We all have singing voices, and of course we all think we sound great when singing in the shower or belting out a tune along with radio while driving.
In fact we all have a unique voice. But just because we think we sound great and maybe you do, this doesn't mean you can't make it better. With the access to the internet you now have the ability to pick from great vocal coaches and singing programs and make a vast improvement in your singing voice.
There are some very basic ways to improve your singing voice that you can concentrate on. A very important area is breath control. Without proper breath control your singing will be very shaky and you will not be able to hit notes properly.
All breath is controlled from you diaphragm when singing. Most people will take deep breaths into their chest, you have to break this habit and only breathe from your diaphragm.
To do this you have to pull air in through your nose and only your stomach should move in and out while your chest stays still. Learning this technique of breath control helps a singer breathe easier, have more breath for a performance, and push out notes with more control.
Another problem area for singers is their pitch. A big issue for a singer is not being perfect on their pitch. When trying to hit a note they end up falling on the lower half of the pitch as they come up to the note. What you want to do if you continually find yourself in this position, is to come from above the note and landing on perfect pitch. Finding yourself on the bottom of a note often just means you need to put in more intensity to sing the pitch.
Sounding a proper vowel sound is critical. It can make the difference between sounding smooth or like you are screeching. Having an understanding of the production position of vowels will make sure you are coming through clear.
It will also make sure you are consistent in your diction so your audience will have a better experience. This becomes even more important for group singing. Not everyone will pronounce vowel sounds the same. Just think of the word mom some might pronounce it "Mahm" while others use "Mawm"
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Significance of the Bass Clef
The bass clef on the piano usually sounds deeper in tone and is typically played with your left hand while the treble clef plays higher pitched notes. So if you wanted to be a minimal one man band, your left hand would typically be the bass guitar while your right hand is lead guitar.
When you look at the bass clef, your bottom line on your staff is a G. As you climb up, the notes follow in the same order:
G A B C D E F G A....
This pattern can go on as much as you like. You can find the bottom line G on the piano by locating middle C and moving an octave down to the next C and then moving down again to G. As you go up on the staff, you will climb up on the piano. While you can go and play all the notes on the piano on the bass clef as much as you want, there are more practical ways to play higher pitched notes.
Here are some examples of how a composer can achieve this:
Sometimes when musicians need to reach higher notes, they will change to treble clef and notate that it is to play with the left hand (usually by annotating with L.H.). Once they have hit all the high notes, they can change back to the bass clef.
Another way to hit high notes on this clef is to notate to your players to move an octave up which is an italicized 8va with dashed lines along the top. The dashed lines will keep going as long as the composer wants you to go with the higher octave. Likewise, musicians can notate to move an octave down.
Now don't think that you will always be playing the deeper notes on the bass clef. If you listen to the vast variety of piano music (and I don't mean just classical), you will find that there are plenty of songs are soft in tones and sometimes you won't even go past the bottom G. And on the flip side, you will find songs that are deeper in tone.
If you check out Schubert's Serenade, you will see that most of the song is like a whisper with just deep notes here and there which are played softly as to not dominate the other notes in the song. It's a very expressive piece of music and I highly recommend you check it out.
When you look at the bass clef, your bottom line on your staff is a G. As you climb up, the notes follow in the same order:
G A B C D E F G A....
This pattern can go on as much as you like. You can find the bottom line G on the piano by locating middle C and moving an octave down to the next C and then moving down again to G. As you go up on the staff, you will climb up on the piano. While you can go and play all the notes on the piano on the bass clef as much as you want, there are more practical ways to play higher pitched notes.
Here are some examples of how a composer can achieve this:
Sometimes when musicians need to reach higher notes, they will change to treble clef and notate that it is to play with the left hand (usually by annotating with L.H.). Once they have hit all the high notes, they can change back to the bass clef.
Another way to hit high notes on this clef is to notate to your players to move an octave up which is an italicized 8va with dashed lines along the top. The dashed lines will keep going as long as the composer wants you to go with the higher octave. Likewise, musicians can notate to move an octave down.
Now don't think that you will always be playing the deeper notes on the bass clef. If you listen to the vast variety of piano music (and I don't mean just classical), you will find that there are plenty of songs are soft in tones and sometimes you won't even go past the bottom G. And on the flip side, you will find songs that are deeper in tone.
If you check out Schubert's Serenade, you will see that most of the song is like a whisper with just deep notes here and there which are played softly as to not dominate the other notes in the song. It's a very expressive piece of music and I highly recommend you check it out.
Augmented Vs Diminished Chords
There are more kinds of chords than minor and major. Today, I want to discuss augmented versus diminished. I have already discussed minor and major chords on my blog. Augmented and versus diminished can follow the same strategy.
To find a major, you know that you begin with your root, move 4 half steps up to your mediant and then move 3 steps up to your dominant.
The interval for augmented chords would be 4 - 4 which means 4 1/2 steps from the root, and then 4 from the mediant. Another way to look at it is to find your augmented chord is to begin with your major chord and then move your dominant chord a half step up.
Let's take a look at the D augmented chord. You can either count 4 1/2 steps from D and then get F(sharp) and then count 4 up from F sharp and land on A sharp. However, if you just look at the major chord which is D, F sharp, A, you can see that moving A one half step up will give you your augmented chord.
Now let's take a look at diminished chords.
Diminished are similar to augmented except that you look at the minor instead of a major chord. A minor chord is 3 half steps up from the root, and then 4 up from the mediant. When you want your diminished triad, the chord interval would be 3 - 3. Now if you want to start with your minor chord, you would move your dominant a half step down instead of up.
Let's do an example using the A diminished. You can follow the same two methods that are stated above which either is counting steps or starting with your minor chord and making it a diminished.
With an A minor chord, you have the notes A, C, and E. The chord interval here is 3 - 4. Now you can take your minor chord and move your dominant note down a half step to get A, C, and E(flat). Or you can use the alternative method and start with A, move up 3 half steps to C, and then move 3 to E flat.
To find a major, you know that you begin with your root, move 4 half steps up to your mediant and then move 3 steps up to your dominant.
The interval for augmented chords would be 4 - 4 which means 4 1/2 steps from the root, and then 4 from the mediant. Another way to look at it is to find your augmented chord is to begin with your major chord and then move your dominant chord a half step up.
Let's take a look at the D augmented chord. You can either count 4 1/2 steps from D and then get F(sharp) and then count 4 up from F sharp and land on A sharp. However, if you just look at the major chord which is D, F sharp, A, you can see that moving A one half step up will give you your augmented chord.
Now let's take a look at diminished chords.
Diminished are similar to augmented except that you look at the minor instead of a major chord. A minor chord is 3 half steps up from the root, and then 4 up from the mediant. When you want your diminished triad, the chord interval would be 3 - 3. Now if you want to start with your minor chord, you would move your dominant a half step down instead of up.
Let's do an example using the A diminished. You can follow the same two methods that are stated above which either is counting steps or starting with your minor chord and making it a diminished.
With an A minor chord, you have the notes A, C, and E. The chord interval here is 3 - 4. Now you can take your minor chord and move your dominant note down a half step to get A, C, and E(flat). Or you can use the alternative method and start with A, move up 3 half steps to C, and then move 3 to E flat.
How To Be A Good Singer - 6 Top Tips To Take You To The Next Level
The question of how to be a good singer comes up all the time in vocal circles. There are so many different answers and opinions out there that it can be hard to know where to start. Read on to discover six vital tips that will help you catapult your singing to a whole new level.
1 - I want to stress how important it is to get yourself a good teacher. You can do all the singing you want, but if you want to learn how to be a good singer and don't have an experienced professional to give you a helping hand, you won't get very far. Sure, there are singers who are naturally talented, but even they need help to reach their full potential.
2 - It's a great idea to record yourself practicing. If you can, record your singing in both audio and video format. There is no quicker way to learn than to watch and listen to yourself sing as often as you can. You might cringe at first, and that's totally normal! But soon you will get over the initial shock of observing yourself singing and be able to see and hear what you're doing well and what needs improvement. You may surprise yourself by performing in a totally different way than you had imagined. Or you may sound completely different than you thought you did. This is all part of learning how to be a good singer, and it'll help you to progress much faster.
3 - You can also put on small-scale concerts for family and friends. Just make sure that you are fully prepared to sing in front of other people, as this is a totally different experience from singing on your own. A good tip is to sing for a good friend first, who is kind and understands what you want from your singing. They don't have to be a musical expert, but you have to trust them enough to ask for honest feedback. Whatever you do, don't sing for anyone who could knock your confidence, otherwise you might never want to sing again! Anyone who can't give you some encouragement as you learn how to be a good singer is not worth singing for.
4 - Practice a little bit every single day. Fifteen minutes a day is much better for your voice than two hours on a Sunday and then nothing the rest of the week. Your vocal health is so important, and singing little and often will help protect your voice from hoarseness, tiredness and more serious vocal problems. Don't jump straight into singing your favorite song or aria at the beginning of your practice session; instead, do some physical and warm-ups to prepare yourself. You would never see a hundred-meter sprinter go straight into a race without warming up first. Your voice is no different - just a few minutes of warm-up will help you get ready for some serious singing!
5 - Another tip that can really help you build up your voice is to stay still when you practice. It can be far too tempting to move or dance around the room when you sing! If you want to add movement and dance to a performance, that's fine, but first of all just stand and sing. This will focus all your attention on your voice and means that you can get used to the feeling of just singing. After all, the main thing you are learning here is how to be a good singer, not a good dancer! When you record yourself singing this way, you will learn the most about what works and what doesn't work vocally. You can move a little, of course - you're not a robot! But keep all extra movements to a minimum to begin with, and stand with an upright and relaxed posture. Imagine that there's a thread coming out of the top of your head, gently holding you in a beautiful posture!
6 - Finally, watch, listen and learn as much as you can. There are examples of all kinds of singing on the internet, TV and radio, as well as your local library and concert venue. Going to see live music is another excellent activity, as you can watch and listen to the pros and learn from them. Don't just listen to the music you already know. Be adventurous and find out about all types of music, including unfamiliar popular genres, musicals and opera. The more styles you can become familiar with, the better.
1 - I want to stress how important it is to get yourself a good teacher. You can do all the singing you want, but if you want to learn how to be a good singer and don't have an experienced professional to give you a helping hand, you won't get very far. Sure, there are singers who are naturally talented, but even they need help to reach their full potential.
2 - It's a great idea to record yourself practicing. If you can, record your singing in both audio and video format. There is no quicker way to learn than to watch and listen to yourself sing as often as you can. You might cringe at first, and that's totally normal! But soon you will get over the initial shock of observing yourself singing and be able to see and hear what you're doing well and what needs improvement. You may surprise yourself by performing in a totally different way than you had imagined. Or you may sound completely different than you thought you did. This is all part of learning how to be a good singer, and it'll help you to progress much faster.
3 - You can also put on small-scale concerts for family and friends. Just make sure that you are fully prepared to sing in front of other people, as this is a totally different experience from singing on your own. A good tip is to sing for a good friend first, who is kind and understands what you want from your singing. They don't have to be a musical expert, but you have to trust them enough to ask for honest feedback. Whatever you do, don't sing for anyone who could knock your confidence, otherwise you might never want to sing again! Anyone who can't give you some encouragement as you learn how to be a good singer is not worth singing for.
4 - Practice a little bit every single day. Fifteen minutes a day is much better for your voice than two hours on a Sunday and then nothing the rest of the week. Your vocal health is so important, and singing little and often will help protect your voice from hoarseness, tiredness and more serious vocal problems. Don't jump straight into singing your favorite song or aria at the beginning of your practice session; instead, do some physical and warm-ups to prepare yourself. You would never see a hundred-meter sprinter go straight into a race without warming up first. Your voice is no different - just a few minutes of warm-up will help you get ready for some serious singing!
5 - Another tip that can really help you build up your voice is to stay still when you practice. It can be far too tempting to move or dance around the room when you sing! If you want to add movement and dance to a performance, that's fine, but first of all just stand and sing. This will focus all your attention on your voice and means that you can get used to the feeling of just singing. After all, the main thing you are learning here is how to be a good singer, not a good dancer! When you record yourself singing this way, you will learn the most about what works and what doesn't work vocally. You can move a little, of course - you're not a robot! But keep all extra movements to a minimum to begin with, and stand with an upright and relaxed posture. Imagine that there's a thread coming out of the top of your head, gently holding you in a beautiful posture!
6 - Finally, watch, listen and learn as much as you can. There are examples of all kinds of singing on the internet, TV and radio, as well as your local library and concert venue. Going to see live music is another excellent activity, as you can watch and listen to the pros and learn from them. Don't just listen to the music you already know. Be adventurous and find out about all types of music, including unfamiliar popular genres, musicals and opera. The more styles you can become familiar with, the better.
Songwriters - Learn How the Position of Your Lyrics Can Change What You're Saying
Have you ever wondered if the position of your lyrical phrase within your music affected the message you were trying to get through to your audience?
I'd argue that it does for multiple reasons, but right now I want to show you why it matters for the purpose of highlighting specific words within your lyrical phrases. What I am talking about? Okay, okay, be patient... I'll show you.
There's a great example of what I'm talking about in the song "These Days" by Foo Fighters. But before I get into that, we need to back up and talk about our everyday speech patterns and how they relate to music.
The Spoken Word
In every day speech, some words and syllables are accented, and others are not. For example, look at the phrase "One of these days." It's a phrase we've heard many times before, so we're familiar with its sonic shape. If you listen carefully, you'll notice the words "one" and "days" are stressed more than the words "of" and "these." I'll notate this by capitalizing the stressed words: ONE of these DAYS. Do you hear it? The combination of stressed and unstressed syllables in this phrase help to create its natural shape. If we stressed words that don't want to be stressed, we'd get: One OF THESE days. Sounds like William Shatner saying it, doesn't it? It's not how we're used to hearing it.
...And in Music
That's cool, but what does this have to do with music? Well, when we sing lyrics, we also accent certain words, but the position of the words in the measure has everything to do with which words get accented, and which words don't. Each measure of a song has beats within its measure that are stronger than other beats. For example, in 4/4 time, the first beat of the measure is the strongest, the third beat is the second strongest, the second beat is the third strongest and the fourth beat of the measure is the weakest. Without getting too complicated, all we need to take away from this right now, is that the first beat of the measure is the strongest. So, if we place a word on the first beat of the measure, it'll tend to sound more accented than a beat that is on the second, third or fourth beat.
As songwriters, it's important for us to align the accented words of our lyrical phrases with the accented words in the spoken version of the phrases we choose. Remember that singing is just an exaggerated form of speech, so in order for our lyrics to really resonate with our listeners and sound natural, we need our vocal phrases to have the same sonic shape as the spoken version of our phases.
Applying These Concepts to "These Days" by Foo Fighters
Back to our Foo Fighters song. If you'd like to follow along, please check out the song on YouTube.
At the beginning of the song, the first line we hear lead singer, Dave Grohl, sing is "One of these days." He repeats this phrase a few times throughout the verse in the exact same manner. When he sings this phrase in the verse, it sounds good. It sounds natural. The way we would speak it. "ONE of these DAYS." Why is that? Check it out.... If you count along with the song, you'll notice the words "one" and "days" fall on the first beat of two consecutive measures. So the visual version would look something like this:
BEATS:-------1-------2-------3--------4--------1-------2
LYRICS:------ONE-------------of-these----------DAYS----
Go back and listen to the first line of the song. Notice how the words that should be the strongest in the phrase (based on how we say it), are on beat number one. The result? The phrase resonates with us the way it should. Cool.
As a comparison, let's fast forward to the chorus. Go to about a minute and thirty-five seconds into the song and take another listen to when he sings the same exact lyrical phrase, "One of the days," in the chorus. Go check it out.
Oops! What happened now? Suddenly, the phrase sounds like this: "one of THESE days."
Or, in the song
BEATS:-------3-------4-------1---------2-------3-------4
LYRICS:------One-of----------THESE-days----------------
In the chorus, they've changed up the sonic shape of the phrase. Now the emphasis is on the word "these," which goes against what we're used to hearing in spoken language. That's why something sounds off and not as natural as it did before. The word "these" lands square on beat one (the only word in the phrase that does) and sucks up all the spotlight. But is it supposed to? Let's check our original spoken word version: "ONE of these DAYS." Nope it wasn't supposed to. So THAT'S why something sounds off...or at the very least, different than it did in the verse.
