You are neither too young nor too old to play piano and compose. If you think otherwise, get that fairy tale out of your head.

A few geniuses began at age 3 and burned out in middle age. Gustave Mahler, a modern symphonic artist and Jazz Guitarist legend Wes Montgomery didn’t start serious composing until they were well in their 30′s. Verdi was still going strong at 87. Some of the great pop, jazz, and rock music of our time has been written by musicians who consider the age of 25 as over the hill.

Conclusion: forget about age.

What about music theory? Does it have anything to do with playing the piano and composing a piece of music?

Sounds come first. Theory books and systems tag along behind, explaining in words what you’ve already experienced by ear.

Composing is a hot creative act. Studying theory is a cool analytical act.

Theory explains what is going on in a piece of music. It shows us the machinery that makes the music tick. Training in theory helps sharpen our understanding, and helps the player and composer organize his or her musical materials.

Absorb theory for what it has to offer. But watch out for the trap of rules. In the early stages of playing piano and writing music, rules can be helpful disciplines to help focus our thinking. But given too much importance, rules become handcuffs; break them if you know what you’re doing.

Use your good ears to break through the endless blanket of sound that surrounds our lives.

Direct you hearing. Sharpen your perception. Isolate sounds. Listen, and make yourself aware of your sound-world.

A painting, a statue, and a building have a certain kind of life. All of their parts exist at the same time. But music is like a movie or a stage play: it unrolls slowly, bit by bit. A movie begins, continues, and ends before your eyes. Music does the same for your ears. Your piano playing and compositions live and breathe.

Guidelines for Playing Piano By Ear to Write Music

Begin your sketches with a simple, basic idea: a sound you like, a group of pitches, an interesting harmony, and attractive rhythm pattern, an idea for lyrics, and so on.

Next step: think out a number of possibilities for developing, expanding, exploiting, and contrasting your basic idea.

For example:

1. A group of pitches can be played forward, backward, upsidedown, or with its order rearranged.

2. You can keep the overall shape of a pitch group (the way it moves up and down), but change it by opening up or tightening the distance (interval) from one note to the next.

3. The same pitch group can be varied by changing its speed, meter, or rhythm… or by changing its color through changes of instrumental register (high vs. low).

4. A rhythmic idea, no matter how simple, can be stretched, tightened up, fragmented, or transformed into a repeated figure

5. A rhythmic idea can be applied to differnet pitch groups, or used to give movement to your favorite chord progression.

6. A harmony can be intensified by adding color tones (7th, 9th, added 6th, suspended tones, etc.); or softened by subtracting chord tones; or given a refreshed sound by the way you voice the harmony on the piano.

Try to keep a relaxed attitude toward you study of piano, and an open mind about new ideas that almost always turn up while you’re experiementing with your sketches.

Above all, don’t lock yourself into one way of thinking. After a certain point, a piece may have its own ideas about the way it should deveop; don’t try to force it into a cookie mold!

Let it grow and breathe.

Copyright 2005 RAW Productions

Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer. To learn more Trick of the Trade, go to: http://www.mrronsmusic.com and http://www.playpianotonight.com

One of the most popular guitars today and one of the best is the Fender Stratocaster. It has been around for years and has established a well known reputation for having an original sound and been great to play. Many top guitarists of the past and present played Strats – Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Mayer, Buddy Guy, the list goes on and on. All of these artists have that beautiful tonal sound of a Strat but when you hear each one, you can tell the difference between them, and that’s the beautiful thing. The Fender Strat gives you such originality while having that beautiful tonal sound no other guitar has.

The secret to that great sound that the Strats have is in the single coil pickups, the wood of the guitar and the way the body of the guitar is put together (2 sections). The combination of these 3 things put together is one of a kind, that guitarist have come to love right from the beginning of the Strats birth.

Although Strats are centered around a standard setup. There are lots of additional models that slightly differ and in-turn slightly change the sound of the guitar. This is great because it offers guitarists the chance to find that desirable sound that they have always wanted. To go one step further a lot of big name guitarist that play Strats get fender to make them a custom model just for them on specifications that they want so they can come up with the ultimate and perfect sound for them. These guitars are also available to the public to buy and are deemed signature models. If you desire a sound from one of these top quality guitarist than you can have it by buying a signature model which emulates the exact sound that artist has.

