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Electric guitars are extremely popular today, but what exactly are they, and how does one define them and their sound quality? There is actually a huge amount of variation in the design and construction of an electric guitar - far more than the diverse range of classical or acoustic guitars.

The variations are in a part of the guitar which might otherwise be considered as definite and absolute - the body. For an electric guitar the body itself may be hollow, as in the style of a classical or acoustic guitar. However, it could also be only partially hollow, and in many cases is entirely solid.

This is largely because of the fact that, unlike classical or acoustic guitars which rely on the hollow body of the guitar to reverberate and resonate the sound made from the string, an electric guitar relies on an electric amplifier to achieve this same resonance and sound, and the construction of the body is largely, though not entirely, irrelevant in terms of sound quality and resonance. Without the electronic amplifier and equipment connected to the electric guitar, the instrument makes very little sound on its own, and unlike an acoustic or classic guitar, cannot be played without electric amplification.

Fitted to the electric guitar are electromagnets which pick up the vibrations of the strings as movement, and this vibration or resonance is transmitted to the amplifier as an electrical signal. It is therefore the physical resonance or vibration of the string which is used to transfer a signal, and not the sound of the string being struck at all which generates the sound, or at least, not in a direct way.

In many cases the electrical signal from the electromagnetic pickup is transmitted through a cable directly to the amplifier, but in some cases this is done through radio waves, allowing the guitar to be played without any trailing cables - particularly useful for those who tend to move about a lot while playing their music. The fact that the guitar is being played without any direct cable connection to an amplifier or sound equipment should not be confused with an acoustic or classic guitar in any way - the amplifier is still necessary as the guitar on its own would make virtually no sound at all, and certainly nothing even remotely approaching that of an acoustic guitar.

Because of the fact that the signal from the electric guitar is fed electronically to the amplifier, it is often the case that other means are used to convert or modify the signal, providing extra tones, or effects that create unique voices for the guitar. Although often we tend to think of the guitar as being solely a part of rock music or pop music, in fact it has a very healthy heritage borne through the jazz and blues scene, and has managed to hold on to its status throughout these three main genres of jazz, blues and rock.

The commercialization of the electric guitar occurred in two places at pretty much the same time, with Gibson working alongside Les Paul, at the same time as the extremely well known Leo Fender was developing the commercial model of the Fender. The physical structure of the body of an electric guitar is what is most striking as it is very different from the design of an acoustic guitar. But the fret board is also quite different too, because of the height of the strings from the body of the guitar itself. In an acoustic guitar, the strings are very close to the body, so that they run very close to the edge of the hole in the center of the body, but in an electric guitar this proximity is not required for the simple reason that the body of the guitar is not used to amplify or resonate the sound produced at all.

Because the strings are further away from the body, this allows the musician to play an electric guitar in different ways from that of an acoustic or classic guitar, with techniques such as tapping or legato pull-offs being used extensively, and slurs - otherwise known as hammer-ons as well as pitch harmonics, swells of the volume and in many cases an arm which creates a tremolo effect. It is not unusual to see foot pedals being incorporated into the performance too.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, electric guitars, Fenders. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio.

The act of ’selling out’ involves a musician/group rejecting their principles and morals to pursue a more lucrative path. This could involve leaving an independent record label in favour of a major label or a change in musical direction in attempt to achieve higher record sales. There have been various examples of so-called selling out in the music business by such stars as Bob Dylan and Bon Jovi. However, it is a much debated concept and has a variety of interpretations for each musical genre with punk having some of the strictest rules.

Punk rock began in the mid-1970s with bands like the Ramones, Sex Pistols and the Clash. The fast-paced, aggressive music celebrated rough-edges and self-produced recordings to evoke a community-based sense of anti-establishment. However, as one of the main players in the UK punk scene, Malcolm McLaren seemed to manipulate and orchestrate the punk movement for his own commercial gain. It would appear that punk’s ethics were being compromised in its earliest stages.

Despite its commercial success in the 1970s, punk continued to represent alternative music for the alternative music fan. Rejecting mainstream culture and revelling in the underground, punk became a cultural phenomenon. It gave kids with little money and sometimes little talent to rip up the rule books and make unconventional music. As punk rock became more popular it would inevitably result in bigger record sales without necessarily any changes in the concepts behind the music.