One thing I love about this song as a study of this topic, is that it uses the phrase "One of these days" in both ways, so we can get a side by side comparison within the song. You can clearly hear how the positioning of your words matters when you write your lyrics to music. Do it right, the way Foo Fighters did in the verse, and it sounds natural. Do it not-as-right (this is art after all, and there is technically no "wrong"), the way Foo did in the chorus, and it doesn't sound as natural anymore.
I'd argue that it does for multiple reasons, but right now I want to show you why it matters for the purpose of highlighting specific words within your lyrical phrases. What I am talking about? Okay, okay, be patient... I'll show you.
There's a great example of what I'm talking about in the song "These Days" by Foo Fighters. But before I get into that, we need to back up and talk about our everyday speech patterns and how they relate to music.
The Spoken Word
In every day speech, some words and syllables are accented, and others are not. For example, look at the phrase "One of these days." It's a phrase we've heard many times before, so we're familiar with its sonic shape. If you listen carefully, you'll notice the words "one" and "days" are stressed more than the words "of" and "these." I'll notate this by capitalizing the stressed words: ONE of these DAYS. Do you hear it? The combination of stressed and unstressed syllables in this phrase help to create its natural shape. If we stressed words that don't want to be stressed, we'd get: One OF THESE days. Sounds like William Shatner saying it, doesn't it? It's not how we're used to hearing it.
...And in Music
That's cool, but what does this have to do with music? Well, when we sing lyrics, we also accent certain words, but the position of the words in the measure has everything to do with which words get accented, and which words don't. Each measure of a song has beats within its measure that are stronger than other beats. For example, in 4/4 time, the first beat of the measure is the strongest, the third beat is the second strongest, the second beat is the third strongest and the fourth beat of the measure is the weakest. Without getting too complicated, all we need to take away from this right now, is that the first beat of the measure is the strongest. So, if we place a word on the first beat of the measure, it'll tend to sound more accented than a beat that is on the second, third or fourth beat.
As songwriters, it's important for us to align the accented words of our lyrical phrases with the accented words in the spoken version of the phrases we choose. Remember that singing is just an exaggerated form of speech, so in order for our lyrics to really resonate with our listeners and sound natural, we need our vocal phrases to have the same sonic shape as the spoken version of our phases.
Applying These Concepts to "These Days" by Foo Fighters
Back to our Foo Fighters song. If you'd like to follow along, please check out the song on YouTube.
At the beginning of the song, the first line we hear lead singer, Dave Grohl, sing is "One of these days." He repeats this phrase a few times throughout the verse in the exact same manner. When he sings this phrase in the verse, it sounds good. It sounds natural. The way we would speak it. "ONE of these DAYS." Why is that? Check it out.... If you count along with the song, you'll notice the words "one" and "days" fall on the first beat of two consecutive measures. So the visual version would look something like this:
BEATS:-------1-------2-------3--------4--------1-------2
LYRICS:------ONE-------------of-these----------DAYS----
Go back and listen to the first line of the song. Notice how the words that should be the strongest in the phrase (based on how we say it), are on beat number one. The result? The phrase resonates with us the way it should. Cool.
As a comparison, let's fast forward to the chorus. Go to about a minute and thirty-five seconds into the song and take another listen to when he sings the same exact lyrical phrase, "One of the days," in the chorus. Go check it out.
Oops! What happened now? Suddenly, the phrase sounds like this: "one of THESE days."
Or, in the song
BEATS:-------3-------4-------1---------2-------3-------4
LYRICS:------One-of----------THESE-days----------------
In the chorus, they've changed up the sonic shape of the phrase. Now the emphasis is on the word "these," which goes against what we're used to hearing in spoken language. That's why something sounds off and not as natural as it did before. The word "these" lands square on beat one (the only word in the phrase that does) and sucks up all the spotlight. But is it supposed to? Let's check our original spoken word version: "ONE of these DAYS." Nope it wasn't supposed to. So THAT'S why something sounds off...or at the very least, different than it did in the verse.
One thing I love about this song as a study of this topic, is that it uses the phrase "One of these days" in both ways, so we can get a side by side comparison within the song. You can clearly hear how the positioning of your words matters when you write your lyrics to music. Do it right, the way Foo Fighters did in the verse, and it sounds natural. Do it not-as-right (this is art after all, and there is technically no "wrong"), the way Foo did in the chorus, and it doesn't sound as natural anymore.
Transferring Music From an iPod to a PC - How It's Done
You may have known that you can easily transfer music from a personal computer into an iPod, but not the other way around. But what if you need to transfer some music from your iPod to your PC? One possible reason is that your computer had crashed and after reformatting the drive, there is no music left on the file.
You can simply copy music from your iPod. Follow these steps:
1. Open the "My Computer" icon in your desktop or select it from the start menu. Then, select "Tools" and click "Folder Options". This will then open an "Advanced setting". Click the "View" tab and look for the "Hidden folder" option. Tick the box corresponding to the "Show hidden files and folder".
2. After setting the folder option, connect your iPod to your PC using a USB cable. Look for the USB drive corresponding to your iPod and open it. Go to the "iPod_control" folder, and then open the "Music" folder. You will notice that there are several songs in different folders, and with scrambled file names. These are the song files that are in your iPod. Although they have scrambled file names, the ID tags and other information are still intact.
3. Create a new folder in your desktop. After doing so, copy all the scattered music files in your iPod and place them inside the folder that you have just created. Copying may take awhile, depending on how many songs you are transferring. You should have all the scrambled songs saved in a single folder after completely copying the scrambled music files.
4. After completely copying all the music files into the new folder, open your iTunes menu. From there, go to "Edit" and then click "Preferences". This will open an option box with several tabs. Click the "Advanced" tab and make sure to tick the box with the option "Keep iTunes media folder organized".
5. The next step is to select "File" from the menu bar, and then click "Add folder to library". Look for the folder where you have stored the copied music files from your iPod. Since you ticked the "Keep iTunes media folder organized" box, iTunes will automatically rename the files and restore the correct information. This process may take some time, depending on the number of songs you have copied.
There you have it. Just follow the above steps and you can now enjoy your iPod music in your PC too.
You can simply copy music from your iPod. Follow these steps:
1. Open the "My Computer" icon in your desktop or select it from the start menu. Then, select "Tools" and click "Folder Options". This will then open an "Advanced setting". Click the "View" tab and look for the "Hidden folder" option. Tick the box corresponding to the "Show hidden files and folder".
2. After setting the folder option, connect your iPod to your PC using a USB cable. Look for the USB drive corresponding to your iPod and open it. Go to the "iPod_control" folder, and then open the "Music" folder. You will notice that there are several songs in different folders, and with scrambled file names. These are the song files that are in your iPod. Although they have scrambled file names, the ID tags and other information are still intact.
3. Create a new folder in your desktop. After doing so, copy all the scattered music files in your iPod and place them inside the folder that you have just created. Copying may take awhile, depending on how many songs you are transferring. You should have all the scrambled songs saved in a single folder after completely copying the scrambled music files.
4. After completely copying all the music files into the new folder, open your iTunes menu. From there, go to "Edit" and then click "Preferences". This will open an option box with several tabs. Click the "Advanced" tab and make sure to tick the box with the option "Keep iTunes media folder organized".
5. The next step is to select "File" from the menu bar, and then click "Add folder to library". Look for the folder where you have stored the copied music files from your iPod. Since you ticked the "Keep iTunes media folder organized" box, iTunes will automatically rename the files and restore the correct information. This process may take some time, depending on the number of songs you have copied.
There you have it. Just follow the above steps and you can now enjoy your iPod music in your PC too.
How to Play Jazz - Tritone Substitution Explained
Tritone Substitution is a form of reharmonization, used often by jazz musicians to spice up their sound when playing old jazz songs from the past.
'Tritone' is a term used to describe the augmented 4th/diminished 5th interval. For example, the interval between C and F# is a tritone.
The tritone interval is found in several types of chord, but it features most prominently in the dominant 7 chord (C dominant 7 is C E G Bb).
The tritone in this chord is found between the major 3rd (E) and the flat 7 (Bb).
Here's the cool part:
E and Bb are also the tritone of another dominant 7 chord, other than C dominant 7. F# dominant 7 also has an E and a Bb in it: F# A#(Bb) C# E. In F# dominant 7, E is the flat 7, and Bb is the major 3rd (correctly spelled A#).
This means that whenever you see a C dominant 7 chord symbol, you can substitute it for an F# dominant 7 instead. In doing this, you keep the important tritone sound, while also creating a new and more sophisticated slant in the harmony.
So every time you see a dominant 7 chord symbol, try substituting it for the dominant 7 chord a tritone away (up or down). E.g. if you see a Bb dominant 7, play E dominant 7. If you see a G# dominant 7, play D dominant 7.
When you apply this to ii-V-I progressions, you will notice that you get a nice chromatic moving bassline (moving by half step downwards). For example, in C major:
The ii chord will be D minor
We can tritone substitute the V7 chord, G dominant 7, becomes Db dominant 7.
The I chord is C major.
Try playing:
D minor 7 (D F A C), Db dominant 7 (Db F Ab Cb), C major 7 (C E G B).
Sounds pretty cool doesn't it!
Sometimes you will have to alter some of the melody notes slightly, to fit with the new chord symbol. Say the original dominant 7 chord was G dominant 7, and the melody note was an A natural. If you substituted the G dominant 7 for the same chord a tritone away, Db dominant 7, then the A natural would become dissonant when played over the new chord. So you would have to alter the A natural, and make it an Ab or maybe a Bb. Whatever sounds good to you.
'Tritone' is a term used to describe the augmented 4th/diminished 5th interval. For example, the interval between C and F# is a tritone.
The tritone interval is found in several types of chord, but it features most prominently in the dominant 7 chord (C dominant 7 is C E G Bb).
The tritone in this chord is found between the major 3rd (E) and the flat 7 (Bb).
Here's the cool part:
E and Bb are also the tritone of another dominant 7 chord, other than C dominant 7. F# dominant 7 also has an E and a Bb in it: F# A#(Bb) C# E. In F# dominant 7, E is the flat 7, and Bb is the major 3rd (correctly spelled A#).
This means that whenever you see a C dominant 7 chord symbol, you can substitute it for an F# dominant 7 instead. In doing this, you keep the important tritone sound, while also creating a new and more sophisticated slant in the harmony.
So every time you see a dominant 7 chord symbol, try substituting it for the dominant 7 chord a tritone away (up or down). E.g. if you see a Bb dominant 7, play E dominant 7. If you see a G# dominant 7, play D dominant 7.
When you apply this to ii-V-I progressions, you will notice that you get a nice chromatic moving bassline (moving by half step downwards). For example, in C major:
The ii chord will be D minor
We can tritone substitute the V7 chord, G dominant 7, becomes Db dominant 7.
The I chord is C major.
Try playing:
D minor 7 (D F A C), Db dominant 7 (Db F Ab Cb), C major 7 (C E G B).
Sounds pretty cool doesn't it!
Sometimes you will have to alter some of the melody notes slightly, to fit with the new chord symbol. Say the original dominant 7 chord was G dominant 7, and the melody note was an A natural. If you substituted the G dominant 7 for the same chord a tritone away, Db dominant 7, then the A natural would become dissonant when played over the new chord. So you would have to alter the A natural, and make it an Ab or maybe a Bb. Whatever sounds good to you.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
First By The Post - Social Media Marketing For Music Artists
Most people when they go to buy a car look for something with an automatic transmission. That's understandable. It's one of the great innovations many of us have come to take for granted that makes driving just that much easier to deal with.
Navigating the intricate world of Internet marketing and social media is far more challenging than driving, so when an innovative tool comes along that promises to make our digital lives easier and more productive we are apt to want to adopt it, especially if it's free.
One such tool that has drawn a lot of accolades and users is the type known as the social media communications publisher (a.k.a. "social media dashboard"), offered by numerous relatively new outfits like Hootsuite, Seesmic and Threadsy. These Web or desktop based applications automatically post your blogs, tweets etc. (and in some cases other file types like images, music and videos) to the various social media sites you have a presence on, helping you manage one very important aspect of your social media campaign more efficiently. Sound good? You bet. Unfortunately, the reality may not match the expectation.
Besides the very real concern that, in their rush to get their apps to market, some of these services may fall short on functionality and/or reliability (even their paid version(s), let alone the bare-essentials free option), there is now some disheartening news that's come out of a recent U.S. study suggesting another reason why such tools may not be quite the blessing they are made out to be. The study, by EdgeRank Checker, shows that posting to a social media site by means of such third-party tools is not nearly as effective in gaining fan engagement as posting directly (i.e., manually) or using an app that is proprietary to the particular site.
Why might this be? There could be a number of reasons.
One is that social media sites want people to use their particular site's "official" apps, i.e. those controlled by them. So, they could lower the "weighting" of postings facilitated by third-party tools, resulting in less fan engagement and interaction. Another is that relying on an app's pre-set scheduling can negatively impact the usefulness of posts that are time-sensitive. As well, a spray gun approach to posting doesn't allow tweaking or personalizing of the post for each particular site--what's ideal for Facebook may not be optimal for LinkedIn, and so on. In addition, having the exact same item in numerous places on the Web may cause Google to flag it and lower its search engine ranking. These are just some of the possibilities.
Navigating the intricate world of Internet marketing and social media is far more challenging than driving, so when an innovative tool comes along that promises to make our digital lives easier and more productive we are apt to want to adopt it, especially if it's free.
One such tool that has drawn a lot of accolades and users is the type known as the social media communications publisher (a.k.a. "social media dashboard"), offered by numerous relatively new outfits like Hootsuite, Seesmic and Threadsy. These Web or desktop based applications automatically post your blogs, tweets etc. (and in some cases other file types like images, music and videos) to the various social media sites you have a presence on, helping you manage one very important aspect of your social media campaign more efficiently. Sound good? You bet. Unfortunately, the reality may not match the expectation.
Besides the very real concern that, in their rush to get their apps to market, some of these services may fall short on functionality and/or reliability (even their paid version(s), let alone the bare-essentials free option), there is now some disheartening news that's come out of a recent U.S. study suggesting another reason why such tools may not be quite the blessing they are made out to be. The study, by EdgeRank Checker, shows that posting to a social media site by means of such third-party tools is not nearly as effective in gaining fan engagement as posting directly (i.e., manually) or using an app that is proprietary to the particular site.
Why might this be? There could be a number of reasons.
One is that social media sites want people to use their particular site's "official" apps, i.e. those controlled by them. So, they could lower the "weighting" of postings facilitated by third-party tools, resulting in less fan engagement and interaction. Another is that relying on an app's pre-set scheduling can negatively impact the usefulness of posts that are time-sensitive. As well, a spray gun approach to posting doesn't allow tweaking or personalizing of the post for each particular site--what's ideal for Facebook may not be optimal for LinkedIn, and so on. In addition, having the exact same item in numerous places on the Web may cause Google to flag it and lower its search engine ranking. These are just some of the possibilities.
Become an Entertainment Manager and Start Working With the Stars
Behind every star entertainer, there's an entertainment manager. No matter how talented an artist is, talent alone does not necessarily lead to an accomplished career. In order to enjoy consistent success, artists need competent management to guide them and help them make smart choices. As with so many jobs in the entertainment industry, the competition for entertainment manager positions is fierce. An excellent way to get ahead of the competition is to enroll in an Entertainment Management Program.
Designed to prepare students for a wide range of positions in the industry, Entertainment Management Programs train students in everything from artist management to computer skills and business administration. While most graduates will pursue a career in music, courses will provide students with a broad knowledge base that can be applied to any art form. For people with an inclination for sound recording, popular career choices are music marketing, music publicity, tour management, and music record production.
Most programs are full time, and last approximately one year. Topics covered will typically include the following:
· Overview of the music industry
· Publishing and copyright law in the music industry
· Marketing music
· Publicity
· Music industry contracts
· Managing tours
· Record production
· Management essentials
· Managing artists
· Accounting
· Broadcast industry
· Sales & distribution
· Event management
· Merchandising
· Video production
Over the course of their studies, entertainment management students will participate in a mix of classroom theory and on-hands study in a recording studio. This ensures that Entertainment Management Program graduates enter the music industry with a solid "top-to-bottom" understanding of the field - the kind of understanding that only comes from having actually recorded and mixed music, created videos, etc.
Many schools offer a final project and internship as part of their program. The project could be the creation of a music video, soundtrack, or recording, where students are required to develop something from scratch, and learn from the creation process. The internship is offsite, usually at the offices of an entertainment company, where students have the opportunity to collaborate with industry veterans, develop a greater understanding of the field, and make contacts.
Designed to prepare students for a wide range of positions in the industry, Entertainment Management Programs train students in everything from artist management to computer skills and business administration. While most graduates will pursue a career in music, courses will provide students with a broad knowledge base that can be applied to any art form. For people with an inclination for sound recording, popular career choices are music marketing, music publicity, tour management, and music record production.
