Learning Acoustic Guitar: The Parts of the Guitar and Proper Posture

By Scott Forrester

Though it may seem to be a daunting task at first, learning to play the acoustic guitar really isn't as hard as some people make it out to be. Every skill has a starting point and the guitar is no exception. The best place to begin, is by learning every single part of the guitar, because once you know how it works you'll be better able to understand it, and therefore be able to play it better. The acoustic guitar is fairly simple and doesn't sport quite as many parts as other guitars might, so we can go over them relatively fast:

1. The biggest part is the body. This is where all the sound comes from, and it emits those sounds through a hole that is carved in the center. This is also where the strings run through from the neck of the guitar.

2. Behind the pick hand at the end of the body you will find the bridge. This is the area in which the strings are attached to the guitar before making contact with the hole, and making their way up the neck. On the majority of acoustic guitars, you will find that this bridge is composed of wood.

3. Then there is the neck, which is on the other end of the guitar's body. The neck is on the left, and is long and skinny. The guitar strings go from the bridge all the way to the top of the neck to the tuning keys.

4. In order to make different notes and sounds with your guitar, you need to place your fingers behind the frets. The frets are the golden bars running across the neck, and there are normally twenty four of them.

5. The next part is the nut; this is a divider that goes between the neck and the head stock. Normally this is grooved and keeps the headstock from sliding about while you play your guitar.

6. Next there is the headstock, which is the topmost section on the neck. This is where the tuning keys are situated.

7. Tuning keys are the metal tabs which you'll see on the headstock itself. This is where the other end of the strings is situated, and you can use the tuning key to change the tone. This is usually referred to as keeping the guitar tuned.

So those are the basic parts of the guitar. After you have learned that you will need to learn to keep good posture while playing, that way your instrument will sound great when you play! Next we will tell you exactly how to accomplish that.

For right handed players: The first thing that you need to do is sit down, and make sure that one of your knees is slightly raised to support the guitar. Hold the neck with your left hand, and strum the guitar with your right hand. This is a standard posture that nearly all guitar players use, and if you're still not entirely comfortable, you can use a strap to secure the guitar.

If you need to play with your left handed, then just reverse the posture and make sure that you're comfortable. You can sit in any way that you want, so long as you are comfortable and that the guitar sounds right. - 18418

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Want to get some great acoustic electric guitar lessons and get awesome at guitar? See these easy guitar lessons and get really good at guitar really fast!

Don't You (Forget About Me) - New Found Glory's Good Cover Song

By Timothy Q. Mason

Don't You (Forget About Me) is one of the defining songs of the 1980s, an era where some of the greatest films and soundtracks have emerged. It was originally recorded by the new wave band Simple Minds for the breakout movie The Breakfast Club. It was probably because of its relevance and brilliance that New Found Glory decided to include it in their From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II album.

The song was originally meant for Billy Idol and Bryan Ferry. But after rejecting it, the writers, Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, pitched it to Simple Minds who also refused to record it. Their label then persuaded the band to do it so they ended up recording the song, which turned out to be a major hit.

Used as the theme song for the movie The Breakfast Club, Don't You (Forget About Me) became a huge smash hit. It became the band's only number one hit in the United States. It also reached Top Ten in the UK charts. This became the most famous Simple Minds song to date.

The song's history and haunting effect makes it the perfect cover for a pop-punk band. It would be a great irony to have a band who's used to shouting songs take on a serene, slow-paced up to the point of being haunting song from the 80s.

New Found Glory's take on the song is very much different than the original, or from any other versions. It is more hip, youthful, and loud. I guess you should expect it to be loud since a pop-punk band is singing it. The vocals are not impressive since most of the song felt like shouted. The words were thrown fast but you can still hear and understand the lyrics clearly.

It was great that the band did not make any major changes with the song's melody. People would expect a band like New Found Glory to not make drastic changes in a song's melody. What's expected from them is loud, upbeat and fun music. And they did deliver that. By sticking to the original score, they were able to retain the spirit of the song but still make it their own.

In truth, nothing is achieved in recording another version of the song. You can't really see anything new with the new version aside from it being upbeat and more current. There was not much to expect, only loud shouting and growling (which was very audible at the bridge). However, the growl at the latter part of the song was executed nicely, It didn't sound awkward or forced. It felt natural, making the song sound more like a New Found Glory hit.

I feel like this version is not worth being compared to the original in a creative aspect. Though I don't dislike the song, it seems like it was done out of pure fun, which is something a band should really be all about to come up with an effective song whether it's an original or just a cover. - 18418

About the Author:

New Found Glory music has spread rapidly across the US continent for the last ten years. New Found Glory continues to make music today! Their classic songs and great concerts make them an amazing band! Learn more more now!

Funky House Music Taking Over British Nightlife

By Darren Poil

Funky house has had a big effect on British nightlife and the UK clubbing scene. UK funky house music is becoming widely recognized by many artists, music producers and dj's. This has resulted in funky songs being increasingly played across radio stations, music channels and in nightclubs.

Funky house is often referred to by British clubbers as "UK funky", and is a style of electronic dance music. It is heavily influenced by various styles of house music, broken beat, tribal and soca. Funky house tracks generally consist of percussions, synthesizers, samples and soulful vocals.