If you are thinking of buying a Strat I highly recommend to you that you go and try out as many different models that you can. Most people buy the standard USA Strat but this may not be for you, you may want something slightly different with a few different changes to the standard. Another thing I wish to point out is that when you try out a Strat, it is important play it through a quality amp, i.e. a fender twin amp. This is because if you try out guitars (great ones and poor ones) though a cheap and poor amp than the guitar will sound bad and disgusting. The rule when buying a guitar or any musical instrument is to try out many different types of that instrument as possible, this is the only way to properly find out what guitar suits you best.

Jakob Culver is a professional working musician and founder of the website http://www.musiciansequipment.com.

To find out more information on this topic visit our information page.

?2005 Millennium Online Marteting Pty Ltd

Not to over simplify Rock N? Roll but a huge variety of music is based on two patterns: The blues vamp and the power chord. Blues vamps and power chords are just names for rhythmic patterns and chords. Today were looking at the power chords.

What is a Power Chord? Power chords are movable chords, meaning we can move their position up or down the neck, to create different power chords. It?s the same shape just starting in a different position. The power chord contains two notes, the root note, and a note called the fifth. Power chords are known as fifth chords (written C5 or E5, etc). Power chord are not a Major or Minor in tonal quality. The sample below is a power chord in TAB Format.

E————-
B————-
G————-
D————-
A—-3——–
E—-1——–

The first fret on the Low E is an F so this is and F5 Power Chord. In this case you want to play only the two notes on the Low E and A strong.

E————-
B————-
G————-
D————-
A—-7——–
E—-5——–

The fifth fret on the Low E is an A so this is and A5 Power Chord. In this case you want to play only the two notes on the Low E and A strong. Notice this is exactly the same shape as the F5 just move up one step or two frets.

In both of these examples we are looking at power chords with the root note (the one that names the chord) on the Low E or sixth string. The same chord shape can be played with the root note on the A or 5th string.

E————-
B————-
G————-
D—-9——–
A—-7——–
E————-

The 7th fret on the A string is an E so this is and E5 Power Chord. In this case you want to play only the two notes on the A and D string, and mute the note on the Low E with the tip of your finger pressing down on the 7th fret of the A string.

The following Power chords are the same chord but played in different positions on the fret board. Confused?

E————-
B————-
G————-
D—-9——–
A—-7——–
E————-

E————-
B————-
G————-
D————-
A—-2——–
E————-

Don?t be. Play around with these cool little chords. Add some distortion to your amp and play the notes with all down strokes while alternating string mutes. This is the basic techniques used in most hard rock, metal and grunge styles of Rock N? Roll.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 free guitar lessons and our Free eBook on playing guitar.

Piano lessons have so many benefits for children, such as improved math skills, improved reading skills, and improved overall educational progress. Parents don?t want their children to miss out on this fun, educational experience. The fact is, however, the earlier your child begins piano lessons the more they will benefit. Many parents wait until their children are 9, or 10, or 14 years old to finally enroll their child in piano lessons. Why? The excuse most often stated by parents for this delay is, ?I?m not quite sure my child is ready for piano lessons.? Here?s what parents need to understand about waiting to give their children piano lessons.

Music is a language. Young children are programmed to absorb languages. So waiting to give your child piano lessons doesn?t really make sense. Here?s what you can do, however, to make sure your young child is ready for piano lessons. Just as parents can teach their young children pre-skills for learning to read at home they can also teach their young children foundational music language pre-skills at home. But to do this well, parents need the right materials to guide them in a step-by-step process so learning goes smoothly for their child. Today there is no reason why this should be dificult.

In the past music educators have tended to view themselves and their profession as an elite group with special talent others should be so lucky to have. Music materials were often couched in unnecesarily technical language that made learning inaccessible to the ?lay person.? With the advent of the internet this is no longer true. In fact, piano teachers who still operate under this dogmatic perspective are shooting themselves in the foot, while other piano teachers are sharing what they know with the world, so that everyone benefits from the gift of music.

If you’re a parents of a young child don?t hesitate to enroll them in piano lessons. But first prepare them for piano success at home. This way you won?t have to worry about whether or not your child is ready for piano, because you’ll know that they are. You may even decide to take piano lessons yourself.

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

Do you remember your mother singing to you? Usually there is a mother or mother figure from our childhoods that sang to us, lulled us with song, and often taught us many of life’s important lessons through song. Not surprisingly, these songs become more and more important to us as we get older.