Most programs are full time, and last approximately one year. Topics covered will typically include the following:
· Overview of the music industry
· Publishing and copyright law in the music industry
· Marketing music
· Publicity
· Music industry contracts
· Managing tours
· Record production
· Management essentials
· Managing artists
· Accounting
· Broadcast industry
· Sales & distribution
· Event management
· Merchandising
· Video production
Over the course of their studies, entertainment management students will participate in a mix of classroom theory and on-hands study in a recording studio. This ensures that Entertainment Management Program graduates enter the music industry with a solid "top-to-bottom" understanding of the field - the kind of understanding that only comes from having actually recorded and mixed music, created videos, etc.
Many schools offer a final project and internship as part of their program. The project could be the creation of a music video, soundtrack, or recording, where students are required to develop something from scratch, and learn from the creation process. The internship is offsite, usually at the offices of an entertainment company, where students have the opportunity to collaborate with industry veterans, develop a greater understanding of the field, and make contacts.
The Right Way to Sell Beats Online
Are you looking for some extra income and like to make instrumentals as a hobby? Why not sell your beats online and make more money. Nowadays, new artists and record label holders usually go online in search for some new beats they can buy. You can tap into this market and sell beats to them. The reason a lot of people are drawn to this money-making venture is because it is enjoyable. You get to make money and enjoy what you are doing at the same time.
1) You Need Good Beats
But before you can make it big in the beat industry, you need to be able to come up with good instrumentals. Good beats mean that they are perfect for your client and the current music trend. You may need to closely study the market or interview some artists to determine the style of music that you will need to create. When it comes to beat selling, it does not matter how many beats you create. The quality of the beat is more important than the quantity.
To create good instrumentals, you may need to get some inspiration. You can do this by listening to the music created by some popular producers like Dr. Dre and Timbaland. You can also look at the other instrumentals you have made in the past. This will inspire you to good music that will satisfy your clients. After all, your goal is to sell your beats. So getting the attention of your potential clients is the first step.
In order to create good music you may need to take your time. Simply rushing the creation process will not do you any good. You need to work closely with your clients and ask them on how they want their instrumentals to turn out. You also need to jump-start the creation process by having a concept of the beat in mind. Only people who are familiar with different beats have the ability to conceptualize new beats.
2) Promote
Once you have created your beats, it is time to gain exposure by uploading your beats online. Simply put, you need to show your beats to people if you like them to be bought. After all, no one likes to buy beats from someone who has just created their first beat. They want to give the beat making job to someone who knows what they are doing.
Creating your first beat may be your key to landing huge deals. Huge deals are usually beat making deals for commercials, TV shows or movies. If you have a rich portfolio, then clients will be seeking to work with you. You can also visit some beat opportunity sites. This is where artists flock to inform beat makers about what they need.
In the end, your sales will depend on the quality of your beats. It is better to perfect a few beats than create a hundred beats that do not meet the standards of your clients. Selling your beats the right way means creating quality beats because you care about what your clients want.
1) You Need Good Beats
But before you can make it big in the beat industry, you need to be able to come up with good instrumentals. Good beats mean that they are perfect for your client and the current music trend. You may need to closely study the market or interview some artists to determine the style of music that you will need to create. When it comes to beat selling, it does not matter how many beats you create. The quality of the beat is more important than the quantity.
To create good instrumentals, you may need to get some inspiration. You can do this by listening to the music created by some popular producers like Dr. Dre and Timbaland. You can also look at the other instrumentals you have made in the past. This will inspire you to good music that will satisfy your clients. After all, your goal is to sell your beats. So getting the attention of your potential clients is the first step.
In order to create good music you may need to take your time. Simply rushing the creation process will not do you any good. You need to work closely with your clients and ask them on how they want their instrumentals to turn out. You also need to jump-start the creation process by having a concept of the beat in mind. Only people who are familiar with different beats have the ability to conceptualize new beats.
2) Promote
Once you have created your beats, it is time to gain exposure by uploading your beats online. Simply put, you need to show your beats to people if you like them to be bought. After all, no one likes to buy beats from someone who has just created their first beat. They want to give the beat making job to someone who knows what they are doing.
Creating your first beat may be your key to landing huge deals. Huge deals are usually beat making deals for commercials, TV shows or movies. If you have a rich portfolio, then clients will be seeking to work with you. You can also visit some beat opportunity sites. This is where artists flock to inform beat makers about what they need.
In the end, your sales will depend on the quality of your beats. It is better to perfect a few beats than create a hundred beats that do not meet the standards of your clients. Selling your beats the right way means creating quality beats because you care about what your clients want.
Sell Your Beats For Quick Cash
Do you need some quick cash but you do not know how to write or do any Internet marketing-related task? Are you in love with music and love listening to it? Have you ever wanted to produce your own music? If you answered 'yes' to all three questions, then you may have the potential to sell some beats for quick cash.
The beat selling business is a new but booming industry. A lot of people including new artists and rappers are now searching for their beats online. You can tap into this market by coming with short and quick beats which can give you a passive income source.
1) Before You Begin
But before you can successfully sell your beats for quick cash, you need to check if you have all of the requirements. You will not be able to make beats if you do not have your own computer or laptop and an Internet connection. You will need software for creating your beats and you can only edit them in your computer. That is what the computer or laptop is for. Then in the same way, you will not be able to sell your beats online if you do not have an Internet connection. So be sure you have both.
2) It Is All In The Software
Once you have everything ready, it is now time to browse online for different beat making software. Beat making software vary based on the available sound as well as facets of the software. The best software will have a wide array of sounds you can mix to create your own beats. It may be best to also have some instruments and make your own beats at home. From there, the software will just aid you in mixing the sounds.
3) Starting in the Beat Selling Business
When you have your beats ready, you can now start selling them. However, the beat selling business is a pretty competitive industry. There are a lot of people selling their beats every day and all of them claim that their beats are the best out there. To really get key clients, you will need to appeal to a particular sub-niche in the music industry. Do you want to sell beats for commercials? How about TV shows or films? Do you want to create beats for rappers? You need to define your target market in order to make it big in this business.
4) Making It Big
Aside from the quick $20 you can make from creating short and simple beats, you can also make big money out of your beats. There are some websites that can give you big deals like TV or film deals. This will get you more money for your beats.
The beat selling business is a new but booming industry. A lot of people including new artists and rappers are now searching for their beats online. You can tap into this market by coming with short and quick beats which can give you a passive income source.
1) Before You Begin
But before you can successfully sell your beats for quick cash, you need to check if you have all of the requirements. You will not be able to make beats if you do not have your own computer or laptop and an Internet connection. You will need software for creating your beats and you can only edit them in your computer. That is what the computer or laptop is for. Then in the same way, you will not be able to sell your beats online if you do not have an Internet connection. So be sure you have both.
2) It Is All In The Software
Once you have everything ready, it is now time to browse online for different beat making software. Beat making software vary based on the available sound as well as facets of the software. The best software will have a wide array of sounds you can mix to create your own beats. It may be best to also have some instruments and make your own beats at home. From there, the software will just aid you in mixing the sounds.
3) Starting in the Beat Selling Business
When you have your beats ready, you can now start selling them. However, the beat selling business is a pretty competitive industry. There are a lot of people selling their beats every day and all of them claim that their beats are the best out there. To really get key clients, you will need to appeal to a particular sub-niche in the music industry. Do you want to sell beats for commercials? How about TV shows or films? Do you want to create beats for rappers? You need to define your target market in order to make it big in this business.
4) Making It Big
Aside from the quick $20 you can make from creating short and simple beats, you can also make big money out of your beats. There are some websites that can give you big deals like TV or film deals. This will get you more money for your beats.
Why Are There So Few Female Studio Recording Engineers?
As a female studio recording engineer and a electronic music maker, I am often asked why there are so few women working in the field of studio engineering. This can be both interesting and tiresome as it is a question that demands to be explored but it is also sometimes a bit too much responsibility to be expected to be able to answer for the gross under representation of my gender behind the glass.
I have looked into this issue for both my own curiosity and also to be better equipped when answering to other enquiring minds. I am somewhat surprised by the statistics. Latest research I have found estimates that women account for only five per cent of studio recording engineers. Why should this be?
I can tell you now it is not rocket science. Sure mastering music requires a very firm grasp of acoustics and frequencies and highly tuned ear. But a regular studio recording engineer? Well, quite frankly I have come across many mediocre professional sound engineers who are male. Most of the job role requires sticking a microphone in front of an instrument or person. Connecting that signal to a recorder, most often a computer. And pressing record. Of course this is crudely put, but as I explained to a BBC radio presenter one day in an interview if you can work a microwave or a mobile phone you can probably get your head round most recording studio equipment and signal chains. If you want to.
And this is the more important aspect of the issue here. Many jobs that demand skill and knowledge are occupied by women. OK, perhaps not technology or science but a recording studio does not have to be such a complicated system to get the hang of. There is a logic involved and a systematic approach that once learned and practiced can be applied with relative ease. And sound engineering is not just a science anyway - it is also an art. And a people skills job. Why, I would go as far to say that given women's conditioning, we are well equipped to be good listeners, midwives for the artist or client's wishes and I often find myself acting in a nurturing manner to help clients achieve their best performance (especially vocalists for whom the studio environment is new and perhaps a bit uncomfortable).
In the live sound industry there are more women apparently. And this is a much more physical job with much less social hours including tours that can last for weeks and months at a time. Working in a studio environment, the job can be sedentary and certainly not physically demanding. And as a freelance you can exercise some control over your working hours. So, inconvenient working hours and physical strength is not the issue here. Even access to training is not really necessary - I know of plenty of female music producers and studio engineers who have no qualifications in this field, but have just learned how to do it because they wanted to.
I think the only conclusion I can come to which can begin to explain the lack of women working behind the mixing desk is confidence. It is a question of confidence. You have to believe in yourself, not be intimidated by techy talk as you are starting nor be intimidated by other perhaps more capable male colleagues. Actually I have found that 99 percent of professional male engineers I have worked with have not projected any sexist attitudes, although I did have to battle to earn respect at sound engineering school.
I have looked into this issue for both my own curiosity and also to be better equipped when answering to other enquiring minds. I am somewhat surprised by the statistics. Latest research I have found estimates that women account for only five per cent of studio recording engineers. Why should this be?
I can tell you now it is not rocket science. Sure mastering music requires a very firm grasp of acoustics and frequencies and highly tuned ear. But a regular studio recording engineer? Well, quite frankly I have come across many mediocre professional sound engineers who are male. Most of the job role requires sticking a microphone in front of an instrument or person. Connecting that signal to a recorder, most often a computer. And pressing record. Of course this is crudely put, but as I explained to a BBC radio presenter one day in an interview if you can work a microwave or a mobile phone you can probably get your head round most recording studio equipment and signal chains. If you want to.
And this is the more important aspect of the issue here. Many jobs that demand skill and knowledge are occupied by women. OK, perhaps not technology or science but a recording studio does not have to be such a complicated system to get the hang of. There is a logic involved and a systematic approach that once learned and practiced can be applied with relative ease. And sound engineering is not just a science anyway - it is also an art. And a people skills job. Why, I would go as far to say that given women's conditioning, we are well equipped to be good listeners, midwives for the artist or client's wishes and I often find myself acting in a nurturing manner to help clients achieve their best performance (especially vocalists for whom the studio environment is new and perhaps a bit uncomfortable).
In the live sound industry there are more women apparently. And this is a much more physical job with much less social hours including tours that can last for weeks and months at a time. Working in a studio environment, the job can be sedentary and certainly not physically demanding. And as a freelance you can exercise some control over your working hours. So, inconvenient working hours and physical strength is not the issue here. Even access to training is not really necessary - I know of plenty of female music producers and studio engineers who have no qualifications in this field, but have just learned how to do it because they wanted to.
I think the only conclusion I can come to which can begin to explain the lack of women working behind the mixing desk is confidence. It is a question of confidence. You have to believe in yourself, not be intimidated by techy talk as you are starting nor be intimidated by other perhaps more capable male colleagues. Actually I have found that 99 percent of professional male engineers I have worked with have not projected any sexist attitudes, although I did have to battle to earn respect at sound engineering school.
Singing Agent/Talent Manager Shares A Great Tip For Getting You Music Heard
Mixtape success has record labels opening their eyes to this useful marketing tool. Firstly singing agents many times are not agents but talent managers. Their goal is to get your music discovered by those who can help take you to the top. For new artist out there trying to get discovered by record labels or more importantly fans is quite demanding. In this day and age we have all seen and experienced the evolution of the music business and "the music". Moreover, we have seen various genres beginning to emerge including the number of ways music reaches the people. Mixtapes has made that endeavor easier. So much so that it seems even record labels are recognizing the power of the "free" mixtape. Mixtapes have lined the way boosting the awareness and sales for many once popular artists.
Mixtapes which are albums complied of various songs from various artists whether popular or not under the same genre has become the recent online craze. Once only released by DJ's and Rap artist has caught the attention of amateur artist, and even recording studios to promote new artist and new music.
The idea around mixtapes is to create a "buzz" and generate record buyers. The idea is for fans to reward an artist that has given away original music in return for fans loyalty by purchasing the artist full length album, buying concert tickets, and other merchandise. The payoff is an active fan base, which labels thrive on for discovering new artists and promoting established artists with hopes to stimulate retail purchases.
Mixtapes are being utilized as a career foundation for unknown artists. They offer music lovers easy accessibility, no charges and the joy of discovering new music, new artist and keeps new fans wanting to hear more from the individual artists featured resulting into the buying their CD.
Basically mixtapes released online is a great way to promote new artist. Everyone now has the chance to be popular among music enthusiast because of these mixtapes. It's a win for everyone and should become a new marketing and promotional tool for new independent artist to be heard and recognized.
FYI sometimes mixtapes can also be classified as compilations. It is suggested that if you come across the opportunity to be on a mixtape or rather a compilation it is worth checking out. They can be distributed in several markets easily saving you a bundle in your promotional and marketing budget.
Mixtapes which are albums complied of various songs from various artists whether popular or not under the same genre has become the recent online craze. Once only released by DJ's and Rap artist has caught the attention of amateur artist, and even recording studios to promote new artist and new music.
The idea around mixtapes is to create a "buzz" and generate record buyers. The idea is for fans to reward an artist that has given away original music in return for fans loyalty by purchasing the artist full length album, buying concert tickets, and other merchandise. The payoff is an active fan base, which labels thrive on for discovering new artists and promoting established artists with hopes to stimulate retail purchases.
Mixtapes are being utilized as a career foundation for unknown artists. They offer music lovers easy accessibility, no charges and the joy of discovering new music, new artist and keeps new fans wanting to hear more from the individual artists featured resulting into the buying their CD.
Basically mixtapes released online is a great way to promote new artist. Everyone now has the chance to be popular among music enthusiast because of these mixtapes. It's a win for everyone and should become a new marketing and promotional tool for new independent artist to be heard and recognized.
FYI sometimes mixtapes can also be classified as compilations. It is suggested that if you come across the opportunity to be on a mixtape or rather a compilation it is worth checking out. They can be distributed in several markets easily saving you a bundle in your promotional and marketing budget.
How To Find New Talent
There are a lot of people in this world that were given an extraordinary talent, but if you have the talent to find those people, then you can become a talent scout. If you ever get lucky and discover someone with a huge amount of talent and potential, you could make a great living. However, you must know how to find talent in order to manage one.
•How to find "new talent"
In order to find new talent, you must know where to go and how to approach. The best places to discover new talent is online and at the mall. There are many people that post videos of themselves singing, dancing, and even acting online. You could find a huge amount of unique talent on websites like YouTube. You should consider finding a person that has the X factor and the triple threat. Most people are more fascinated and intrigued about people that were born with many talents and gifts. When you are at a mall, it is advisable to bring a couple of friends with you to help you scout some new talent. However, most people often get afraid and startled whenever someone randomly approaches them, so make sure that when you approach a person that you don't seem so agitated. There are many people that go to the mall to get discovered, as the only way to get known now is to be discovered or to do all the work yourself. Obviously, no one wants to go to auditions by themselves without having any back up whatsoever. However, when you are going to the mall, it will be pretty difficult to find a singer, dancer, or an actress, as it is hard to tell if someone has the ability to act, sing, or dance. It is recommended to just scout people that look like models at the mall, as you just need to find someone that has the height, figure, and looks.
•Referrals and YouTube.
