body where the soundboard or face meets the sides of the guitar. Is it accurately laid in? If this has variations and inconsistencies it is a good sign that the guitar is of inferior quality.

8. Dont hesitate to take a good look inside the guitar sound hole. You will see wooden braces in there. Do they look straight, accurate and well placed? If you see sloppy globs of dried glue around these braces it could be an indicator of inferior craftsmanship.

9. Remember that there are three distinct areas you must consider when purchasing a classical guitar: The Look, The Feel, and the Sound. If you keep all three of these things in mind and carefully examine the guitar in relation to these you will be able to choose an instrument that will bring you a lifetime of trouble free playing enjoyment.

A Classical Guitar is a purchase that can give you a lifetime of enjoyment and you should consider the purchase carefully. Even if you dont plan on playing every day you should buy an instrument that is of good quality so it will maintain its sound quality for a lifetime. And to do this you dont need to spend thousands of dollars you just need to know how to identify a well made guitar.

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Did you take guitar lessons in high school? Can you strum a few bars of a Bob Dylan song, or play along with the Rolling Stones? If you are considering learning classical guitar, you are in for a whole new experience! Classical guitar is considered to be an art; one that has been practiced for hundreds of years. It has a history all of its own. Before you begin learning to play classical guitar, you will want to study its history and learn a few other things that make the classical guitar different from a regular acoustic guitar.

The main difference between classical and regular acoustic guitar is the way that you play them. A classical guitar has to almost become a part of you. Your body needs to move with the guitar as you play. Let yourself feel the rhythms and the melody and be caught up in them. If you are willing to take this approach, the music you play will have much more passion and movement than if you sit straight up and strum stiffly on the guitar.

Playing classical guitar requires the musician to be relaxed, both in mind and in body, and to become part of the music. Any thoughts or ideas you have of playing acoustic guitar will probably not apply to classical guitar. Be open to changing any habits or ideas that you have; this will help you to learn more quickly and to become a classical guitar player that people love to listen to.

Although classical guitar will seem difficult, take the time to learn the basics. Practice them over and over. If you do this, you will have a strong beginning to build on when you want to learn more complicated tunes and techniques. Practice and patience are very important when you want to learn classical guitar.

There are different ways to learn to play classical guitar. You can buy a book, CD or video, or even find information on the Internet. The most successful way to learn is to find a classical guitarist to teach you. It is much easier to learn how to sit, how to hold your guitar, and how to play the music if you have someone right there to show you and to correct you if you make any mistakes. Contact your local music store or put an ad in the newspaper to find a teacher. Enjoy this new learning experience, and if you feel discouraged, listen to a CD of a professional classical guitarist and look forward to the day you will be able to play that well!

Learn more about playing classical guitar at http://guitar.activitiessite.com/.