The catchy hooks often used in UK funky tracks are a major contributor to the growth of interest in the genre. Hooks such as "it's time to get funky" and "say no more" are being widely used amongst clubbers. The widespread use of these sayings has been greatly assisted by the rise in support for artists such as MC Versatile and Coldsteps.

Musicians and producers formerly involved with UK garage, grime and dubstep, are starting to merge house music's 4/4 beat with their previous work and are creating a UK funky house music vibe and culture. As a result of this new culture there has been a increase in the amount of tracks aimed at UK funky listeners. By adapting there style to suit funky house musicians like DJ Marcus Nasty and Donaeo are benefiting from UK funky's increasing popularity.

Recently nightclubs and promoters have been focusing there attention towards providing more funky house events as it rises in popularity. UK funky events are often referred to as "raves"; events are held mostly in large venues like SeOne as the demand for house music is high.

The genre is also being heavily pushed by UK radio stations and television channels, such as BBC 1xtra and MTV Base. The support of these organizations has helped boost the popularity of UK funky house music.

Radio 1 Dj Tim Westwood is contributing to the rise in UK funky house music. By allowing new funky house artists to appear on his show he is adding credibility to UK funky house music. Club Deejays are also playing funky tracks as they are known to fill the dance floor.

As the role of UK funky house music grows within the nightlife community, it will continually gain recognition as an influential music style. Along with the support of the UK music industry, funky house is destined have a big impact on British music. - 18418

About the Author:

Want to know more about the best UK funky songs? I suggest you watch the "Bongo Jam" music video by Crazy Cousinz featuring Calista.

Michael Jackson's Adult Solo Career: Six Studio Albums

By Marvin Markus

During his solo career as an adult (which began in 1979) Michael Jackson released a total of six studio albums up through his untimely death in 2009. In this article you'll find a short review of each of those six albums.

Off the Wall - This is the album that made Jackson a star on his own (without the rest of the Jacksons.) "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You" were the first two tracks on the album and they were also both #1 singles. "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" was actually the only song on the album written by Jackson himself.

Thriller - Still the biggest selling album ever (both in the US & worldwide.) Beyond it's incredible success commercial, the album also represents a big step forward for Jackson as a songwriter as he wrote four of the albums nine tracks: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "The Girl Is Mine," "Beat It," & "Billy Jean." Each of these four songs were released as singles and they all reached the top 5 in the US with "Beat It" and "Billy Jean" both reaching #1.

Bad - This album is way too often overlooked in comparison with Thriller just because it didn't match the ridiculous sales numbers of that monumentally album. But what about the five #1 singles that Bad produced? And how about the fact that Jackson wrote 8 of the 10 songs on Bad himself? In my opinion the Bad album is an essential part of the Jackson discography.

Dangerous - Following up the insane success of Thriller (most copies sold ever) and Bad (five #1 singles) Dangerous was bound to have a hard time living up to the hype. But it has gone on to sell over 32 million copies worldwide and it included a great deal of 10 top ten hits even if it only had one #1 in the US ("Black or White.")

HIStory - This album includes both a greatest hits collection (15 hits up through his previous album, Dangerous) and a disc of new 15 new songs including "You Are Not Alone," "Earth Song," "Stranger in Moscow," and a cover of The Beatles classic "Come Together." Although somewhat of a weak seller in comparison to Jackson's biggest hit albums, it still put up impressive sales numbers all over the world.

Invincible - This album is often considered a huge failure by Jackson's critics but that only goes to show just how the standards are for him because by many standards the album was a big hit. It went to #1 in many countries around the world including the US and the UK and it has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. It included two top twenty US singles: "You Rock My World" (reached #10 in the US & #2 in the UK) and "Butterflies" (#14 in the US.) - 18418

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Read more about Michael Jackson on my Favorite Music Blog.

Choosing A Bass Guitar

By Greg Williams

There are many kind of instruments and the beautiful part of music is that no matter the instrument you want to play, all of them are special and have their function among all the instruments that form part of the band.

In the case of the bass guitar we have an amazing and very important instrument. The bass guitar is very special because along with the drums they should keep the rhythm in a band. The bass guitar is an instrument that instead concentrate in listening you focus in feeling it.

The level of decibels you can find in the bass guitar produce a feeling where you can have the sensation of knowing what is happening musically instead see what is happening.

When you are attempting to buy a bass guitar you should evaluate well the price of buying the bass you are looking at. Once you have make the proper selection of the type of instrument you want, you will need to determine how many strings you are able to play with the style and comfort that is required for this musical instrument.

Bass guitar has basically four strings in its common and basic model. You can find bass guitar performers that are currently playing six and even seven strings in a bass guitar.

You should have the capacity to play at least the standard four bass guitars, but if you see a performer playing six and seven stings it doesn't mean they are better bass guitar players than you.

Furthermore, the brand of your bass guitar is very important, because there are affordable but high quality brands such as Ibanez which is also a brand of electric guitars and other kind of instruments. Buying a bass guitar could be a great experience if you have the propel guide. - 18418

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