Talking to friends and family is a great way to discover new talent. Simply ask them if they know anybody who has the talent and the looks, there's a good chance they will know several people. This also works once you get your first talent. Simply ask them if they know anybody with talent, and that should help you get started to getting more talent. Aside from referrals, don't be afraid to really utilize YouTube. Singers and dancers there are everywhere, and finding people with star potential on this site is definitely easy.
Finding new talent can be quite a task, especially now that there are so many people to choose from. Almost every person who sings, dances, or performs on YouTube wants to get famous, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a talented young star who is willing to do the work. Remember to approach people nicely and to sound very calm and professional. The more relaxed you are, the easier it'll be to talk to them and introduce to them the goal you have in mind, no matter what that might be.
•How to find "new talent"
In order to find new talent, you must know where to go and how to approach. The best places to discover new talent is online and at the mall. There are many people that post videos of themselves singing, dancing, and even acting online. You could find a huge amount of unique talent on websites like YouTube. You should consider finding a person that has the X factor and the triple threat. Most people are more fascinated and intrigued about people that were born with many talents and gifts. When you are at a mall, it is advisable to bring a couple of friends with you to help you scout some new talent. However, most people often get afraid and startled whenever someone randomly approaches them, so make sure that when you approach a person that you don't seem so agitated. There are many people that go to the mall to get discovered, as the only way to get known now is to be discovered or to do all the work yourself. Obviously, no one wants to go to auditions by themselves without having any back up whatsoever. However, when you are going to the mall, it will be pretty difficult to find a singer, dancer, or an actress, as it is hard to tell if someone has the ability to act, sing, or dance. It is recommended to just scout people that look like models at the mall, as you just need to find someone that has the height, figure, and looks.
•Referrals and YouTube.
Talking to friends and family is a great way to discover new talent. Simply ask them if they know anybody who has the talent and the looks, there's a good chance they will know several people. This also works once you get your first talent. Simply ask them if they know anybody with talent, and that should help you get started to getting more talent. Aside from referrals, don't be afraid to really utilize YouTube. Singers and dancers there are everywhere, and finding people with star potential on this site is definitely easy.
Finding new talent can be quite a task, especially now that there are so many people to choose from. Almost every person who sings, dances, or performs on YouTube wants to get famous, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a talented young star who is willing to do the work. Remember to approach people nicely and to sound very calm and professional. The more relaxed you are, the easier it'll be to talk to them and introduce to them the goal you have in mind, no matter what that might be.
Selling Music Online As an Unsigned Artist
A few years ago it was very hard to sell music online, especially without the support of a label. Thankfully it is far easier now to circulate and promote music without the need of a label. There are many independent artists, singer/songwriters and bands selling their music online, but how do you choose the right way for you?
iTunes is the biggest name of them all and it is surprisingly easy to sell your music with them. Unfortunately, due to the high level of interest, artists cannot communicate directly with Apple and instead need to be working in partnership with an established distributor who can handle the negotiation for you. This article will not discuss finding a distributor, but there are many resources available online if you are interested in distributing through iTunes.
One of the other big players is Bandcamp. Bandcamp allows you to set up a webpage where you can allow listeners to download your music free of charge or purchase it. One immediate advantage Bandcamp has over iTunes for artists is that artists can deal with them directly. Artists control the design of their page and get a better cut of their sales than they would do with iTunes.
Another website which provides a similar service to Bandcamp is ReverbNation. Artists have the option to build a profile page and are then able to showcase their music to the community.
Tunecore are another company which offer a distribution service. They will distribute your music to iTunes and eMusic and do not make any claims on your material either. All do is pay a fixed fee dependent on what you are releasing (an album or single).
The Internet has allowed the music industry to grow and has given independent artists more freedom to showcase their music and release material themselves without needing a record label behind them. Of course a label will always be able to market your music and have an influence far quicker than an artist working solo, but at the same time they can take a huge percentage of your sales that it may be more cost-effective for you to put the extra work in and reap the rewards. It may take a long time and a lot of hard but it means you have full control of your music and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it your way.
iTunes is the biggest name of them all and it is surprisingly easy to sell your music with them. Unfortunately, due to the high level of interest, artists cannot communicate directly with Apple and instead need to be working in partnership with an established distributor who can handle the negotiation for you. This article will not discuss finding a distributor, but there are many resources available online if you are interested in distributing through iTunes.
One of the other big players is Bandcamp. Bandcamp allows you to set up a webpage where you can allow listeners to download your music free of charge or purchase it. One immediate advantage Bandcamp has over iTunes for artists is that artists can deal with them directly. Artists control the design of their page and get a better cut of their sales than they would do with iTunes.
Another website which provides a similar service to Bandcamp is ReverbNation. Artists have the option to build a profile page and are then able to showcase their music to the community.
Tunecore are another company which offer a distribution service. They will distribute your music to iTunes and eMusic and do not make any claims on your material either. All do is pay a fixed fee dependent on what you are releasing (an album or single).
The Internet has allowed the music industry to grow and has given independent artists more freedom to showcase their music and release material themselves without needing a record label behind them. Of course a label will always be able to market your music and have an influence far quicker than an artist working solo, but at the same time they can take a huge percentage of your sales that it may be more cost-effective for you to put the extra work in and reap the rewards. It may take a long time and a lot of hard but it means you have full control of your music and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it your way.
How to Sell Rap Beats
This article will teach you a few ways to sell your rap beats. Let's say you just have learned how to create some cool beats by using software. You stay on your laptop all day coming up with these cool beats and now you need to sell them and get out into the music industry.
There is lots of music artists on the internet now and they want to buy rap beats online so they can make really good songs to put on their albums. Below are some websites and additional tips to get your beats noticed on the internet. I have broken them down into two categories.
Opportunity websites are those sites that post opportunities instead of allowing you to post your beats. In these websites, clients such as record label holders and rappers post what they are looking for. They will usually tell the beat maker about what they are looking for and beat makers can apply for the opportunity through that.
1) Broadjam
This website has one of the most extensive list of opportunities. You name it and they have it. They have different types of opportunities ranging from TV deals to film musical beats. They are looking for expert beat makers who want to make a lot of money from their beats. After all, they are not offering ordinary opportunities. They only have opportunities from high paying clients.
2) Music Placements
Then, there is also Music Placements. This website is a relatively new opportunity website. Even though it has fewer opportunities compared with other websites, it is still a great way to expose your beats to new companies.
3) Talk to Artists
And if you want to really want to get into better opportunities, you would do better if you will contact artists directly. By closely working with new and upcoming artists, you will be able to get a higher bid. After all, you are creating customized beats that are designed just for them.
Meanwhile, if you are new to the beat making industry, you may need to expose yourself to the online world first. You can do this by trying some of these amateur beat maker websites.
There is lots of music artists on the internet now and they want to buy rap beats online so they can make really good songs to put on their albums. Below are some websites and additional tips to get your beats noticed on the internet. I have broken them down into two categories.
Opportunity websites are those sites that post opportunities instead of allowing you to post your beats. In these websites, clients such as record label holders and rappers post what they are looking for. They will usually tell the beat maker about what they are looking for and beat makers can apply for the opportunity through that.
1) Broadjam
This website has one of the most extensive list of opportunities. You name it and they have it. They have different types of opportunities ranging from TV deals to film musical beats. They are looking for expert beat makers who want to make a lot of money from their beats. After all, they are not offering ordinary opportunities. They only have opportunities from high paying clients.
2) Music Placements
Then, there is also Music Placements. This website is a relatively new opportunity website. Even though it has fewer opportunities compared with other websites, it is still a great way to expose your beats to new companies.
3) Talk to Artists
And if you want to really want to get into better opportunities, you would do better if you will contact artists directly. By closely working with new and upcoming artists, you will be able to get a higher bid. After all, you are creating customized beats that are designed just for them.
Meanwhile, if you are new to the beat making industry, you may need to expose yourself to the online world first. You can do this by trying some of these amateur beat maker websites.
Sell Beats For Money
Did you know that you can actually sell beats for money? If you are a producer and you love to create your own beats, then I have good news for you. You can actually make some money in the music industry by just creating your own beats.
Everyday a lot of new and upcoming artists which includes singers and rappers need instrumentals so they can start writing their music. Instrumentals actually help by inspiring them and help them in creating their song. This is the reason why they usually go online searching for some beats to purchase. This is where you come in.
Fortunately, it is easy to sell beats for money. Here is a short but effective way on how to do it.
1) Check the Requirements
Before you can start making your own beats, you need to have certain requirements. First, you will need to have a laptop and Internet connection. Your laptop will be where the beat software will be installed. This is where your beat creation process will take place. Meanwhile, the Internet connection is for selling your beats. You need to be able to visit beat websites so you can start posting and making money off your instrumentals.
2) Start Creating
Once you have the requirements ready, it is time to start creating your own beats. You can do this by carefully selecting and studying a beat making software. If you are going to browse the Internet, you will find that there are a lot of beat making software available. Choose one that appeals to you and spend your time learning it. It may take days but it will be worth it. After learning, you will now be able to create your own beats.
3) How to Sell Your Instrumentals
When you have your beats ready, you can now log online and sell your beats for money. There are many ways to sell your beats. You can either have your own website or you can simply post your beats in beat databases. Having your own website helps in attracting professional artists. It gives them a place to listen to your beats while getting to know you as a producer. Meanwhile, posting your beats on databases will give you more exposure. And you can expect that people who visit these websites are really there to purchase some beats.
While you can do both so you can sell your beats for money, you can start with posting your beats on databases if you do not have the initial money to create a website. It will get you started in the beat making industry without initial funds
Everyday a lot of new and upcoming artists which includes singers and rappers need instrumentals so they can start writing their music. Instrumentals actually help by inspiring them and help them in creating their song. This is the reason why they usually go online searching for some beats to purchase. This is where you come in.
Fortunately, it is easy to sell beats for money. Here is a short but effective way on how to do it.
1) Check the Requirements
Before you can start making your own beats, you need to have certain requirements. First, you will need to have a laptop and Internet connection. Your laptop will be where the beat software will be installed. This is where your beat creation process will take place. Meanwhile, the Internet connection is for selling your beats. You need to be able to visit beat websites so you can start posting and making money off your instrumentals.
2) Start Creating
Once you have the requirements ready, it is time to start creating your own beats. You can do this by carefully selecting and studying a beat making software. If you are going to browse the Internet, you will find that there are a lot of beat making software available. Choose one that appeals to you and spend your time learning it. It may take days but it will be worth it. After learning, you will now be able to create your own beats.
3) How to Sell Your Instrumentals
When you have your beats ready, you can now log online and sell your beats for money. There are many ways to sell your beats. You can either have your own website or you can simply post your beats in beat databases. Having your own website helps in attracting professional artists. It gives them a place to listen to your beats while getting to know you as a producer. Meanwhile, posting your beats on databases will give you more exposure. And you can expect that people who visit these websites are really there to purchase some beats.
While you can do both so you can sell your beats for money, you can start with posting your beats on databases if you do not have the initial money to create a website. It will get you started in the beat making industry without initial funds
The State of Hip Hop
I have heard the question "Is hip hop dead?" many times, and to be honest I believe the answer is no. Though it has changed a lot in the passing years doesn't classify it as a "dead" art, all things must evolve and this is one of them. We have gone from the basic beats that the D.J.'s spin that evolved into words being said over the track, then there were the classic emcees and battles of the 80's which evolved into "gangsta" rap, which i believe is misread as the "real" hip hop and the reason that people think its dying when the fact of the matter is its just changing with the times. Just as with anything else, too much of the same thing will get old and tired, so it changes.
The truth is the industry has become so much more than that, it has become a diverse melting pot of all different types where there are no limits and there are no restrictions of the music you make which is such a beautiful thing that shouldn't be overlooked. Its honestly sad that it is being frowned upon as much as it is there is an endless field of creativity laid out in front of artists today and plenty of room for experimentation that needs to be explored, because the next "big thing" is just around the corner waiting to be exposed to the public.
The truth is the industry has become so much more than that, it has become a diverse melting pot of all different types where there are no limits and there are no restrictions of the music you make which is such a beautiful thing that shouldn't be overlooked. Its honestly sad that it is being frowned upon as much as it is there is an endless field of creativity laid out in front of artists today and plenty of room for experimentation that needs to be explored, because the next "big thing" is just around the corner waiting to be exposed to the public.
29 Ways to Make Money in the Music Industry
As an Assistant Professor of Recording Arts & Technology, one of the first thing I'm asked by parents of prospective students is whether or not it's possible to make a living in the music industry. Obviously, this is a difficult question. I can't promise anyone that they'll be able to make a living working in the music industry because they all have different interests and skill-sets. However, what I can provide is a list of what my former students are doing. So, here's a list of 29 ways my former students make money in the music industry.
1.Performer - Obviously, this is the one that everyone thinks of. Everyone wants to be a rock star at some point in their life. And everyone assumes they're the ones making all of the money, which isn't always the case. But that's a topic for another day.
2.Live Sound Engineer - This audio professional is responsible for making each live performance sound as good as possible.
3.Recording Engineer - This audio professional is responsible for the first part of the recording process know as tracking. This is where all of the individual parts are recorded.
4.Mixing Engineer - Once all of the parts have been recorded, they are handed over to the mixing engineer. The mixing engineer adjusts the levels of each part to create the final mix.
5.Mastering Engineer - The mastering engineer is the last person involved in the recording process. They concentrate on making sure that all of the songs on the CD work well together, as a whole. Often times they have to adjust the level of one song as compared to another so that it isn't jarring to the listener.
6.Pro Tools Operator - This is a specialised type of recording engineer that only runs Pro Tools software. You can actually go to school for this to become a Certified Pro Tools operator, and if you do you might have me as your professor.
7.Intern - This is how many people start out in the music industry. Sometimes interns get paid, sometimes they don't. Either way, it's still often the best way to get your "foot in the door". Just be ready to clean a lot of toilets and take a lot of coffee and food orders.
8.Teacher - There are music teachers at all levels of the music business from the guitar teacher at the neighborhood music store, to the band teacher at the high school, to the vocal coach of the stars.
9.Manager - The manager is responsible for overseeing the artist's or band's career. They are like a head coach in that they advise the performer as they assemble their professional team of agents, business managers and lawyers.
10.Booking Agent - This is the member of the artist's team that is responsible for booking performances. Many people get the jobs of the manager and the agent confused. In certain states it's actually illegal for managers to book performances for artists.
11.Publicist - This member of the artist's team is responsible for generating publicity, usually in the form of newspaper, magazine and TV coverage.
12.Club Owner - This one is easy to understand. Basically, this includes anyone that owns a live music venue whether it be a club, bar or coffee house.
13.Recording Studio Owner - Sometimes this is the same person as the recording, mixing or mastering engineer, other times it's simply a business person.
14.Graphic Designer - This visual artist is responsible for designing whatever artwork the artist needs ranging from CD covers to posters.
15.Web Designer - It's the job of the web designer to build and maintain the artist's website. They may incorporate portions of the graphic designer's work in the design of the website.
16.Producer - The producer is responsible for overseeing the entire recording process. Traditionally, they chose the songs for the artist and hired the recording engineers and studio musicians. Nowadays, it's quite common for the producer to also be a songwriter, performer and recording engineer as well.
17.Songwriter - Some artists write their own songs. Those that don't need new material every time they record a new CD. That's where the songwriter comes in.
18.Film Composer - Another one that's pretty obvious. Film composers write all of the music necessary for a movie.
19.Jingle Writer - This is a very specialized songwriter who writes music for radio and TV commercials.
20.Publisher - The job of the publisher is to represent composers and songwriters and get their music used in movies and on TV.
21.Merchandiser - The merchandiser is responsible for putting the artist's likeness on an endless variety of products. Everyone that owns at least one concert t-shirt has a merchandiser to thank.
22.Journalist - In the past, this job was limited to a few magazines and newspapers but now, with the internet, there are literally thousands of sites discussing every genre of music imaginable.
23.Equipment Designer/Manufacturer - Someone needs to make all of the cool gear that the artists use on stage and in the studio.
24.Equipment Retailer - I know from first-hand experience that you can make a really good living working for one of the larger equipment retailers like Sweetwater Sound, Musician's Friend or Guitar Center.
25.TV/Film Music Supervisor - This is the person that finds the perfect songs and music for each TV show and movie. They usually work very closely with the director as well music publishers.
26.Record Label Owner - Nowadays, these are either multi-national companies (the major labels), or music lovers (the smaller independent labels).
27.Entertainment Lawyer - The music industry is full of all different types of contracts. You need an attorney that is familiar with these specialized documents.
28.Business Manager - Works closely with the artist to ensure that their bills are paid and that their money is well cared for.