I am constantly encouraging new mothers and even pregnant mothers to sing to their child. The emotional bond that is created is so very important and, as an adult, can bring comfort, solace and joy when heard as adult. One of the powerful stories related to me by a patient was of a woman, paralyzed by an accident, who was waiting in her wheelchair to be picked up for a doctor’s appointment. Before her ride could get there, a sudden ice storm blew in to town and falling trees blocked the street where the woman lived. Not only that, but the power went out and while the woman was patiently waiting, her apartment began to get colder and colder. In attempt to set her thermostat up, the lady fell from her wheelchair onto the floor and could not get up. The woman lay there, helpless on the floor,and began to cry softly. Suddenly the idea came to her to hum the song that was the first one she ever remembered her mother singing to her; the song was a very familiar one to many of us… Jesus Loves Me. She would hum the song for awhile and then she would sing it for awhile.

She claimed later that it not only helped the time pass, but it also made her feel physically warmer and safe. When she was rescued many hours later, everyone was amazed at what good condition she was in, since she had laid on the floor for probably 4-5 hours!

The songs we learn in early childhood from mother or another significant adult figure, are powerful. I can remember as a preschooler lying in the bed at night and listening to my mother play The Teddy Bear’s Picnic. Going to bed listening to her play was a wonderful feeling and made me want to learn to play too. You don’t have to be a good musician or even have a great voice to sing to your children and grandchildren, but what a gift it is! As I approach my grandmother years, my childhood memories of songs my parents sang to me and with me grow fonder and fonder.

Are you singing to your kids?

Do you listen to music with them, even just in the car?

The bond that music creates between people is powerful and can empower both of you to love better, stronger and longer. Pick up the phone and sing You are my Sunshine or Let me call you sweetheart or most anything that will make your child (or your parent!) feel loved on this special day.

Dr. Alice Cash is an internationally known speaker, author, media expert and performer. With the field of music as medicine she currently is specializing in mother-baby bonding, music for surgery, music with addictions, and music with Alzheimers and dementia. Please go to her website for more information and to book Dr. Cash.

If you play the guitar, then most likely you’ve heard of Gibson. If not, then you’ve been living under a rock and having your food delivered to you through a bubble. Gibson is arguably the most popular guitar manufacturer in the world today and have been for quite some time. We’re going to take just a surface look at this guitar giant. For more info, just visit their web site. Yeah, they’ve got one of those too now.

Gibson makes a lot of guitars, but probably none are as popular as the Gibson Les Paul. The Les Paul is probably one of the most widely used guitars in rock music. The guitar first made its presence in 1952 and is still going strong over 50 years later. The Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that comes in many models including the Les Paul Classic, Les Paul Supreme, Les Paul Standard, Les Paul Studio Baritone, Les Paul Studio, Les Paul Goddess, Les Paul Gt, Les Paul Menace, Les Paul New Century, Les Paul Vixen, Les Paul Special (with Humbucker pickups), Les Paul Doublecuts and Les Paul Melody Maker. Each one of these guitars has its own distinct sound.

But Gibson is more than just Les Paul guitars, even though they are the most popular models and used by more musicians than any other model. Gibson also makes the Americana, which is a fairly new guitar series. This includes the Pioneer Cutaway and the Ranger. These are 6 string acoustic guitars that have a very beautiful tone.

Getting back to electric guitars and to another old favorite, Gibson also makes the Firebird series which includes the Firebird Studio, Firebird V and Firebird VII. This series started way back in 1963 and took electric guitars in a whole new direction with its look and sound. This guitar is still very popular today with people who are looking for something a little different from the classic Les Paul sound.

Even two years before the Firebird was the SG series by Angus Young. This was actually a modification of the Les Paul with a thinner body and pointed horns. Originally part of the Les Paul series, it eventually got its own name. The SG series includes the SG 61 reissue, which is actually an exact replica of the original guitar, the SG Goddess, SG GT, SG Menace, SG Standard, SG Supreme and SG Special.

Gibson also makes other models of electric guitars but in addition to guitars, Gibson also makes electric bases which include the Continental V Bass, Les Paul Double Cut Bass, Les Paul Standard Base and Les Paul Thunderbird Bass which includes the four and five string models.

Sadly, there are some models of guitars that Gibson decided to discontinue for 2006. These include the Blues Hawk, Chet Atkins SST and Chet Atkins CE and CEC. These will be missed as they were excellent guitars, even if they didn’t sell as well as expected.

Gibson guitars have been a staple of the guitar industry for over 50 years. They are certain to remain at the top of the guitar world for at least another 50 years.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars