Learning to Play Guitar? Don't be Shy - Four Good Reasons Why!

Too many people learn guitar - or any instrument for that matter - locked away in their bedroom or garage. While they might become great players in their own right, they're missing out. Here are some good reasons to stop hiding, and get out there!

You'll learn more

It doesn't matter how much you practise, how many solos you listen to, how many books you read, or how many Online Guitar Tutorials you follow, you're guaranteed to learn more by meeting and playing with other musicians. Every guitar player will have learned a few tricks, and have their own favourite riffs. Some of them will be easier than you think, if you can see someone playing them in front of you. Most musicians are more than happy to show them to you too - it's a way of showing off what they know, and we all like to do that, whether we admit it or not.

Also, no matter how much of a beginner you are, you're bound to meet someone else who doesn't know your favourite tricks, and if you can teach something to another player, it feels good!

You'll be better prepared

Some people get really good at playing by themselves (I said by themselves - stop making up your own jokes...), but never play in front of anyone. They get "stage fright" just playing with a few other musicians. This can be a real problem if you want to start playing gigs one day.

As soon as you can play something, play it in front of people. Friends, family, and other musicians too. If you're really shy, start with the dog!

I know from personal experience that this can be a real problem, so the sooner you tackle it, the better. If you need so many drinks to calm your nerves that you can hold the guitar, it ain't gonna work! Learn to be a show-off. Of course, if you're already a show-off, with a big ego, who enjoys the attention more than the music - well, maybe you should become the lead singer...

You won't be wasting your time

Don't forget that music is meant not just to be played, but to be heard. Who gives a monkeys if you're the best player on the planet, if nobody ever sees you play? When you tell people you play guitar, they don't generally ask for a recording of your best solos. They usually say "Cool, are you in a band? Are you playing any gigs?". Of course, if you're a solo singer-songwriter, you don't need a band, but you still need an audience.

You'll have fun

You're probably not a trappist monk, so you don't need to sit in a room in silence. You're probably not studying for a masters degree in music theory, so you don't need to treat your guitar like a text book. Meet a few like-minded people, have a laugh, swap a few jokes, tell a few stories. You might never get as far as live gigs, but shooting the breeze with a few other musicians and a few beers beats a night out in a bar any day. It will broaden your horizons in many different ways, even if you're only playing as a hobby. You never know, that bass player you meet might end up getting you a great job one day.

In summary, the best thing you can do for your guitar playing, almost from day one, is to join a band, and start playing some gigs. You'll get the buzz, make some friends, be ready for anything, and the experience will raise your musicianship higher than anything you can do alone.

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| Zander Boon is a part-time music teacher, part-time writer, and full time music nut!
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| Please visit Zander's Guitar Lessons page
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Choose the Right Method For You When Learning Piano

You will be amazed when you go shopping at the music store to find a teaching book to help you learn to play the piano. With as many as a dozen methods to choose from, it is wise for you to plan on spending a serious amount of time studying the various methods and picking the one the seems the easiest for you to understand and follow.

Don't just look at one book in a series. There will be several levels moving from beginner to advanced levels, and you also need to consider age groups. The beginning level for a five year old is going to be much simple than the beginning level of an adult series. In addition to that, almost all methods include more than one book for each level. They can include anything from song books, lesson books, exercise books, and theory books to note spellers, writing music, studying chords, and technique. Theory books are important, as they will teach you musical terms as well as theory. The exercise and technique books are valuable for learning proper fingering, increasing the speed of your fingering, and building strength. These books are not cheap, so be sure before you buy.

For small children, they now have number stickers that you can place on the piano keys that correspond to the numbers in the music book. This is a splendid way to get children started before they are able to read music. When a kid can sit down and play a tune right off the bat, it will excite and stimulate his interest in learning. Once he has developed a true interest in playing, can read simple words, and is willing to sit and practice for a set time every day, he will be ready to start with piano lessons.

To become an accomplished pianist, it is important to get emotionally involved with the music you are playing. Hand-eye coordination, technique, good music reading skills, training and discipline are all necessary, but if you cannot feel and enjoy the music you are playing, you will never truly succeed. That is why you must choose a method you can understand, books of songs that you can enjoy, and set aside a regular practice time...no matter how busy your day is.