29.Rehearsal Space Owner - This may be one that many people don't think of but there are rehearsal studios in just about every medium to large city.
1.Performer - Obviously, this is the one that everyone thinks of. Everyone wants to be a rock star at some point in their life. And everyone assumes they're the ones making all of the money, which isn't always the case. But that's a topic for another day.
2.Live Sound Engineer - This audio professional is responsible for making each live performance sound as good as possible.
3.Recording Engineer - This audio professional is responsible for the first part of the recording process know as tracking. This is where all of the individual parts are recorded.
4.Mixing Engineer - Once all of the parts have been recorded, they are handed over to the mixing engineer. The mixing engineer adjusts the levels of each part to create the final mix.
5.Mastering Engineer - The mastering engineer is the last person involved in the recording process. They concentrate on making sure that all of the songs on the CD work well together, as a whole. Often times they have to adjust the level of one song as compared to another so that it isn't jarring to the listener.
6.Pro Tools Operator - This is a specialised type of recording engineer that only runs Pro Tools software. You can actually go to school for this to become a Certified Pro Tools operator, and if you do you might have me as your professor.
7.Intern - This is how many people start out in the music industry. Sometimes interns get paid, sometimes they don't. Either way, it's still often the best way to get your "foot in the door". Just be ready to clean a lot of toilets and take a lot of coffee and food orders.
8.Teacher - There are music teachers at all levels of the music business from the guitar teacher at the neighborhood music store, to the band teacher at the high school, to the vocal coach of the stars.
9.Manager - The manager is responsible for overseeing the artist's or band's career. They are like a head coach in that they advise the performer as they assemble their professional team of agents, business managers and lawyers.
10.Booking Agent - This is the member of the artist's team that is responsible for booking performances. Many people get the jobs of the manager and the agent confused. In certain states it's actually illegal for managers to book performances for artists.
11.Publicist - This member of the artist's team is responsible for generating publicity, usually in the form of newspaper, magazine and TV coverage.
12.Club Owner - This one is easy to understand. Basically, this includes anyone that owns a live music venue whether it be a club, bar or coffee house.
13.Recording Studio Owner - Sometimes this is the same person as the recording, mixing or mastering engineer, other times it's simply a business person.
14.Graphic Designer - This visual artist is responsible for designing whatever artwork the artist needs ranging from CD covers to posters.
15.Web Designer - It's the job of the web designer to build and maintain the artist's website. They may incorporate portions of the graphic designer's work in the design of the website.
16.Producer - The producer is responsible for overseeing the entire recording process. Traditionally, they chose the songs for the artist and hired the recording engineers and studio musicians. Nowadays, it's quite common for the producer to also be a songwriter, performer and recording engineer as well.
17.Songwriter - Some artists write their own songs. Those that don't need new material every time they record a new CD. That's where the songwriter comes in.
18.Film Composer - Another one that's pretty obvious. Film composers write all of the music necessary for a movie.
19.Jingle Writer - This is a very specialized songwriter who writes music for radio and TV commercials.
20.Publisher - The job of the publisher is to represent composers and songwriters and get their music used in movies and on TV.
21.Merchandiser - The merchandiser is responsible for putting the artist's likeness on an endless variety of products. Everyone that owns at least one concert t-shirt has a merchandiser to thank.
22.Journalist - In the past, this job was limited to a few magazines and newspapers but now, with the internet, there are literally thousands of sites discussing every genre of music imaginable.
23.Equipment Designer/Manufacturer - Someone needs to make all of the cool gear that the artists use on stage and in the studio.
24.Equipment Retailer - I know from first-hand experience that you can make a really good living working for one of the larger equipment retailers like Sweetwater Sound, Musician's Friend or Guitar Center.
25.TV/Film Music Supervisor - This is the person that finds the perfect songs and music for each TV show and movie. They usually work very closely with the director as well music publishers.
26.Record Label Owner - Nowadays, these are either multi-national companies (the major labels), or music lovers (the smaller independent labels).
27.Entertainment Lawyer - The music industry is full of all different types of contracts. You need an attorney that is familiar with these specialized documents.
28.Business Manager - Works closely with the artist to ensure that their bills are paid and that their money is well cared for.
29.Rehearsal Space Owner - This may be one that many people don't think of but there are rehearsal studios in just about every medium to large city.
Beat Making Software Most Used By Successful Startup Producers
For most aspiring music producers, a full studio setup is well out of reach. Thus, more are turning to all in one software programs readily available for home computers. Here's a quick rundown of what to look for before you fork over your hard-earned cash.
To start you need to know what to look for in the various beat making software programs. It's quite easy. Just look at what you would find in a studio setup to make a checklist:
1. Sequencer.
2. Drum Machine.
3. Sampler.
4. High Quality Output.
5. Ability to Import Samples.
For a sequencer, you want to mimic the professional DAW's (digital audio workstations) and have 16 with the ability to edit each one individually. That includes volume as well as control over samples and beats. You should also make sure that the system uses stereo imaging to avoid tinny sounds. We want deep low base along with full clear highs.
For the drum machine, you definitely want one preloaded with sounds. However, you want the ability to import drum beats as well. Some do come with good preloaded selections, but if you can't upload your own, then you aren't going to be able to fully control your sound. See above for sound quality info.
For the sampler, we addressed the sound quality when we brought up the sequencer. We do want to mention that the Sampler should be programmable to your keyboard so you can customize your set up as you start to develop our own library of go to sounds and beats. Also, be sure to have access to it while you are offline. Some of the cheaper ones may do most of the same things as the more expensive programs, but they connect to the internet meaning you are always chained to a connection and it's game over if you can't find a signal.
Finally remember to look at the output quality. Professional setups output the file as a 44.1 studio quality.wav file. MP3's are nice on your computer, but remember that these files are compressed and with compression we get a lower quality sound. Start with the high quality original file and you will end up with a decent quality when you compress to MP3 format. If you start out with MP3 format sound and then compress that, you end up with a second or even third generation recording which loses a lot in the translation/compression
To start you need to know what to look for in the various beat making software programs. It's quite easy. Just look at what you would find in a studio setup to make a checklist:
1. Sequencer.
2. Drum Machine.
3. Sampler.
4. High Quality Output.
5. Ability to Import Samples.
For a sequencer, you want to mimic the professional DAW's (digital audio workstations) and have 16 with the ability to edit each one individually. That includes volume as well as control over samples and beats. You should also make sure that the system uses stereo imaging to avoid tinny sounds. We want deep low base along with full clear highs.
For the drum machine, you definitely want one preloaded with sounds. However, you want the ability to import drum beats as well. Some do come with good preloaded selections, but if you can't upload your own, then you aren't going to be able to fully control your sound. See above for sound quality info.
For the sampler, we addressed the sound quality when we brought up the sequencer. We do want to mention that the Sampler should be programmable to your keyboard so you can customize your set up as you start to develop our own library of go to sounds and beats. Also, be sure to have access to it while you are offline. Some of the cheaper ones may do most of the same things as the more expensive programs, but they connect to the internet meaning you are always chained to a connection and it's game over if you can't find a signal.
Finally remember to look at the output quality. Professional setups output the file as a 44.1 studio quality.wav file. MP3's are nice on your computer, but remember that these files are compressed and with compression we get a lower quality sound. Start with the high quality original file and you will end up with a decent quality when you compress to MP3 format. If you start out with MP3 format sound and then compress that, you end up with a second or even third generation recording which loses a lot in the translation/compression
How to Promote Music Through YouTube
Ok so you know that everybody is using YouTube in one way or another. You know its possible for people to get over millions of hits on one video. With that being said you can do it too, all you need is a few tools to help you get started.
The first tool you will need is to set up a YouTube account, it's totally free so do not worry about having to pull out your credit card. Once you have set up an account then you have just completed the first step. If you already have one then your already ahead.
The second tool you will need is a camera of some sort, and by some sort i mean you don't have to have top of the line video equipment. I'm simply saying you can use a digital camera, with a SD memory card. You can even use your cell phone if need be.
The third tool is a simple tool. The third tool you will need is your skills, any finished songs you have completed, and a few clips of you in the screen. Edit your video to mix the music with the footage and there you have it. A low- budget music video, or you do interviews with yourself telling it like it is.
Once you have implemented these tools,now tell everybody you know, post links on social networks such as twitter, or face book, etc. One thing to remember when promoting your music you must be constantly updating your content. Don't just post a few videos and think that is it, because the music industry changes everyday. Somebody comes up with something new and hot everyday, so it is a must you make effective content that people can't deny.
The first tool you will need is to set up a YouTube account, it's totally free so do not worry about having to pull out your credit card. Once you have set up an account then you have just completed the first step. If you already have one then your already ahead.
The second tool you will need is a camera of some sort, and by some sort i mean you don't have to have top of the line video equipment. I'm simply saying you can use a digital camera, with a SD memory card. You can even use your cell phone if need be.
The third tool is a simple tool. The third tool you will need is your skills, any finished songs you have completed, and a few clips of you in the screen. Edit your video to mix the music with the footage and there you have it. A low- budget music video, or you do interviews with yourself telling it like it is.
Once you have implemented these tools,now tell everybody you know, post links on social networks such as twitter, or face book, etc. One thing to remember when promoting your music you must be constantly updating your content. Don't just post a few videos and think that is it, because the music industry changes everyday. Somebody comes up with something new and hot everyday, so it is a must you make effective content that people can't deny.
Description of a Typical Work Day As a Music Producer
Hey how is it going for you up and coming music producers and rap artist/singers?
I'm here and I'm going to share a typical work day for me as a music producer. Now before I start, I want you to visualize a dream life that you want to eventually live, then meditate while your imagination runs loose.
Ok so first of all I have a family, a lovely wife and three kids who are just so full of energy. So of course my priorities don't stop, so I'll usually wake up first in the house, go downstairs and sit in my chair. I meditate for twenty minutes then start my day. I am a smoker so of course I have me a smoke then get me something to eat. Typically from 7:00 am to 9:00am is free time for me ,so after a cool meal I then check emails, and spend about twenty five- minutes on that just responding to emails.
After that I then crank up my first beat of the day, by the time I'm finishing up on the beat my wife and daughter are coming downstairs to join me. My two oldest kids are in school so that's a good deal. I then submit my beat after a few tweaks and have me an hour of family time. Throughout the day I spend a big chunk of the day marketing, promoting, advertising myself and my craft. I then make about two beats back to back after the kids get out of school, then by that time my wife goes to work and there I am with all my kids.
Now I know what your thinking because my kids are still young and want to use my house as a personal jungle gym. Actually its cool I get them occupied on some activities and then I can make a couple more beats. The kids enjoy the beat making process anyway so I'm good. When its their bedtime then I have from 8:30pm to 2:00am. I may have a few artist that I work with over to put down some album, or mix tape work.
I'm here and I'm going to share a typical work day for me as a music producer. Now before I start, I want you to visualize a dream life that you want to eventually live, then meditate while your imagination runs loose.
Ok so first of all I have a family, a lovely wife and three kids who are just so full of energy. So of course my priorities don't stop, so I'll usually wake up first in the house, go downstairs and sit in my chair. I meditate for twenty minutes then start my day. I am a smoker so of course I have me a smoke then get me something to eat. Typically from 7:00 am to 9:00am is free time for me ,so after a cool meal I then check emails, and spend about twenty five- minutes on that just responding to emails.
After that I then crank up my first beat of the day, by the time I'm finishing up on the beat my wife and daughter are coming downstairs to join me. My two oldest kids are in school so that's a good deal. I then submit my beat after a few tweaks and have me an hour of family time. Throughout the day I spend a big chunk of the day marketing, promoting, advertising myself and my craft. I then make about two beats back to back after the kids get out of school, then by that time my wife goes to work and there I am with all my kids.
Now I know what your thinking because my kids are still young and want to use my house as a personal jungle gym. Actually its cool I get them occupied on some activities and then I can make a couple more beats. The kids enjoy the beat making process anyway so I'm good. When its their bedtime then I have from 8:30pm to 2:00am. I may have a few artist that I work with over to put down some album, or mix tape work.
The Music Industry: Guidelines for Music Producers
It doesn't matter if you're an amateur or expert, either way, production quality is essential in this new music business. Most producers fall short in today's music marketplace. I believe this happens because those producers focus on the idea of being idolized, instead of offering services that bring success to those they work with. The following tips will give you the knowledge you need for increasing your status as a professional music producer.
Music fundamentals are necessary.
Some say that music producers don't need to know how to read music. However, these people are sadly mistaken. Reading music is critical to a producer's career. Throughout the years, you'll find yourself going back to these basic chords, progressions, and scales; usually when searching for new and creative ideas. The most effective way to learn music fundamentals is through one on one training, music classes, and tutorial video on YouTube. The more you understand the basics, the better your production quality will be.
Build your reputation in the music community.
This goes far beyond getting people to like you, or being well-known. It's also about gaining support from your relatives, friends, acquaintances, and using these available resources to build a business. People should say good things about your work. I've met producers who believe the music they make is solely for their own self-expression, as if the listener's satisfaction isn't important. Most of the time, this is an excuse for those producers to feed their egotism, which causes most listeners to ignore future productions. Keep in mind, musicians and other industry professionals are more willing to work with those they know, instead of those they've never met.
Always look for new business.
It's hard to get what you want if you're not looking for it in the right way. In order to become known as a music producer you must work with recording studios, record labels, and musicians. This means you need to find new people to work with as often as possible. Success only comes when you're looking for it in the right places, carry out specific task, and gather the resources to manifest success into reality. Producers should understand their status in the music community and get results for those they work with. The success of your clients is just as, or possibly more, important than your own. Make it a point to meet new people and understand their needs because it will boost industry recognition for you
Music fundamentals are necessary.
Some say that music producers don't need to know how to read music. However, these people are sadly mistaken. Reading music is critical to a producer's career. Throughout the years, you'll find yourself going back to these basic chords, progressions, and scales; usually when searching for new and creative ideas. The most effective way to learn music fundamentals is through one on one training, music classes, and tutorial video on YouTube. The more you understand the basics, the better your production quality will be.
Build your reputation in the music community.
This goes far beyond getting people to like you, or being well-known. It's also about gaining support from your relatives, friends, acquaintances, and using these available resources to build a business. People should say good things about your work. I've met producers who believe the music they make is solely for their own self-expression, as if the listener's satisfaction isn't important. Most of the time, this is an excuse for those producers to feed their egotism, which causes most listeners to ignore future productions. Keep in mind, musicians and other industry professionals are more willing to work with those they know, instead of those they've never met.
Always look for new business.
It's hard to get what you want if you're not looking for it in the right way. In order to become known as a music producer you must work with recording studios, record labels, and musicians. This means you need to find new people to work with as often as possible. Success only comes when you're looking for it in the right places, carry out specific task, and gather the resources to manifest success into reality. Producers should understand their status in the music community and get results for those they work with. The success of your clients is just as, or possibly more, important than your own. Make it a point to meet new people and understand their needs because it will boost industry recognition for you
DUBturbo Review, Quality Music Software For Online Music Production
Making music using your computer has never been easier than now. With all the online music production software available today, it comes down to the quality of features. How easy is it to navigate through the user interface? Some online digital audio work stations are complicated and hard to use, even for professional music producers. Therefore taking weeks or even months to learn all the features and tools they offer.
The main area to pay close attention to is the quality of the sound kits. What quality is your final mix down? You should have access to thousands and thousands of digitally mastered sounds. The great advantage to using online music software, it's always updated with the latest recording features. You stay up to date without having to search for the latest things in music production.
Some online music producers offer a desktop version that lets you make music offline, at home or in the studio. They give you the option to upgrade sound kits from inside the user interface. Only a few music producers let you sell your music tracks from your desktop. The benefits to an online music producer is it can be accessed from anywhere through the internet, and the sound kits are always fresh.
Video tutorials are pretty much a standard tool with online recording studios. They show you exactly how to use their software and make music in little or no time. Tutorials guide you through all the features of the user interface. Most music production software will do the same thing, but some music software is more efficient than others when it comes to being user friendly. Many times there's an issue with the sound quality of your music exports. Does your final mix down export MP3 or at 44.1 Bit Wav.?
Keyboard triggers and short cuts are a key element in making music beats. Some music producers let you draw or tap in beats using your 10 key, or play the digital piano using your keyboard. Use advanced editing tools to expand, grow, and copy music tracks. Duplicating tracks can be quick and simple with the right digital audio work station.
The main area to pay close attention to is the quality of the sound kits. What quality is your final mix down? You should have access to thousands and thousands of digitally mastered sounds. The great advantage to using online music software, it's always updated with the latest recording features. You stay up to date without having to search for the latest things in music production.
