The Recommended Mp3 Bitrates

By Zachry Nest

Have you ever downloaded music off the Internet or ripped CD? If you have the you may have heard of the term "Mp3". Fact is, millions of people around the world have heard of the term "Mp3" but 90% of those people don't know exactly what it is. If you don't know exactly what an Mp3 is, then chances are that you don't know what a bitrate is either.

If you aren't aware, then don't worry because in this article you will learn exactly what an Mp3 file is, what a bitrate is, why it is important and more. By the end of this article, you should be more knowledgeable about Mp3 and their bitrates. Now here's the age old question, what exactly is an Mp3? The Mp3 is a highly efficient form of compressing audio.

All that means is that an Mp3 is the compressed form of the original audio file. You may ask yourself: Why compress an audio file to begin with? The reason why we compress audio files is because original, uncompressed audio files tend to have massive file sizes. Without compressing audio files, it would be unpractical to store. On the opposite end, if you decrease the file size of an audio file too much, the audio quality will be negatively affected.

The Mp3, also known as MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is meant to deal with that issue by shrinking the file sizes without negatively affecting the audio quality. Here is where the bitrate comes into play. The bitrate is the number of bits (units of information) that is processed per second. Now I know that sounds somewhat technical, but just look at it like this. The bitrate is the amount of information that the Mp3 player, computer, or other device reads per second.

The more information the device reads per second, the higher the audio quality. But on the other end, the more information per second, the bigger the file size will be. A common bitrate of an Mp3 file is 128 kbit/s. Just in case you aren't aware, the 128 kbit represents the number of kilobytes and the /s means per second. Now consider this example: Imagine you have an Mp3 player with 20 gigabytes of storage and you have 100 Mp3 songs each with a bitrate of 128 kbit/s.

Now imagine that you have another Mp3 player with 20 gigabytes of storage and you have in your Mp3 player 100 Mp3 songs each with a bitrate of 192 kbit/s. You would have less space in the 2nd Mp3 player because the file sizes of the 100 Mp3 songs with the bitrate of 192 kbit/s are bigger.

Bitrate is important because it helps determine the audio quality of the file. Now that you have a basic understanding of what an Mp3 file is and what the bitrate is and why it is important, I would like to share with you my favorite bitrates and why.

To be more specific, my favorite bitrate changes depending on what device I will be playing my Mp3 file on. If Im going to play my Mp3 file on my Mp3 player, then my favorite bitrate to encode at is 192 kbit/s. I prefer that bitrate because it is the same bitrate songs are encoded on CD's (also known as CD quality) and the audio file size generated is relatively small. If I plan to listen to my Mp3 music on my computer, then my favorite mp3 bitrate is 256 kbit/s.

Though the increased bitrate will produce a slightly higher file size, the audio quality would be improved. If I plan to listen to my Mp3 music on my cell phone or a device with a small amount of storage, then the bitrate I would encode my Mp3 files at 128 kbit/s. Now that you know my favorite bitrates, I recommend that you use them because I believe they produce the best combination of audio quality and file size. - 18418

About the Author:

Check our the Mp3 Album Art Mastermind course! My Favorite Mp3 Bitrate was provided by eSquaredMarketing.

Learning How To Play Guitar Effectively

By Matthew James

You can implement several ways when it comes to gaining skills in playing instruments such as the guitar. You may find different tips in learning how to play guitar without having to eat up most of your time as well as to spend too much on your music lessons. There are a variety of options available for people interested in learning how to be great at the guitar.

The problem with most people who learn the guitar is that they don't stick with it. They practice for only a little bit each day and that's it. But the guitar takes a long time to learn if you want to be great at it. Not everyone was a born Hendrix or Clapton, and so learning that takes more work than you think. If you really want to learn the guitar, be prepared to practice everyday for multiple hours per day.

As a new guitarist, you should focus your energies on building up practice playing the basic chords. By developing these basic skills, you will be much better at more advanced playing. Once you are an expert, everything else will be easier to pick up. Don't make the common mistake of learning just a few chords than trying to play a complicated song.

Once you have an idea of the basics in learning how to play guitar from your mentor, it is now for you to continue your progress on mastering the instrument. This can be done by constantly practicing on the basic patterns that you have learned already. An hour a day is enough for your hands to familiarize on the key positions and postures when playing different chords.

When learning how to play guitar, getting an instructor would significantly help in speeding up your learning pace. Having a mentor does not always have to mean hiring a professional for weekly lessons. You may ask a friend who is proficient in playing the guitar for simple tips on how to improve your playing. On the other hand, it is still highly advisable to have a professional guitar coach when it comes to learning the lessons efficiently.

If you want to be a great guitarist, you must be prepared to put in a lot of work and effort into your practice. Make sure you get a teacher that can help you learn the basics as well as correct all your mistakes. If you practice a lot, you'll be able to do a great job and be an excellent guitarist. - 18418

About the Author:

Matt James has been playing and teaching the guitar for over ten years now. For more information on how to play the guitar, check out his axebay's guitar blog which has many axebay's guitar forum.

Using the Internet to Learn the Guitar

By Matthew James

There are many different ways to learn the guitar. You can get a teacher, take classes, or learn on your own. A new, innovative way to learn the guitar is to learn online. The growth of the internet has created a large number of websites about how to play the guitar. You can find tips, advice, and even videos. The videos can be really helpful as you can see the different ways to learn to play the guitar.

There are many guitar lessons online that beginners can use and it is so much easy to understand. You just have to have some patience and dedication in learning it and you find yourself tuning the chords in a short span of time. For you to learn a guitar online, you must search for the lessons that could give you the simplest way in knowing the chords in a short time. Moreover, since you are learning by yourself, without the dedication to stick with it, you will give up.

A good to to being learning the guitar is to go to the forums on the web and ask questions. There are many guitar forums online and they are a great way to start because you can ask people questions about the basics. You can find out what kind of guitar to get, get recommends on materials, and find out the good guitar video sites so you can actually learn the guitar. For any beginner, this would be a great place to start.

To learn a guitar online, find sites that cover basic lessons, which come with an instructional video. One advantage of learning how to play guitar online is, learning at your desired time whenever you want to. You can learn it online through your own pace and having to play and replay it at the time only when you most want to learn. It is a practical way of learning guitar at your most convenient time. All it takes is for you to have the knowledge and the patience in finding the right site where you can fully learn how to play the guitar and can give you the most optimal result at a short span of time.

After you know the good places to learn the guitar, you can read all the information you need at your own pace. One of the advantages of learning the guitar online is that you can learn it at your own pace. When you are learning the guitar online, you have the advantage of going at your own pace. In a class, you can go very quickly and if you can't keep up, you'll fall behind. If you are a slow learner, hiring a teacher can be costly. However, learning at your own pace for free can solve all of those problems.

Learning the guitar online is much easier now than it used to be. The rise of Youtube and Apples Garageband has made it easier to find online guitar lessons. There are many websites out there that can help people with tips and advice. You can find blogs, forums, videos, and people who will help you learn the guitar. The internet has become a great way to learn this instrument on their own. - 18418

About the Author:

Matt James has been playing and teaching the guitar for over ten years now. For more information on how to play the guitar, check out his axebay's guitar blog which has many axebay's guitar forum.

The Gibson Guitar Story

By Frank Frederics

Anyone that has just started playing guitar or has been playing for a little (or long) while has probably wanted to have a Gibson guitar if they do not already own one of the many fine models. Over the years, Gibson has made themselves known as a top player in the music and guitar industry and many famous guitarists have been using their guitars exclusively.

Gibson began with their first guitar that they brought out to the world back in 1936, the ES-150. This popular guitar became, at that time, top electric guitars for jazz music for its sound alone. For it's time, it was quite an accomplishment in the music world.

However, it was in 1952 when they released their most well known and popular model, the Les Paul. The first Les Paul solid body electric guitar had a single coil pick up called the P-90 which is part of the reason for the amazing tone that they can produce by a skilled player.

About nine short years later, they came out with another very popular model (best known for being used by AC/DC's guitarist, Angus Young), the SG. Some people say that the SG stood for standard guitar. This guitar has a thinner body than the Les Paul creating a slightly different tone.

After the success of these two guitar releases, Gibson started designing other models which included the Explorer, Flying V, Firebird and others. Just about all of the models of guitars became very successful which says something for the company itself.

With the amount of other guitar companies emerging in the music world, it is amazing to see Gibson staying on the top end of the pack. They have always been committed to making the highest quality instrument that they are able to make. If you do not own one yet, get one or at least try one out! - 18418

About the Author:

Finding Gibson Les Paul and used Gibson guitars can be as easy as looking at your local shops and on the internet.

Learn How to Play Drums DVD: Take Lessons As Many Time As You Want

By Terrance Burgess

Cost: An important determining factor would be the amount you are willing to spend. Drum sets cost anywhere from $100 up to a custom built set of $6,000 or more. Most sets do not come equipped with hardware such as cymbal stands, cymbals, and kick pedals which can add to the cost, so it is best figure out your reason for the purchase and all that you need to complete the full drum kit.

Sometimes the drum heads may even puncture when the hit is hard. If all this still does not provide you with good reasons to go for a new one at regular intervals, then you should realize that once it becomes weak it is difficult for you to play the roll or the fast chops. As a drummer you should change your drum heads after every six months.

Use a can of compressed air to get the dust out of those hard to reach places like in-between lugs and under the foot pedals of your drums.

Musicality: The purpose of playing any instrument is to play music. And music should be kept foremost in mind whenever practicing. Even when playing a rudiment or technical exercise it should be thought of musically and how it can be applied to music.

So after reading up on things and listening to a handful of second line drummers, I've determined that although there are a lot of variations of second line you can play, most follow a specific feel and style. The best way to get started would be to play a simple Bo Diddley beat, mixing in an occasional double stroke roll at the beginning or end of the phrase: Play the bass drum with the accents or simply play "4 on the floor" (straight quarter notes)

Learn the 7 essential rudiments (at least) accurately and up to speed. (Especially the single and double stroke rolls). Know and recognize all the styles and be able to play variations of each. Have a thorough understanding of rhythmic note values and sight-reading.Know the "name" players in the industry and their contributions to the drum world.

BUT, I did win; with a score of 956 beats in 60 seconds! It wasn't my best score up to that point, but at least I was now going to the International Fastest Drummer finals qualifications and NAMM. And I had about 2 months to practice! An important part of drum playing is relaxed breathing. A good warm-up, whether you are sitting or standing, is to take a slow, deep breath, filling the lungs with air.

Some days use your entire practice time on developing your tuning skills. You want to know each of your drum's best sound. You need to be able to hear it in you mind so when you tune a drum to that sound you will know it. - 18418

About the Author:

Finally! The whole unbiased truth about drum beats exposed. You owe it to yourself to visit learn how to play drums dvdand get the facts today.