The pioneers of the UK punk scene, the Sex Pistols, dissolved after just one full-length album only to return almost twenty years later with the ‘Filthy Lucre Live Tour’. The title of the tour suggested the band’s obvious intentions to make as much money as possible from the reunion tour, though lead singer Johnny Rotten exclaims that he has ‘not once ever joined the establishment.’ So selling out would appear to be less about focussing on commercial gain and more about the compromise of personal beliefs. Johnny Rotten was and always will be anti-establishment - a true punk rock icon and not a sell-out by a long shot.

In the early 1990s there was a second-coming of punk largely attributable to the success of American bands The Offspring, Rancid and Green Day, the latter two coming from the same Berkeley music scene that had thrived at 924 Gilman Street. Punk seemed to still be very much alive in the youths of the 1990s - the music, clothing and attitude appeared very similar to that of less than twenty years previous.

As a new ’scene’ erupted, punk became popular and found itself on MTV and gaining radio airplay. Green Day signed to major label Reprise Records for the release of 1994’s Dookie and international superstardom ensued as the album has sold 15 million copies by time of writing. There was little change in the style of Green Day’s music, but with better production, more publicity and a dramatic performance at Woodstock II - Green Day hit the mainstream.

Success would come at a small price. The band would not be allowed to play at 924 Gilman Street anymore as the venue prohibits major label bands from performing. The band would be outcasts of the Berkeley music scene and be labelled sell-outs having gained radio airplay across the world as well as regulars on MTV with a string of hits including ‘Basket Case’, ‘Longview’ and ‘When I Come Around’.

Gilman Street was the premier venue for the up-and-coming second wave of punk that hit the America in the late 80s and early 90s. With strict rules of No Alcohol, No Drugs, No Violence and No Major Label Bands - Gilman showcased a variety of great bands propelling them to international stardom. However, during a gig in 1994, ex Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra was attacked while in the audience. As he was pushed to the floor and assaulted, his attackers continuously shouted ‘Sell out rock star, kick him.’ Biafra hadn’t signed to a major label and had not broken the Gilman rules per se, but this small section of the punk community felt betrayed by one of their own.

Following the success of the mid-90s punk revolution a number of punk bands have continued to break through to the mainstream music consciousness. And as this happens the message of punk, and the music itself, has become more and more diluted until punk to most is just safety pin and a tattoo. To accuse bands that play great music and work hard for success of selling out seems a little harsh but for every Green Day there will be 10 other bands thinking it’s their ticket to fame and fortune. Just ask Good Charlotte.

Mike Dirnt, bassist with Green Day, states that “selling out is compromising your musical intention and I don’t even know how to do that.” Wherever you sit on the act of selling-out, the facts are that Green Day sell too many records and tickets to still play at Gilman Street on Lookout Records. Punk is not dead, but don’t for a second believe that the stuff on MTV is punk-rock - it isn’t.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest include Luton Airparks, Luton Airport Parking and I have a travel blog site.

Is it time for music to sound forth and restore your sanity? Does the joy of music bring a simple joy to your everyday life?

Maybe it’s been a tough day at work and you need to unwind. Maybe the kids have been hyperactive and you finally have them settled. Maybe that traffic jam had your mind, and your car, going in circles.

As soon as you can, stop; sit; and listen to music. It is time for those personal favorite sounds of yours to calm you down. The joy of music is one of life’s bonuses that we can easily access.

Music enjoyment is a pleasure that we come by naturally. From an early age, catchy melodies get our attention. We toe-tap, finger snap, and slap backs when we here our favorite song. Music lifts our spirits, or at least consoles them when we’re sad.

There are many ways we can appreciate music. We can sit alone in our room and listen as our mind savors melodies and harmonies. We can sit with a group of friends and family and discuss favorite tunes as they play.

We can go to live performances and witness before us the creative talents of musicians. There is nothing as exhilarating as watching a symphony or jazz orchestra, or rock or country band strut their particular stuff. Even a solo artist alone on stage singing into a microphone or sitting at a grand piano can dazzle us. We have the benefit of sight as well as sound as these artists perform.

There is another way we can experience the joy of music. We can play music of our own by learning an instrument. Whether it’s the piano or something else, we can learn to create. We can appreciate music through our own musical creations when we are playing music.

What is it about music that enthralls and engages us? It’s the fact that we can enjoy it without it demanding much in return from us. All that music asks for is our attention.

Of course, if we choose to play music it demands our attention and physical effort as well. Here, playing music and listening to what we’re playing is its own reward. If you ever feel the urge to take a music lesson, or even self-teach yourself, do it. The act of performing music on your own is a thrill. It becomes even more so as you develop your skills. With patience and determination, it will enhance your joy of music.

Music allows us to contemplate life against a beautiful aural background. There’s something wonderful about a fine composition wafting through the air as we view nice scenery. There’s something peaceful about sitting in a deck chair in a backyard with headphones on. Those long vacation drives with a box full of CDs at your side is pure utopia.

Music is the icing added to the cake of life experiences.

Can you imagine a wedding without music? Would you enjoy a parade with only the sound of feet on pavement as an accompaniment? Would a birthday party be the same if we didn’t sing a song? Imagine Christmas without traditional tunes and hymns.

Its apparent life would be mundane without music to whistle, hum, or play air guitar to.

The next time you’re down and you need a lift, listen to, or play some music. The next time you’re elated, and you want to celebrate, listen to, or play some music. All the other times in-between, make time to listen to, or play some music. It can make an ordinary day extraordinary.

Experience the joy of music any time you’re ready for ’sound’ therapy.

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular online newsletter on piano chords, available free at “Exciting Piano Chords & Chord Progressions!”

Once you’ve finished your recording, what now? You have all the right mixes finished and everything is in its place, but there is still work to be done before your CD will truly be finished. By knowing what needs to be done after all of the recording is finished, you’ll have a much easier time getting from recording to successfully finished product: your CD.

After the CD is finished recording, the first thing which needs to be done is to send a copy off to the copyright office. This will ensure that no one else can release your music as your own, as well as letting you have a written record of what you have done. Normally, what you’ll need to do is to fill out a copyright sheet for the copyright office and send that in along with your CD and a fee for the copyright. Your copyright will last a number of years before expiry; at which point you will need to re-register your copyright.

After doing this, there a number of ways which you can license and register your compositions. ASCAP and BMI are the best places to start. Both of these organizations act as a sort of head office for keeping track of compositions. If anyone else ever performs your compositions, these organizations will send you a performance fee for your compositions. If you have not yet finished your CD, you should nevertheless consider registering with ASCAP or BMI for musician’s rights and then send them copies of any music you record to keep a record of this.

Next, you should think about how royalties for the use of your music by others will be administered. If someone wants to use a piece which you have composed for a compilation album, for example, you’ll want royalties. There are businesses which take care of royalties and publishing licenses such as Harry Fox; doing this will let you get royalties for each sale of your work by someone else (such as a compilation album maker).

There are other licensing options to think of as well. If another band uses your composition, or your music is used on television or for a commercial, these people must pay you a royalty fee along with a mechanical licensing fee. You still hold the copyright to your music, but basically ‘rent’ out the song to others for their use. ASCAP and BMI can usually track your composition’s appearances as long as you have registered your recordings with them and the person using your work goes through the proper channels to obtain permission to use your music.

Once this registration issue has been handled, you have some choices as to how to go forward with preparing your music for distribution. The growth of the internet as a marketplace and venue for entertainment means that you can approach sales of your music via physical CDs as well as digital distribution; e.g. - downloads.

Digital distribution offers the musician a lot of possibilities, such as websites like SnoCap, CDBaby and IODA. All of these take your music, convert them to MP3 format and distribute your work to websites and online jukeboxes which will make them available to the public. All you have to do to accomplish this is to register your CD or other recordings through this (there is a small fee) and the portal will do the rest of the work.

Whatever sort of music you are recording and no matter how you intend it to be used, experienced and enjoyed, you should always have the legalities of the recording process in mind. This will help you not only to sell your music, but to achieve wider distribution for your work.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

“Mine eyes have seen the glory” is one of the most powerful and recognized opening lines in the history of American song. The Battle Hymn of the Republic is the quintessential fight song of the United States, as well as its call-to-arms.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic has gone through many changes. Its form and lyrics have evolved for years to reach its present incarnation. Begun as a camp meeting spiritual by William Steffe in the 1850s, it was a call to meet on the shores of Canaan, the land of ancient Biblical promise. The main lyric that survived this incarnation was the refrain of “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!” The song traveled across the land quickly, but it was some time before it became known as The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

A regiment of Union soldiers took the tune and fashioned their own pre-Battle Hymn of the Republic marching song. It was called “John Brown’s Body.” Many assumed it was about the famed abolitionist of the same name, but it was written as a jab to a fellow soldier.

Major General George B. McClellan found the song highly offensive. He even tried to ban it from being sung in the Army of the Potomac, but he was never successful. Verses were gradually added about John Brown the abolitionist, and the original intention of the song was lost to history.

Julie Howe was visiting a Union Army camp along the Potomac when she heard the soldiers singing “John Brown’s Body” as they marched. She was struck by the melody and strong rhythm of the song. The Reverend James Clarke, who was by her side as the soldiers marched, hinted that she should write new words for the song.

Howe went to sleep that night, and, as the grey morning light crept into her room, she found a poem forming in her mind. She sprang from her bed, found an old pen and scribbled the words down without even looking at the paper. Five verses of Howe’s Battle Hymn of the Republic were soon published in The Atlantic Monthly. Though she had written a sixth verse, it has never been commonly sung and is usually not printed.

The Republican Party later adopted The Battle Hymn of the Republic for the closing ceremony of their annual convention. It also became the basis for the American Consumers’ Cooperative movement’s anthem, The Battle Hymn of Cooperation, in the 1930s.

Through all this, The Battle Hymn of the Republic has remained a shining example of a time when generals would boost soldiers’ morale with promises of the glory of God. Its words seem archaic now, but the song is resilient.

Martin Luther King Jr. frequently quoted the verses of The Battle Hymn of the Republic in his speeches, most notably from the steps of the Montgomery, Alabama courthouse. He used the song to inspire others to rise up against oppression, to have faith in righteous actions, and to sacrifice for a greater goal. This is at the heart of the lasting legacy of the song. It is not a call to battle to the death, but a call to battle against the evils of society. God’s truth will continue to march on.

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular online newsletter on piano chords, available free at “Exciting Piano Chords & Chord Progressions!”

The life of Miles Davis started in Alton Illinois where he was born and named Miles Dewey Davis III on May 26th 1926 to a relatively affluent family. Dr. Miles Davis, his father, was a dentist who moved the family to East St. Louis in 1927. In all, it could only be considered a relatively privileged life. For instance, there could not have been many children in his time and place who had the advantage of a substantial family ranch, in northern Arkansas, as did Davis where as a boy he learned to ride horses.

From an early age Miles’ mother, Cleota Mae Davis, wanted Miles to play piano as she was very good blues pianist herself, a fact she kept hidden from her son. Davis’s father however had other ideas and when Miles was 13 his father gave him a new trumpet and arranged lessons for him with the local music teacher.

You could say that Miles Davis’ career as a trumpeter was someone due to serendipity because as Davis was later to suggest, his father’s choice of instrument was made largely to provoke his wife who disliked the instrument. Davis’ instructor Buchanan could in a sense, also be considered serendipitous because unlike the fashion of the time he stressed the importance of playing without vibrato. It was this which informed Davis’ playing and his clear signature tone throughout his life.

By way of enforcement Buchanan would slap Davis’ knuckles every time he started using heavy vibrato. In time the way of playing his trumpet without vibrato became very important to his signature sound to the point where he once remarked;”I prefer the round sound with no attitude in it, like around voice with not too much tremolo and not too much baseline bass. Just right in the middle. If I can’t get that sound I can’t play anything.”

Davis was a member of the musicians union by the age of 16 and when not at school was working professionally. During the following year and at the age of 17 he played with the bandleader Eddie Randles’ Blue Devils. At this time another early and important influence came in the form of the musicians Clark Terry and Sonny Stitt who tried to persuade him to join the tiny Bradshaw band that was then passing through town. However, this was at yet not to be because Davis’s mother felt it more important that he finished his final year of high school.

In these early days Davis’s parents were both very insistent on his continuing formal academic studies. But for this, Davis would’ve been on the road with the Billy Eckstine band which had visited St. Louis in 1944. Already in the band were Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, Davis was taken on his third trumpet for a couple of weeks because of the illness of Buddy Anderson. When the band left town Davis had no choice but to stay behind and continue his studies.

These same studies would take him to New York City and a scholarship at the Juilliard school of music. Study however, became secondary because in New York he came into contact with and was introduced to the music of Charlie Parker. It was this meeting more than anything else that would set the direction of his music for many years to come.

Murray Hubick is an accomplished artist and writer who is also a self proclaimed jazz addict. To read his latest series of articles on the Life of Miles Davis ; his influences, who inspired him how this artist consistently held the position of being at the forefront of just about every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990’s go to www. lifeofmilesdavis.com