Some online music producers offer a desktop version that lets you make music offline, at home or in the studio. They give you the option to upgrade sound kits from inside the user interface. Only a few music producers let you sell your music tracks from your desktop. The benefits to an online music producer is it can be accessed from anywhere through the internet, and the sound kits are always fresh.
Video tutorials are pretty much a standard tool with online recording studios. They show you exactly how to use their software and make music in little or no time. Tutorials guide you through all the features of the user interface. Most music production software will do the same thing, but some music software is more efficient than others when it comes to being user friendly. Many times there's an issue with the sound quality of your music exports. Does your final mix down export MP3 or at 44.1 Bit Wav.?
Keyboard triggers and short cuts are a key element in making music beats. Some music producers let you draw or tap in beats using your 10 key, or play the digital piano using your keyboard. Use advanced editing tools to expand, grow, and copy music tracks. Duplicating tracks can be quick and simple with the right digital audio work station.
Songwriting: Writing, Performing, Publishing
Do you remember the first song you ever wrote? Can you still play it? For some of us songwriters, that first song is hidden away and never talked about again. It was, however, the first of many to be written and it's what got us started down the path of songwriting.
Everyone has their own way of going about writing a song. No one way is better than any other. However, there a lot of resources and tips to help make you a more productive songwriter.
One of my favorite tips for being a more productive songwriter is to set aside 10 - 15 minutes a day for free writing. Free writing, for clarification, is just writing non-stop about anything at all for the allotted time period. You could do this first thing in the morning, afternoon, or late at night. Whenever you want. Do this everyday and stick with it! Then you can go back through your writings and pick out those great lines, those unfinished ideas, those arresting written images and put them into a song form.
There are also quite a few books out about songwriting and how to improve. My favorite is "Writing Better Lyrics" by Pat Patinson. Pat offers all sorts of great advice from metaphors, to cliches, to verse development and meter. This is one book that every songwriting should read and keep around for reference.
Other books that you should have in your arsenal are a rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus. There are different thoughts about the type of each you should have, but just get one that you like and works for you. It's also not a bad idea to have a group of writers that you can network and share songs with.
Once you've finished a song or have a great catalog of songs, you want to do something with them! Most songwriters perform their own songs as individuals or with bands. But a lot of songwriters may never perform their songs live. They use publishers to license their songs for others to record and perform or to be synchronized with film, television or other multimedia endeavors.
Even if you perform your own songs as an individual or with a band, it's definitely worth exploring some of these other options, as some of them can be quite lucrative. Songwriters can make money from a variety of avenues aside from performing and selling their own music.
Licensing is probably one of the most lucrative endeavors for songwriters. Licensing your music for use in TV, films, other multimedia or to other artists provides you with a steady royalty income without much work on your part.
There are plenty of online music libraries that offer you non-exclusive licensing options. Some of the big ones are Taxi and Pump Audio. Taxi requires a membership fee and it's quite high ($299.95 per year) plus a $5-15 for each submission. Pump Audio doesn't require a membership fee, but you do have to submit your music for approval. Once your music is approved, it will be listed in their library for searching. There are plenty of other online music libraries to use for licensing opportunities. Some are better than others. Make sure you read the agreement!
Publishers can also help with licensing your music for film and television. Music publishers give licenses to other companies to use, perform, copy and sell music. They work on your behalf but they get a portion of the income brought in. Typically money brought in is split 50/50 between you and the publisher. This does not include writer's royalties! Those are paid directly to the songwriter by their affiliated Performing Right Organization.
A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) is an organization that collects and distributes royalties directly to the songwriter. The three PRO's in the U.S are ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. ASCAP and BMI are the largest of the three. ASCAP charges a one-time $35 processing fee. There is no fee to join BMI. SESAC has a selective process to become an affiliate. You can only be a member on one PRO at a time.
Each PRO has a process by which they figure out what to pay their members in royalties and how often they pay. However, before you can get paid, you must create your catalog in your member area. If none of your music is listed in their database, then of course, you won't get paid.
All three PRO's have reciprocal agreements to collect royalties from foreign societies on behalf of their members. However, BMI and ASCAP deduct a commission for collecting these royalties. BMI charges 5% and ASCAP charges 3.5%. There can also be a lag between the time the foreign societies submit these royalties and when they are paid out.
For more on pitching your music and getting it out there, I suggest the Songwriter's Market books. This book "provides the most complete and up-to-date information songwriters need to place their songs with music publishers, record companies, record producers, managers, booking agents, music firms and more."
Everyone has their own way of going about writing a song. No one way is better than any other. However, there a lot of resources and tips to help make you a more productive songwriter.
One of my favorite tips for being a more productive songwriter is to set aside 10 - 15 minutes a day for free writing. Free writing, for clarification, is just writing non-stop about anything at all for the allotted time period. You could do this first thing in the morning, afternoon, or late at night. Whenever you want. Do this everyday and stick with it! Then you can go back through your writings and pick out those great lines, those unfinished ideas, those arresting written images and put them into a song form.
There are also quite a few books out about songwriting and how to improve. My favorite is "Writing Better Lyrics" by Pat Patinson. Pat offers all sorts of great advice from metaphors, to cliches, to verse development and meter. This is one book that every songwriting should read and keep around for reference.
Other books that you should have in your arsenal are a rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus. There are different thoughts about the type of each you should have, but just get one that you like and works for you. It's also not a bad idea to have a group of writers that you can network and share songs with.
Once you've finished a song or have a great catalog of songs, you want to do something with them! Most songwriters perform their own songs as individuals or with bands. But a lot of songwriters may never perform their songs live. They use publishers to license their songs for others to record and perform or to be synchronized with film, television or other multimedia endeavors.
Even if you perform your own songs as an individual or with a band, it's definitely worth exploring some of these other options, as some of them can be quite lucrative. Songwriters can make money from a variety of avenues aside from performing and selling their own music.
Licensing is probably one of the most lucrative endeavors for songwriters. Licensing your music for use in TV, films, other multimedia or to other artists provides you with a steady royalty income without much work on your part.
There are plenty of online music libraries that offer you non-exclusive licensing options. Some of the big ones are Taxi and Pump Audio. Taxi requires a membership fee and it's quite high ($299.95 per year) plus a $5-15 for each submission. Pump Audio doesn't require a membership fee, but you do have to submit your music for approval. Once your music is approved, it will be listed in their library for searching. There are plenty of other online music libraries to use for licensing opportunities. Some are better than others. Make sure you read the agreement!
Publishers can also help with licensing your music for film and television. Music publishers give licenses to other companies to use, perform, copy and sell music. They work on your behalf but they get a portion of the income brought in. Typically money brought in is split 50/50 between you and the publisher. This does not include writer's royalties! Those are paid directly to the songwriter by their affiliated Performing Right Organization.
A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) is an organization that collects and distributes royalties directly to the songwriter. The three PRO's in the U.S are ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. ASCAP and BMI are the largest of the three. ASCAP charges a one-time $35 processing fee. There is no fee to join BMI. SESAC has a selective process to become an affiliate. You can only be a member on one PRO at a time.
Each PRO has a process by which they figure out what to pay their members in royalties and how often they pay. However, before you can get paid, you must create your catalog in your member area. If none of your music is listed in their database, then of course, you won't get paid.
All three PRO's have reciprocal agreements to collect royalties from foreign societies on behalf of their members. However, BMI and ASCAP deduct a commission for collecting these royalties. BMI charges 5% and ASCAP charges 3.5%. There can also be a lag between the time the foreign societies submit these royalties and when they are paid out.
For more on pitching your music and getting it out there, I suggest the Songwriter's Market books. This book "provides the most complete and up-to-date information songwriters need to place their songs with music publishers, record companies, record producers, managers, booking agents, music firms and more."
Why You Might Want a 24 Bit Audio A-D Converter
As reluctant as I am to splash terminology onto the screen that might cause your brain to freeze or worse, cause you to lose consciousness altogether, I think this is something you really do want to know a bit (ha ha...audio humor) about. So let's get it out of the way. Ready? Here goes. "Try your hardest to record with a 24 bit audio analog-to-digital (a-d) converter." Still with me? OK. Now let's explain some things.
I talk a lot about noise, going so far as to name it the number one enemy of good audio. There are lots of sources for noise, including screaming kids, lawn mowers, attention-starved cats (meaning it's been more than 5 minutes since their last lap session), and the dreaded computer noise. But let's assume for the moment that you have managed to tame those sources of noise and you have a nice quiet space for recording. Since our home recording studio uses a computer for recording, the sound that we want to record-let's say your voice for this example-needs to be converted from being a sound in the real world (air particles moving around, basically) to being something a computer can understand, namely a digital sound (a bunch of ones and zeros). It's like what the Master Control Program did to Kevin Flynn in Tron to convert (ha!) him from a person in the real world (flesh and blood and some other gooey and crunchy stuff) to being something a computer can deal with, namely a digital person.
Another kind of noise happens after audio is converted to digital. There will be a digital noise floor or a sort of hissing sound that is a product of the conversion. You'll hear this, as soft as it is, regardless of whether you actually record your voice or not, and even in a very quiet room.
On-board sound cards, the ones built right onto a motherboard, will convert audio from analog (Kevin Flynn) to digital (well, Kevin Flynn again, only with a goofy costume and gray-scale skin), but most of them have two problems. First, the components used to do the conversion are not great. Second, they usually only convert using what is called a 16-bit bit depth. Yikes! What the heck does that mean? Never mind that. I'll write another article on just that very soon. All you need to know at this point is that recording when the bit depth is only 16 bits means that the difference between the quietest sound (which would be that noise floor I mentioned) and sound that is too loud is quite narrow.
One of the worst sounds in the world is audio that is all buzzy and distorted because it was too loud for the electronics. It really is unpleasant. If you're trying to record your voice, and things keep distorting, it means your voice is too loud at certain points. If you have a meter, you'll see it go into the red on those parts. So what's the alternative? You could try talking or singing quieter or backing away from the mic on the loud parts. That will work, provided you work really hard at it. The problem then is that if you back too far away from the mic, you'll let too much room sound in. I'm assuming you're recording in a home studio which means that the room sound is almost certain to be bad...lots of echo and reverb usually. The other main problem is that the really quiet passages will have to be "turned up" after you're done recording, in order to be heard. And when you do that, you also turn up the noise.
Yeah yeah, I hear those of you saying you could just put a compressor in between the mic and the converter. Yes, you could do that. But in general it is not a great idea to compress your audio before it's recorded because you won't be able to change it afterward. Plus, you'd still have a pretty audible noise floor if you record with a bit depth of 16. So what's better?
Recording with 24-bit conversion is better that's what! Why? Will the voice sound better? Meh, probably not so much. But the reason why 24-bit recording is better is that the noise floor is much, much lower. So the narrow range between noise floor and too loud you had with 16-bit recording is expanded hugely. You will be able to speak both very quietly and quite loudly without nearly as much worry about distorting. Also, if you want to increase the volume on the quiet parts of the recording in your audio editor afterward, the increase in digital noise won't be anywhere near as audible. With 24 bit recording, you should end up with less noise and fewer incidents of distortion due to clipping when you were very loud.
So now comes the practical question. How do you get 24 bit conversion? Well, you are not likely to get it with a typical on-board sound card. But several USB mics have 24-bit converters built in. Yeah, USB mics just plug directly into a USB port. Cool huh? Some examples are: the MXL Studio 24 or the Blue Yeti Pro (note: NOT the regular Blue Yeti, which is only 16-bit).
Another really cool way to record at 24 bits without having a USB mic or audio interface is a cool little device called the MicPort Pro - Compact USB Microphone Preamp. You can just plug your microphone into one side the MicPort, and then plug the MicPort into a USB port on your computer.
And last, but most definitely not least, is to get an audio interface box. Most of them offer 24-bit recording these days. Some examples are: The M-Audio Fast Track or the EMU 1616m PCIe Digital Audio System.
I talk a lot about noise, going so far as to name it the number one enemy of good audio. There are lots of sources for noise, including screaming kids, lawn mowers, attention-starved cats (meaning it's been more than 5 minutes since their last lap session), and the dreaded computer noise. But let's assume for the moment that you have managed to tame those sources of noise and you have a nice quiet space for recording. Since our home recording studio uses a computer for recording, the sound that we want to record-let's say your voice for this example-needs to be converted from being a sound in the real world (air particles moving around, basically) to being something a computer can understand, namely a digital sound (a bunch of ones and zeros). It's like what the Master Control Program did to Kevin Flynn in Tron to convert (ha!) him from a person in the real world (flesh and blood and some other gooey and crunchy stuff) to being something a computer can deal with, namely a digital person.
Another kind of noise happens after audio is converted to digital. There will be a digital noise floor or a sort of hissing sound that is a product of the conversion. You'll hear this, as soft as it is, regardless of whether you actually record your voice or not, and even in a very quiet room.
On-board sound cards, the ones built right onto a motherboard, will convert audio from analog (Kevin Flynn) to digital (well, Kevin Flynn again, only with a goofy costume and gray-scale skin), but most of them have two problems. First, the components used to do the conversion are not great. Second, they usually only convert using what is called a 16-bit bit depth. Yikes! What the heck does that mean? Never mind that. I'll write another article on just that very soon. All you need to know at this point is that recording when the bit depth is only 16 bits means that the difference between the quietest sound (which would be that noise floor I mentioned) and sound that is too loud is quite narrow.
One of the worst sounds in the world is audio that is all buzzy and distorted because it was too loud for the electronics. It really is unpleasant. If you're trying to record your voice, and things keep distorting, it means your voice is too loud at certain points. If you have a meter, you'll see it go into the red on those parts. So what's the alternative? You could try talking or singing quieter or backing away from the mic on the loud parts. That will work, provided you work really hard at it. The problem then is that if you back too far away from the mic, you'll let too much room sound in. I'm assuming you're recording in a home studio which means that the room sound is almost certain to be bad...lots of echo and reverb usually. The other main problem is that the really quiet passages will have to be "turned up" after you're done recording, in order to be heard. And when you do that, you also turn up the noise.
Yeah yeah, I hear those of you saying you could just put a compressor in between the mic and the converter. Yes, you could do that. But in general it is not a great idea to compress your audio before it's recorded because you won't be able to change it afterward. Plus, you'd still have a pretty audible noise floor if you record with a bit depth of 16. So what's better?
Recording with 24-bit conversion is better that's what! Why? Will the voice sound better? Meh, probably not so much. But the reason why 24-bit recording is better is that the noise floor is much, much lower. So the narrow range between noise floor and too loud you had with 16-bit recording is expanded hugely. You will be able to speak both very quietly and quite loudly without nearly as much worry about distorting. Also, if you want to increase the volume on the quiet parts of the recording in your audio editor afterward, the increase in digital noise won't be anywhere near as audible. With 24 bit recording, you should end up with less noise and fewer incidents of distortion due to clipping when you were very loud.
So now comes the practical question. How do you get 24 bit conversion? Well, you are not likely to get it with a typical on-board sound card. But several USB mics have 24-bit converters built in. Yeah, USB mics just plug directly into a USB port. Cool huh? Some examples are: the MXL Studio 24 or the Blue Yeti Pro (note: NOT the regular Blue Yeti, which is only 16-bit).
Another really cool way to record at 24 bits without having a USB mic or audio interface is a cool little device called the MicPort Pro - Compact USB Microphone Preamp. You can just plug your microphone into one side the MicPort, and then plug the MicPort into a USB port on your computer.
And last, but most definitely not least, is to get an audio interface box. Most of them offer 24-bit recording these days. Some examples are: The M-Audio Fast Track or the EMU 1616m PCIe Digital Audio System.
Power Amplifier - Insight Into Its Classification and Buying Tips
An amplifier converts the signals of low energy into high energy of the same type.
The power amplifier is a part of subwoofer speaker system. A power amplifier fully enhances the sound quality and helps to provide a better sound experience. Amplifiers specifications are, signal gain, efficiency and output power. The amplifier power output is always measured in watts.
The stereo power amplifier can easily handle volume peaks and speaker efficiency. The power amplifier is seen as the one that produces loud sounds. The power amplifiers take the incoming electrical signal and magnify it to a level where it drives a loudspeaker. These are classified based on following several classes.
Class A amplifiers: These can be operated at full power and used for low distortion and detailed music reproduction.
Class B amplifiers: can be operated only in the presence of incoming signal and are more energy efficient than Class A. The output power of Class B is usually switched off and on, these amps are subject to higher levels of distortion than Class A.