There are all kinds of teaching aids that can aid you when your stuck. There are online videos, CDs, DVDs, help lines, software that you can buy to take care of any problems you can't work through and games that can help you improve your fingering, chording, and note reading skills. It is easier to learn how to play a complicated piece if you know exactly how it sounds before you try it. So go to the library and borrow a tape of the piece you need to play. Listen to it several times, and then start learning your piece.

If you find yourself getting bored, get yourself a book with something different in it. Perhaps some jazz pieces, a book of songs by your favorite singer...something you can have fun with. There is a book that has nothing in it but Happy Birthday...as it would have been played by Debussy, Rachmaninov, Bach, Bethoven, and John Phillip Sousa. It is delightful!

A great place to get beginners piano lessons is at: http://www.goplaypianonow.com. Check it out today!

Karaoke Bars

At one point, subjecting oneself to public humiliation through the act of singing was punishable by flogging and long-term prison sentences. At times, such "crimes" were even considered the signs of possession by the devil himself, and the person charged thereafter was condemned to a life of misery. Thankfully, these traditions, honorable as they may seem, no longer exist and individuals are free to pain any population with their voices.

The leniency of the law with respect to public performances has contributed greatly to the development of many forms of entertainment. One of the newest is the karaoke bar. It is a place where people pay to have others hear them sing songs that were not written or composed by them. As the name suggests, in addition to singing karaoke, these bars also double as lounges, restaurants, and clubs. Most public entertainment venues such as pubs, nightclubs, and discothèques dedicate a single night (or perhaps a few nights) in the week to karaoke. On these nights, people are usually allowed in only if they come with the intention of singing. Other establishments work entirely in the hope that each night there will be some people who wish to karaoke. There are stages or podiums set up with microphones, loudspeakers, and all the trimmings of a real-life show. The words are generally displayed on large screen television sets so that the entire audience knows where the singer is fuddling up.

There are a variety of music genres available but the most popular are pop and rock songs. Most times, karaoke bars charge wannabe singers a fee before allowing them to whet their vocal chords. If the place is popular, even after paying a cover, people have to wait for hours before they get a chance to display their talents. Other place, where generally family crowds frequent, the karaoke facilities are free of cost as long as the restaurant bill makes for it.

Karaoke provides detailed information on Karaoke, Karaoke Machines, Karaoke Music, Karaoke Downloads and more. Karaoke is affiliated with Hip Hop Music [http://www.z-HipHop.com].

Learn How to Sing Online - 3 Keys to Making Online Singing Lessons Work & Becoming a Better Singer

Can you really learn how to sing online? Of course you can, if you go about it the right way. Read on to discover three keys for how to become a singer with the help of online singing lessons.

1. Take it Seriously

It will only work if you work it. I know that's a cliche, but it's true. So you won't have to face your teacher and be embarrassed if you didn't practice. You're not a kid anymore. You're not practicing for the teacher anymore. You're practicing for YOU. So do it.

2. Singing Is like Playing Tennis or Basketball or Running...

What? Indeed. You need to practice for two reasons: skill and stamina. You're not just practicing to get the notes right, although that is important. You need to condition your vocal organs to allow them go get stronger and stronger, to increase your control. It's just like with any other skill. The more you practice, the better you get.

3. Find a way to get feedback.

Yes, feedback is important. So you don't have a voice teacher to pick on you. But you still need some way to figure out how close you are to your target. Imagine trying to learn how to play basketball with your eyes closed. Unless you take a special extra step, you may find you're trying to learn to sing with your ears closed.

An online course will give you a certain amount of feedback. But here is a special secret trick I used when I learned new languages, and when I was teaching others German or English, and it works with singing too:

Buy yourself a cheap tape or digital recorder and record yourself right next to the model you're trying to emulate. When we just repeat after the original, our ears can fool us. We don't sound to ourselves the way we sound to others. But if both versions are on tape, yours and theirs, side by side, you'll hear the difference and you can make adjustments until you sound the way you want to sound.

So can you learn to sing from an online course? You bet. Just be sure to follow the three steps I explained above, and you'll soon be singing circles around your friends.

Feeling inspired? And don't know where to start? Check out my review of the best "learn-how-to-sing-online" program I have ever come across at http://www.LearnHowToSingOnline.com

And if you've got a bit of stage fright, you can also get my totally FREE stress-busting strategies report and be cool as a cucumber as you show off your new singing skills.