Archive for June 2011
Some people really hate pop music. For these people pop music is the product of a system which rewards banality, the biggest profit margins and style over substance. This type of music is manufactured without remorse and actively tunes in to the part of the brain most susceptible to rhythmic patterns, so you find yourself practically incapable of not humming the latest No.1 inexplicably on the bus, despite having only caught a whiff of the song on an advert the night before.
For other people, pop music is awesome. They can’t get enough, and finding another opportunity to devour it insatiably is a great thing. For that reason here are some ways which you can scoop a few more dollops of pop into your daily ear trough.
X Factor
The format of this show demonstrates the pop music machine. It takes people that want to be famous, parades them in front of the public for a few months to find out who is the most popular, paints their lovable back stories and then declares a winner. This winner is then dealt a No.1 record thanks to the hype of the show, makes lots of money for the record company, then pitches them into a spiral of depression as their fame dries up. You can watch X Factor in ITV on Saturday and Sunday nights. You can also catch up on their website.
Do you panic at the thought of choosing the appropriate drumstick sizes? This guide is here to help you fight through the many options and come out with the perfect pair. Oo er!
WHICH DRUM STICK?
Walking into a well stocked music shop to purchase your first pair of drum sticks may cause you to stop dead in your tracks as you are faced with the huge wall of pigeon holes, each stacked full of different sizes and varieties of things with which to hit drums. It can be daunting but here is a little guide that may help you.
The choice of materials is vast with some of the popular woods used being rosewood, which is a very dense and hard wood; maple, which is light and soft; hickory, which is slightly harder and more durable than maple; and Japanese oak, which is very hard, durable and heavy. Beyond wood, a drummer may also consider carbon fibre, graphite, aluminium, fibre glass, plastic, sticks with LEDs that illuminate upon impact, or ergonomic sticks, which fit the contours of the hand. There is also the market of signature sticks, of which just about every well known drummer in the professional arena has designed to their personal specifications. Most just offer an alternative size, weight or balance but there are some more unusual sticks on offer.
We would have to play the same sounds worldwide for this to be acceptable, and there are hundreds of different types of music. Your best bet is to request free drum samples, allowing you to hear the sounds that the drum and accessories are capable of producing before you agree to make a major purchase.
Different Beats
It takes different beats, sounds, and accessories to achieve the hottest sounds in the world, so you should know what to buy and when so that you get the perfect drum sound. Drum samples allow you to buy once and listen to the sound over and over, so that you feel the beat as you play it, perfecting each sound and making it your own. You can get free clips to get a feel for which sample is right for you.
For instance, you have some experience playing drums, but you want a real Johnny Juliano sound when you play. It is not enough to hear the beat in your head, you want to feel it throughout your body with each beat, so a free drum sample of this beat is the way to go for you.
Different Sounds
Having your own piano could be a first step in building up a great a career in music. Add some talent and a well-selected piano may actually boost you right on the stage, where you could have your own gigs and where you could even earn real fans. But how do you choose the right piano for you?
First of all, you should decide whether you want an acoustic piano or a digital piano. Acoustic pianos are obviously much more appreciated and can offer a greater sound than digital ones. But the disadvantage is that they are very expensive and you have to clear an entire room just to have enough space to fit it. For a beginner though, a digital piano is one of the best choices. Even though they are not seen very well by professional piano players, for you it’s enough. If it contains all the 88 keys and three pedals, you are right on track. Do not forget that you can always trade it for something better, depending on your evolution and standards.