Class A/B amplifiers: The third category and are called transistor or the solid-state amplifiers and combine best characteristics of Class A and B amplifiers.
Class D amplifiers: These power amplifiers are fully on or off. Such type of amplifiers process the incoming analog signals into digital form, which consists of high-frequency pulse wide modulations (PWM).
These can theoretically operate at 100 percent efficiency and use far less power than the traditional linear amplifiers.
Out of these classes the majority of amplifiers at present are based on technology called Class-D which can offer higher power efficiency than Class-A or Class-AB technology based amplifiers.
Whenever one plans to buy a power amplifier, it is advisable to seek proper professional help from sound technicians. The most important point to be kept in mind is to know whether the loudspeakers are compatible to amplifiers. The power input should be in control otherwise it might create too much of complications in the music systems.
The power amplifier is a part of subwoofer speaker system. A power amplifier fully enhances the sound quality and helps to provide a better sound experience. Amplifiers specifications are, signal gain, efficiency and output power. The amplifier power output is always measured in watts.
The stereo power amplifier can easily handle volume peaks and speaker efficiency. The power amplifier is seen as the one that produces loud sounds. The power amplifiers take the incoming electrical signal and magnify it to a level where it drives a loudspeaker. These are classified based on following several classes.
Class A amplifiers: These can be operated at full power and used for low distortion and detailed music reproduction.
Class B amplifiers: can be operated only in the presence of incoming signal and are more energy efficient than Class A. The output power of Class B is usually switched off and on, these amps are subject to higher levels of distortion than Class A.
Class A/B amplifiers: The third category and are called transistor or the solid-state amplifiers and combine best characteristics of Class A and B amplifiers.
Class D amplifiers: These power amplifiers are fully on or off. Such type of amplifiers process the incoming analog signals into digital form, which consists of high-frequency pulse wide modulations (PWM).
These can theoretically operate at 100 percent efficiency and use far less power than the traditional linear amplifiers.
Out of these classes the majority of amplifiers at present are based on technology called Class-D which can offer higher power efficiency than Class-A or Class-AB technology based amplifiers.
Whenever one plans to buy a power amplifier, it is advisable to seek proper professional help from sound technicians. The most important point to be kept in mind is to know whether the loudspeakers are compatible to amplifiers. The power input should be in control otherwise it might create too much of complications in the music systems.
Indie Music: Independent Success
Indie music, or independent music, has been described as the kind of music which is independent from the major recording labels and production studios. Usually, the creators of this kind of music also adopts an independent approach and strays away from the norms of creating music and the trends of what music is appealing for the people in the present situation. However, even if this indie music is taken apart from the major record labels, the autonomy of this kind of music does not necessarily entail that they are also independent from fraudulent claims regarding music licensing.
What is even worse than this is that their already small profit shares in the music industry is continuously sabotaged by people who take advantage on the fact that music licensing in this genre is generally weak. Given that their share in profits is relatively small, due to their independence and autonomy from the conventional approach taken by the more popular record label companies, they still suffer from the setbacks of not affording music licensing and at the same time, indie music also enjoy the same benefits and music rights as with the other major musical genres in the present time.
Indie music generally has more difficulty in getting into the mainstream flow of the music industry due to their lack of financial resources to achieve this end. Sometimes, these independent acts choose to go popular by acceding to major recording label companies. However, this climbing over the fence approach does not necessarily guarantee musical and financial success due to the difficulty in promoting and advertising such kinds of musical genres. Additionally, the competition between the existing major musical genres almost always empowers and overwhelms indie music by strength and mass appeal.
There are also instances wherein the patrons of indie music have chosen to accede to their contemporary independent recording labels. These recording labels have the same rules and regulations when it comes to legal transactions as to their major recording label contemporaries. The difference is the cost of those transactions. This usually results to lower expenses in renting a studio with lower costs in royalties. These seem beneficial for any artist of indie music but there is a catch. When it comes to the number of album options, they are usually fewer due to, also, the lack of financial substance to back up these transactions.
However, these low costs of expenses also mean that there is also a lower chance to gain a high profit. There also deals in the nature of profit sharing with the recording company with as much as half of the net profit. However, this only works in theory most of the time as there are many expenses that are lined up before getting the profit. Usually, this works in ope-rationalization and application once the indie music artist becomes hugely popular in the music industry. The bottom line is, there is money and protection of rights in the industry of indie music. The latter achieves equality while the former needs a lot of hard work from the independent act to be achieved.
What is even worse than this is that their already small profit shares in the music industry is continuously sabotaged by people who take advantage on the fact that music licensing in this genre is generally weak. Given that their share in profits is relatively small, due to their independence and autonomy from the conventional approach taken by the more popular record label companies, they still suffer from the setbacks of not affording music licensing and at the same time, indie music also enjoy the same benefits and music rights as with the other major musical genres in the present time.
Indie music generally has more difficulty in getting into the mainstream flow of the music industry due to their lack of financial resources to achieve this end. Sometimes, these independent acts choose to go popular by acceding to major recording label companies. However, this climbing over the fence approach does not necessarily guarantee musical and financial success due to the difficulty in promoting and advertising such kinds of musical genres. Additionally, the competition between the existing major musical genres almost always empowers and overwhelms indie music by strength and mass appeal.
There are also instances wherein the patrons of indie music have chosen to accede to their contemporary independent recording labels. These recording labels have the same rules and regulations when it comes to legal transactions as to their major recording label contemporaries. The difference is the cost of those transactions. This usually results to lower expenses in renting a studio with lower costs in royalties. These seem beneficial for any artist of indie music but there is a catch. When it comes to the number of album options, they are usually fewer due to, also, the lack of financial substance to back up these transactions.
However, these low costs of expenses also mean that there is also a lower chance to gain a high profit. There also deals in the nature of profit sharing with the recording company with as much as half of the net profit. However, this only works in theory most of the time as there are many expenses that are lined up before getting the profit. Usually, this works in ope-rationalization and application once the indie music artist becomes hugely popular in the music industry. The bottom line is, there is money and protection of rights in the industry of indie music. The latter achieves equality while the former needs a lot of hard work from the independent act to be achieved.
Tips for Becoming a Big Time Hip Hop Producer
There are thousands of producers out there who dream of living in the shoes of Timberland, DJ Premier or Kanye West. We need to remember that they didn't start off where there are now, but through hard work and determination they prevailed. These are just some simple tips to keep in mind as you move forward with your production and obtaining placements. As you begin to establish a name for yourself and build a clientele, customers will remember their experience working with you, and this can either make you or break you.
Tip#1: Always Remain humble. I repeat 'Remain Humble". No matter how good your beats and production is if you don't have the right attitude a lot of opportunities may fall through. A little kindness can go a long way in this business. We have to remember as the sales start going up and the fan base is growing not to let it all go your head. Always be polite to potential customers and do not judge them. You never know they could be the next Eminem or Jay-Z. You should be open and willing to work with anyone, as long as they show a passion for music and practice professional work ethics.
Tip#2: Try to show variety in your production. It's ok to have your "specialty". Mine is old school underground hip hop, but I also produce in the genres: R&B, Dirty South, New School and East Coast. You want to have something to offer to everyone. You never know who will come across your work. This will increase your sales and projects that you will be involved in. This will also help in keeping your production catalogue from sounding redundant. Other producers and artist will also respect you more for stepping out of your element and producing different styles.
Tip#3: Give back to the Community. I mean Give people some free beats. This never hurts. You never know who might hear your beat playing on someones iPod or mix-tape. Get your music out there. Giving away free beats for someone joining your mailing list is a valuable and awesome technique to build your customer base and also get your music out there. This is better then just having your music sitting on your computer, not being heard. If you produce as much as I do then you have hundreds of beats if not thousands just laying around. Give some out for free and save your prize work for the sales.
Tip#4: Network, Network, Network. With today's technology we have the ability to reach a wide range of potential customers. This technology is called the "Internet". Using sites such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are free ways to reach your audience. I have found many rap artist to work with just on Twitter alone. One being Mista Cane, who has worked with The Game, and Savage-C. Dont underestimate Facebook either. Also be sure to link all your social accounts so all your tweets show on Facebook and MySpace and vice versa. Save all your emails from past customers and create an email list so you may keep in touch with your customers and keep them informed of new material.
Tip#5: Don't set your prices too high, not now while you are still building a name for yourself. Selling an exclusive beat for $500.00 is high end. And definitely try to stay under $50.00 for beat leases. Remember you are just starting out and you need to start small and build a reputation. The $$ will come later, just keeping doing what you're doing and make quality music at affordable prices and you should be well off. Eventually you will be able to increase your pricing as the demand for them will go up.
Tip#1: Always Remain humble. I repeat 'Remain Humble". No matter how good your beats and production is if you don't have the right attitude a lot of opportunities may fall through. A little kindness can go a long way in this business. We have to remember as the sales start going up and the fan base is growing not to let it all go your head. Always be polite to potential customers and do not judge them. You never know they could be the next Eminem or Jay-Z. You should be open and willing to work with anyone, as long as they show a passion for music and practice professional work ethics.
Tip#2: Try to show variety in your production. It's ok to have your "specialty". Mine is old school underground hip hop, but I also produce in the genres: R&B, Dirty South, New School and East Coast. You want to have something to offer to everyone. You never know who will come across your work. This will increase your sales and projects that you will be involved in. This will also help in keeping your production catalogue from sounding redundant. Other producers and artist will also respect you more for stepping out of your element and producing different styles.
Tip#3: Give back to the Community. I mean Give people some free beats. This never hurts. You never know who might hear your beat playing on someones iPod or mix-tape. Get your music out there. Giving away free beats for someone joining your mailing list is a valuable and awesome technique to build your customer base and also get your music out there. This is better then just having your music sitting on your computer, not being heard. If you produce as much as I do then you have hundreds of beats if not thousands just laying around. Give some out for free and save your prize work for the sales.
Tip#4: Network, Network, Network. With today's technology we have the ability to reach a wide range of potential customers. This technology is called the "Internet". Using sites such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are free ways to reach your audience. I have found many rap artist to work with just on Twitter alone. One being Mista Cane, who has worked with The Game, and Savage-C. Dont underestimate Facebook either. Also be sure to link all your social accounts so all your tweets show on Facebook and MySpace and vice versa. Save all your emails from past customers and create an email list so you may keep in touch with your customers and keep them informed of new material.
Tip#5: Don't set your prices too high, not now while you are still building a name for yourself. Selling an exclusive beat for $500.00 is high end. And definitely try to stay under $50.00 for beat leases. Remember you are just starting out and you need to start small and build a reputation. The $$ will come later, just keeping doing what you're doing and make quality music at affordable prices and you should be well off. Eventually you will be able to increase your pricing as the demand for them will go up.
How to Be a Guitar Hero
I am not talking about some video game here. You may know how to play the guitar but by now you should be aware that being good with the guitar is a whole new level. If you try to browse online, you hardly find any websites that actually tells you how to be better with the guitar. They usually tell you the things you already know. Others just tell you the obvious ones. I will list below some of the weird but effective tips on how to be better with the guitar. The things I will mention might or might not be of help to you. But trust do me, these tips will take you a step further towards being a guitar God.
Easy Steps on Being Better with the Guitar
1. Hang out with other artists - Ever heard of the lines "tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are" or "greatness breeds greatness"? Follow these age-old sayings and you will be much better with your guitar. Playing with people who are already good will do wonders with your skills. A week of playing with them is much better than a month of solo practice. You can learn tips, some secrets or even recommendations from others.
2. Practice at performance level -Some people have the tendency to be sloppy when practicing. If you have a chance to watch the best basketball player at practice, you will see that he sweats as much and does as much as in a championship game. People who are good at what they do take every opportunity to practice their best. When you practice, make sure you give your 100% concentration and you will see changes right away.
3. Go classical -For some reason, most of the guitar greats had their feet wet in the classical music pool. You might think that punk rock is nowhere near classical so it sounds rather useless to study classical. It worked for Eddie Van Halen, Malmsteen, and Randy Rhoads. It wouldn't hurt to study classical techniques every now and then to make sure your own technique is in check.
4. Play with your heart -Music is expression. Remember that your guitar is an extension of yourself. All of the greats are legendary not just because of their skills. They are never forgotten because they can move people emotionally through the guitar. Through their guitars, they communicate with their audience. If by any chance you want to express something, use your guitar to convey that message to your listeners.
5. Believe -You might not be aware of the fact that half of everything we do is in our heads. Some people fail at music, or any other endeavor there is, because they fail to recognize themselves. You may practice every day or follow all the tips you see but these things are no guarantee that you will get there. Remember to believe in yourself. Call yourself brilliant or good - trust me, it will make all the difference between failing and becoming a guitar hero.
Easy Steps on Being Better with the Guitar
1. Hang out with other artists - Ever heard of the lines "tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are" or "greatness breeds greatness"? Follow these age-old sayings and you will be much better with your guitar. Playing with people who are already good will do wonders with your skills. A week of playing with them is much better than a month of solo practice. You can learn tips, some secrets or even recommendations from others.
2. Practice at performance level -Some people have the tendency to be sloppy when practicing. If you have a chance to watch the best basketball player at practice, you will see that he sweats as much and does as much as in a championship game. People who are good at what they do take every opportunity to practice their best. When you practice, make sure you give your 100% concentration and you will see changes right away.
3. Go classical -For some reason, most of the guitar greats had their feet wet in the classical music pool. You might think that punk rock is nowhere near classical so it sounds rather useless to study classical. It worked for Eddie Van Halen, Malmsteen, and Randy Rhoads. It wouldn't hurt to study classical techniques every now and then to make sure your own technique is in check.
4. Play with your heart -Music is expression. Remember that your guitar is an extension of yourself. All of the greats are legendary not just because of their skills. They are never forgotten because they can move people emotionally through the guitar. Through their guitars, they communicate with their audience. If by any chance you want to express something, use your guitar to convey that message to your listeners.
5. Believe -You might not be aware of the fact that half of everything we do is in our heads. Some people fail at music, or any other endeavor there is, because they fail to recognize themselves. You may practice every day or follow all the tips you see but these things are no guarantee that you will get there. Remember to believe in yourself. Call yourself brilliant or good - trust me, it will make all the difference between failing and becoming a guitar hero.
How To Recognize The Right Beat Making Software
So you have decided that you want to make beats. First thing you should be aware of is that it is by no means an easy job. And it gets even harder when you have bad tools to work with. Considering that many beginners are limited with money, it is common that they end up with some software that's below standard.
The amount of products to choose from is huge. But only few are recognized as industry leaders, and those are pretty much dominating the music production market. On the other hand, vast majority of them are nothing but useless lines of programming code.
Still, if you have no other options but to choose from cheap beat making software programs out there, there is also couple of them actually worth the money. You have to be very careful when picking though, there is a lot of hype around some beat makers that really have no value whatsoever.
Things To Look For In Good Beat Making Software
High Quality Sound
Never, at any stage of music production use low quality mp3 files. You should only deal with industry standard 44.1 broadcast quality stereo WAV format. This is essential if you mean serious.
Exporting Files
If you work on your beat or track, exporting the final mix in mp3 is completely out of the question. Unless if you just want to play it for your friends. There is no recording studio out there that will accept your demo in mp3 format. You must have high quality mix of your work.
Features
In general - more features beat maker has, more you are able to control the sound. By controlling the sound you have more options to make unique track or beat. But it's not just the number of features, they have to be quality, be accurate and responsive. No use of them if they're not in real-time. It is very hard to work that way.
The amount of products to choose from is huge. But only few are recognized as industry leaders, and those are pretty much dominating the music production market. On the other hand, vast majority of them are nothing but useless lines of programming code.
Still, if you have no other options but to choose from cheap beat making software programs out there, there is also couple of them actually worth the money. You have to be very careful when picking though, there is a lot of hype around some beat makers that really have no value whatsoever.
Things To Look For In Good Beat Making Software
High Quality Sound
Never, at any stage of music production use low quality mp3 files. You should only deal with industry standard 44.1 broadcast quality stereo WAV format. This is essential if you mean serious.
Exporting Files
If you work on your beat or track, exporting the final mix in mp3 is completely out of the question. Unless if you just want to play it for your friends. There is no recording studio out there that will accept your demo in mp3 format. You must have high quality mix of your work.
Features
In general - more features beat maker has, more you are able to control the sound. By controlling the sound you have more options to make unique track or beat. But it's not just the number of features, they have to be quality, be accurate and responsive. No use of them if they're not in real-time. It is very hard to work that way.
5 Ways to Improve the Sound Quality of Your Hip Hop Beat Production
Making beats has become a very lucrative profession. Beats can range from $25 to upwards $20,000 with points on an album. These days, anybody with beat software, a computer and headphones can make hot rap instrumentals and potentially make some good money. Just recently, I was in a recording session and an artist brought me a 2 track stereo mix of some beats she produced. One of the beats was way off, the kick was to soft, the instruments weren't defined and the left channel was lower than the right. I thought to myself, she just doesn't know what she is doing and it's not her fought, she just doesn't know. From that observation, I wanted to write an article to help other newbie producers improve the quality of their hip-hop production.
1. The first way to improve your quality is to purchase a decent beat making program. There are many out there but try to find one easy to use that comes with high quality sound kits. This will help out tremendously, because half the battle is won for you. High quality sound kits already sound good; this will make it easy to find good sounds to play with and nice drums to bang out. Look for beat software that has a 16-track sequencer, most come standard these days but you never know. A sampler is a must, there's software that will let you download directly from you tube. Try to locate one that will let you produce directly from your laptop keypads, producers are always on the go and to be able to bang out right from your mac/pc will keep you less stress from carrying around a midi keyboard.
2. The next way you can improve the quality of your beat production is by exporting individual tracks to a recording program such as Pro-Tools or Cubase. There is a plugin called rewire which will allow you to record tracks between both programs in real-time. If you're using a program that doesn't support real wire don't worry, simply export them individually and line up the tracks inside the recording program. Once you have all of your tracks inside your daw, now it's time to do all of the effects, edits, pans, copy/paste, leveling to get your beat sounding decent for vocals. You have room to breath, beat programs are designed, for the most part, to do what they claim and that is to make beats!
3. The third on the list to beat perfection is to not clip the meter and over compress everything. Really good programs come with great sounds that are already compressed; there is no need to add more compression unless that is what you're going for. Clipping meters is bad for digital recordings, try to keep the levels under -3db, if you want to hear it louder, turn up the monitor volume. Major producers understand that after mixing come mastering and if there is digital distortion in the mix, mastering will bring it to the forth front, so pay attention to the levels.
4. Fourth way to improve the sound quality is to record at the highest resolution possible. That means to set up your recording session for 96k/24bit depth. High bit rate recording ensures that your recording is at its highest level of quality; the popularity of mp3s makes this rule even more important. You can always go down in quality, but once it's there, you can never come back up, so start at the highest possible resolution.
5. The fifth and final step to improve the quality of your hip hop beat production or any type of recording is to have a good ad/da convertor. Convertors make sure that what's coming from analog to digital and digital-analog does not lose any of there bit during the transfer of information from one source to the next. A good Apogee and Rme makes some affordable ad/da convertors for under $800.00, you can tell the difference when running beats through them. Using all the steps I outline in this article will defiantly improve the sound quality of your hip-hop beats.
1. The first way to improve your quality is to purchase a decent beat making program. There are many out there but try to find one easy to use that comes with high quality sound kits. This will help out tremendously, because half the battle is won for you. High quality sound kits already sound good; this will make it easy to find good sounds to play with and nice drums to bang out. Look for beat software that has a 16-track sequencer, most come standard these days but you never know. A sampler is a must, there's software that will let you download directly from you tube. Try to locate one that will let you produce directly from your laptop keypads, producers are always on the go and to be able to bang out right from your mac/pc will keep you less stress from carrying around a midi keyboard.
2. The next way you can improve the quality of your beat production is by exporting individual tracks to a recording program such as Pro-Tools or Cubase. There is a plugin called rewire which will allow you to record tracks between both programs in real-time. If you're using a program that doesn't support real wire don't worry, simply export them individually and line up the tracks inside the recording program. Once you have all of your tracks inside your daw, now it's time to do all of the effects, edits, pans, copy/paste, leveling to get your beat sounding decent for vocals. You have room to breath, beat programs are designed, for the most part, to do what they claim and that is to make beats!
3. The third on the list to beat perfection is to not clip the meter and over compress everything. Really good programs come with great sounds that are already compressed; there is no need to add more compression unless that is what you're going for. Clipping meters is bad for digital recordings, try to keep the levels under -3db, if you want to hear it louder, turn up the monitor volume. Major producers understand that after mixing come mastering and if there is digital distortion in the mix, mastering will bring it to the forth front, so pay attention to the levels.
4. Fourth way to improve the sound quality is to record at the highest resolution possible. That means to set up your recording session for 96k/24bit depth. High bit rate recording ensures that your recording is at its highest level of quality; the popularity of mp3s makes this rule even more important. You can always go down in quality, but once it's there, you can never come back up, so start at the highest possible resolution.
5. The fifth and final step to improve the quality of your hip hop beat production or any type of recording is to have a good ad/da convertor. Convertors make sure that what's coming from analog to digital and digital-analog does not lose any of there bit during the transfer of information from one source to the next. A good Apogee and Rme makes some affordable ad/da convertors for under $800.00, you can tell the difference when running beats through them. Using all the steps I outline in this article will defiantly improve the sound quality of your hip-hop beats.
Discover Beat Making Software And Control The Direction of Your Career!
In music, contemporary styles like pop, 'dance' and 'house' are relative newcomers to the scene. Then again, in their beginnings, they were subjected to the snobbery that is pushing older, more established forms of music towards the brink of extinction. For quite a while, even mainstream styles were hesitant to move with the times and adapt to the technological changes within the music industry. Producers who were brave enough to take the plunge were often persecuted, condemned and accused of being untalented, overly laid back as well as uncreative.
Had it not been for their persistence, we wouldn't be experiencing this musical revolution we are currently in. Even self proclaimed musical purists are now turning to digital music production and beat maker software for their music creation. The sudden shift is quite spectacular and the popularity beat making software has proliferated at an alarming rate.
Beat production software offers unprecedented levels of versatility and flexibility. The music produced is of such a high level, even the most discerning of purists cannot tell it is digitally produced, save for the level of precision and refinement achievable only by software alone. With beat production software, you are able to mix different sounds and add various effects very quickly. Also, your favorite instruments are integrated within the software meaning melodies and harmonies can be added to your mix within a matter of seconds. Perfectionism need not be a tedious exercise as corrections can literally take seconds. This is great for motivation and creativity as producers aren't hesitant of adding new ideas to their mixes.
Music creation software is a cost efficient alternative to a full recording studio. But also, if you DO have a studio, beat making software can be integrated with your studio components. As a matter of fact, in most modern studios, beat making software is at the core of the mixing, mastering and editing process. With that said, beat making software has a full arsenal of tools that enable you to create beats. In fact, some beat making software platforms are fully portable, being available on your smartphone, tablet and web browser!
Beat maker software ultimately gives you full control of your creative process. You can take it anywhere and the virtualizaton of instruments means you can create many different sounds. Also, the ability to edit and undo errors means you don't hesitate to implement new ideas. Beat making software is so prevalent, a great percentage of the music you hear on the radio is digitally produced. Dubturbo, a beat making software program also has tutorials from real life producers that teach you how to market yourself as an independent producer. You essentially get paid to do what you love.
A program like dubturbo doesn't just give you software. You can in depth knowledge of the industry and how to market yourself. Most importantly, it shows you how to market and establish yourself as an independent music producer. The testimonials speak for themselves, a lot of satisfied customers are already making a tidy sum from their hobby
Had it not been for their persistence, we wouldn't be experiencing this musical revolution we are currently in. Even self proclaimed musical purists are now turning to digital music production and beat maker software for their music creation. The sudden shift is quite spectacular and the popularity beat making software has proliferated at an alarming rate.
Beat production software offers unprecedented levels of versatility and flexibility. The music produced is of such a high level, even the most discerning of purists cannot tell it is digitally produced, save for the level of precision and refinement achievable only by software alone. With beat production software, you are able to mix different sounds and add various effects very quickly. Also, your favorite instruments are integrated within the software meaning melodies and harmonies can be added to your mix within a matter of seconds. Perfectionism need not be a tedious exercise as corrections can literally take seconds. This is great for motivation and creativity as producers aren't hesitant of adding new ideas to their mixes.
Music creation software is a cost efficient alternative to a full recording studio. But also, if you DO have a studio, beat making software can be integrated with your studio components. As a matter of fact, in most modern studios, beat making software is at the core of the mixing, mastering and editing process. With that said, beat making software has a full arsenal of tools that enable you to create beats. In fact, some beat making software platforms are fully portable, being available on your smartphone, tablet and web browser!
Beat maker software ultimately gives you full control of your creative process. You can take it anywhere and the virtualizaton of instruments means you can create many different sounds. Also, the ability to edit and undo errors means you don't hesitate to implement new ideas. Beat making software is so prevalent, a great percentage of the music you hear on the radio is digitally produced. Dubturbo, a beat making software program also has tutorials from real life producers that teach you how to market yourself as an independent producer. You essentially get paid to do what you love.
A program like dubturbo doesn't just give you software. You can in depth knowledge of the industry and how to market yourself. Most importantly, it shows you how to market and establish yourself as an independent music producer. The testimonials speak for themselves, a lot of satisfied customers are already making a tidy sum from their hobby
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Cleaning Drums
There are different opinions on what's acceptable and what's not with regard to cleaning drums.
Windex is a cleaning solution that many feel comfortable using. Remember that any spray on cleaner should be sprayed directly on the rag, not the drum itself. Some drummers use furniture polish on the drums but remember that wax buildup can occur over time. If you're going to use wax polish, it is recommended to use it sparingly. Take the time to dust your drums with a feather duster before using a rag. This is because some large particles of dust can scratch the finish of the drum if you're not careful. Also, be sure you use a clean, extra-soft rag. We recommend the microfiber cloths that are used to polish furniture and cars. Again, this helps prevent scratching of the surface of the drum. For chrome hardware, use Windex or a chrome polish.
There are many drum cleaners and polishes on the market. Here is a list of some of them.
Trick Drum Polish
Lizard Spit Drum Polish
Dunlop Drum Shell 65 Polish and Cleaner 4.99 at Musicians Friend
Hemp Oil Drum Polish - Genuine Products
Vater Drum Polish
Windex is a cleaning solution that many feel comfortable using. Remember that any spray on cleaner should be sprayed directly on the rag, not the drum itself. Some drummers use furniture polish on the drums but remember that wax buildup can occur over time. If you're going to use wax polish, it is recommended to use it sparingly. Take the time to dust your drums with a feather duster before using a rag. This is because some large particles of dust can scratch the finish of the drum if you're not careful. Also, be sure you use a clean, extra-soft rag. We recommend the microfiber cloths that are used to polish furniture and cars. Again, this helps prevent scratching of the surface of the drum. For chrome hardware, use Windex or a chrome polish.
There are many drum cleaners and polishes on the market. Here is a list of some of them.
Trick Drum Polish
Lizard Spit Drum Polish
Dunlop Drum Shell 65 Polish and Cleaner 4.99 at Musicians Friend
Hemp Oil Drum Polish - Genuine Products
Vater Drum Polish
How to Tune Drums
Let's face it; if your drums don't sound good, you are not going to sound good. You can have all the chops in the world but we as drummers are hired by, not just our licks, but by other factors such as how we get along with others, how musical we are, how we groove, and yes... how good our drums sound (determined by how well they are tuned).
This article won't serve to instruct the exact method of tuning drums as much as it will to address a few key issues with regard to tuning your drums or drumset.
For tuning most drums, it involves a simple process that can be honed as a skill the more we work with it. Tuning drums is an inexact science but like anything, the more you do it, the better you'll get at it.
The most important thing to know is that you'll tune the drums so that the pitches near each lug are as close to the adjacent lug as you can possibly get it. The end goal is to get the drum in tune to itself, which means we will try to have the pitch near all of the lugs sound the same on the head your working on. They can differ from top to bottom and in fact, that's how you'll obtain your pitch.
For snare drums, aim to tune with respect to what kind of snare sound you wish to achieve. If you want a marching band type of snare, you'll want to really crank the heads good and tight. If you want a deep sound, you'll need to tune the heads looser, and so on. If you want the snare to have a washy snare effect or a "wet" sound, you'll need to leave the snares on the bottom of the drum a bit looser so they can buzz more. Similarly, if you want a tight crisp sound, you'll want to have the snares tensioned tighter. Just be sure that you don't tighten too much or the snare drum will sound choked.
With toms, or tom toms, whether or not you start with tuning the top head or the bottom head matters not so much as being sure that you again, tune the drum to be in tune with itself. Some drummers try to pull the pitch of the tom drum out of the bottom head and others will try to pull it from the top. You'll need to experiment to determine your own preference. There is really no right or wrong way.
With regard to the bass drum, some drummers like a deep, low, thud sound and others like more of an opening resonating sound. If you want the traditional punchy, thud sound, you'll need a pillow or some substantial muffling on the inside of the drum. If you lay the pillow so that it slightly touches the front head, you'll achieve even better results. For more of a resonating bass drum sound, go with less muffling and maybe even do without any kind of air hole in the front head
This article won't serve to instruct the exact method of tuning drums as much as it will to address a few key issues with regard to tuning your drums or drumset.
For tuning most drums, it involves a simple process that can be honed as a skill the more we work with it. Tuning drums is an inexact science but like anything, the more you do it, the better you'll get at it.
The most important thing to know is that you'll tune the drums so that the pitches near each lug are as close to the adjacent lug as you can possibly get it. The end goal is to get the drum in tune to itself, which means we will try to have the pitch near all of the lugs sound the same on the head your working on. They can differ from top to bottom and in fact, that's how you'll obtain your pitch.
For snare drums, aim to tune with respect to what kind of snare sound you wish to achieve. If you want a marching band type of snare, you'll want to really crank the heads good and tight. If you want a deep sound, you'll need to tune the heads looser, and so on. If you want the snare to have a washy snare effect or a "wet" sound, you'll need to leave the snares on the bottom of the drum a bit looser so they can buzz more. Similarly, if you want a tight crisp sound, you'll want to have the snares tensioned tighter. Just be sure that you don't tighten too much or the snare drum will sound choked.
With toms, or tom toms, whether or not you start with tuning the top head or the bottom head matters not so much as being sure that you again, tune the drum to be in tune with itself. Some drummers try to pull the pitch of the tom drum out of the bottom head and others will try to pull it from the top. You'll need to experiment to determine your own preference. There is really no right or wrong way.
With regard to the bass drum, some drummers like a deep, low, thud sound and others like more of an opening resonating sound. If you want the traditional punchy, thud sound, you'll need a pillow or some substantial muffling on the inside of the drum. If you lay the pillow so that it slightly touches the front head, you'll achieve even better results. For more of a resonating bass drum sound, go with less muffling and maybe even do without any kind of air hole in the front head
20 QUESTIONS
1. How many hours do you practice every day? Is it enough?
2. Do you have a routine or simply play randomly without any specific direction?
3. Do you ever ask others to give you an honest assessment of your playing?
4. Do you execute your grooves and drum fills perfectly without mistakes?
5. Do you sit with your back straight when you play? Are you balanced?
6. Have you ever taken a lesson with a famous drummer?
7. Do you get jealous when other drummers are better than you?
8. Do your bandmates like "you" as much as they do your drumming?
9. Do you ever tape yourself to see how you sound?
10. Does your band know that you are the best drummer for them?
11. Do your drums sound the best they can?
12. Do you fake styles or are you confident you're playing the right thing?
13. Do you ever set up your drums differently?
14. Are you more of a time keeper or a musical contributor?
15. Are you having "fun" playing the drums?
16. Are you just a mediocre drummer or a good drummer?
17. Do you ever practice in front of a mirror?
18. Does your band know that you play for the song first and foremost?
19. Do you practice your feet as much as your hands?
20. Have you accomplished what you set out to do on the drums?
2. Do you have a routine or simply play randomly without any specific direction?
3. Do you ever ask others to give you an honest assessment of your playing?
4. Do you execute your grooves and drum fills perfectly without mistakes?
5. Do you sit with your back straight when you play? Are you balanced?
6. Have you ever taken a lesson with a famous drummer?
7. Do you get jealous when other drummers are better than you?
8. Do your bandmates like "you" as much as they do your drumming?
9. Do you ever tape yourself to see how you sound?
10. Does your band know that you are the best drummer for them?
11. Do your drums sound the best they can?
12. Do you fake styles or are you confident you're playing the right thing?
13. Do you ever set up your drums differently?
14. Are you more of a time keeper or a musical contributor?
15. Are you having "fun" playing the drums?
16. Are you just a mediocre drummer or a good drummer?
17. Do you ever practice in front of a mirror?
18. Does your band know that you play for the song first and foremost?
19. Do you practice your feet as much as your hands?
20. Have you accomplished what you set out to do on the drums?
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