Guitar Tabs For Beginners (Part 1)

Hey everyone, and welcome to our latest article. We are doing what we can to help you learn how to play guitar. In this article we will be talking all about tab music reading. Why it's important and how it can shave years off of your learning time.
TAB music notation is nothing new, it has been widely used for organ music notation since the 1300s. TAB music notation is a viable way to learn to play guitar.
What Is Tab (tabulator)? It is a different way to read music. A common way to remember what TAB Stands for is T= Treble A= Alto B= Bass.
TAB sheet music for guitars usually has a line going left to right. Each line represents a string on the guitar. The bottom line on the tab music represents the low E string on the guitar and the top line on the tab sheet music is the high E string.
------E------------------------
------B------------------------
------G------------------------
------D------------------------
------A------------------------
------E-------------------------
Now that you know what each line is, now we need to talk about what the numbers on the lines mean. So let's say that there is the #5 on the first line of the tab sheet music. This would symbolize the A note on the low E string. As you can see below this is a very easy way to learn how to read music. It is the same for each line and number.
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--------------------------------------
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---------5------5--------5------5-----
Guitar Tab Chord Reading
Reading chords in TAB is basically the same as reading it in note. The main difference is that instead of playing a single note you play multiple notes at the same time. It is important to remember that you should only play the strings that have numbers on them.
A5 Or Power Chord
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---------2---------2-----------------
---------2---------2-----------------
---------0---------0-----------------
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Guitar Tab Symbols
So now you know the basics to reading tab. Lets talk about what all the symbols you see on top of the tab notes. Each one of the symbols below is a representation of a motion to be done on the guitar. It is important that you memorize each one of these for sight reading. In doing this it will make it a lot easier for you to learn to read sheet music.
h - hammer on
p - pull off
b - bend string up
r - release bend
/ - slide up
- slide down
v or ~ - vibrato
t - right hand tap
What do all these symbols mean and how do you use them?
Below we will go through each one of these TAB symbols.
A hammer on is done by playing the first note and then just fretting the second one. You do not play the second note with the pick. Example: Using your left hand you want to put your index finger on the 5th fret and play the note, then while the note is ringing out put your ring finger on the 7th fret that is the basics to a hammer on.
-----5h7--------- Hammer On
A pull off is the opposite as a hammer on. Instead of playing the 5th fret first you would play the 7th fret then let it go while still holding the 5th fret.
------7p5-------- Pull Off
A bend is represented by the letter b after the number that needs to be bent. All the bends should be made one step up unless otherwise noted. What this means is that the highest note in the bend should be the same as a note that is played 2 frets up. Example: if you bend on fret 5 it should sound like fret 7 at it's highest point of the bend.
--------7b------------- Bend
A release bend is similar to a standard bend except when it is released, you should drop to the note # that is represented in the tab. Example Bend on the 7th fret and the release the 7th to the 5th fret after bend,
----------7r5------------- Bend Release
A slide note is played by striking the first note and then while the note is ringing out you slide your finger to the note that is indicated.
--------5/7---------------- Slide Up
A slide down is similar to a slide up but the opposite way. You would do this by playing the first note and sliding down to the note indicated.
-------7/5----------------- Slide Down
Vibrato can be indicated two different ways, it just depends on who is writing the tab. Vibrato can also be played two different ways. The first way is to use the whammy bar, you just play the note and then use the whammy bar up and down quickly. The second way is to do the vibrato is with your finger. You simply just play the note and then quickly bend the string up and down.
-------5v----------------- Vibrato
or
------5~--------------- Vibrato
Tapping is a way to play a note without picking it with your right hand. To tap a note you simply just place your left hand over the note you want to tap, then you tap it lightly with the right finger this will sound the note.
---------7t--------------------- Note Tap
That is it for this article. There are more symbols that are used in TAB but we think you should focus on these ones at first. Once you have all of these mastered then you can move on to the next TAB article.

Latin Music Today And Its US Connections

There's no denying that Latin music has been one of the most popular genres in the country. Ever since its development decades ago, it has fused with many other forms to reinvent itself. The definition has spread from its humble beginnings in the dances of Central and South America to include many of the sub genres that can be found in many US metropolitan cities.
It wouldn't be too far fetched to say that the tunes of the early twentieth century was somehow persuaded by the large Hispanic populations all throughout the country. One very good example is the syncopated rhythm of jazz. Later on rhythm and blues would take that same beat and take it to a whole other level. Many bands started to incorporate more brass and percussionist players to take on these beats.
These early developments weren't just influenced by the nearby dances. One dance craze that hit the US was from the Central American country of Argentina. The tango made waves in the early nineteen thirties, and its popularity spread to many other countries around the world. Just like jazz, many musicians adapted the tango beat into their own style. In particular, Hollywood became enamored by the sound and it wasn't too long that some movies featured the tunes into their tracks.
The tunes then continued to evolve and with the orchestras of the time came the big band era. With so many brass players and percussionists, it became much easier to add a bit of this flavor. This was a very popular practice and the youngsters of that time demanded more. Some of the more complex dances were simplified to make them more accessible to more audiences. One of the dance crazes of that time was conga. The gimmicky steps remain popular up to this day.
After a few decades, rock and roll dominated the radio waves, but it wasn't the end of the Hispanic touch. Indeed, the Spanish tinge was still very much in style and it found its way into many popular rock songs.
Because of its ability to easily combine with many other genres, the fusion movement gained popularity. These tunes continued to evolve and is still the primary genre of many popular artists today.
Don't be surprised to find latin music still topping many charts over the last few years. As pop music continues to evolve, so to will its Hispanic roots.

The Most Poignant Elvis Costello Lyrics Of All

Throughout his career, Elvis Costello has to his credit explored many different genres of music, from the spiky guitar pop of his early albums, to the country and western projects of the early 80s and mid 90s, to his experiments with The Brodsky Quartet and writing collaborations with the likes of Allen Toussaint and Paul McCartney.
However, it is on the song Shipbuilding that Costello seems to find a lyric that combines a righteous anger with a level of compassion and sensitivity perhaps not normally associated with his songwriting, and it is this song I find contains the most poignant Elvis Costello lyrics in his entire catalogue. Most interestingly, the melody had already been written by a Costello producer Clive Langer - but, being unhappy with his own words, gave it to Costello who thus expressed his deep disenchantment with The Falklands War, as presided over by the Margaret Thatcher government at that time in the UK.
Initially, the song was recorded by ex Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt, reaching the lower end of the top forty in Britain in 1983, but Costello was to record his own version for the later album Punch The Clock.
Here are some sample lines
Well, I ask you
The boy said "Dad, they're going to take me to task,
But I'll be back by Christmas."
The above is a clear reference to the UK military contingent, sent to The Falkland Islands in 1982 and named by the Conservative government as the British Task Force. The conflict came into existence when Argentina, then under the rule of a military junta headed by one General Galtieri, invaded the islands in an attempt to 'reclaim The Malvinas' which the country had historically considered rightfully theirs. The USA, represented by their Secretary of State Alexander Haig, embarked on a frenetic course of "shuttle diplomacy" in an ultimately fruitless quest to prevent an outbreak of hostilities. The UK regained control of the islands within the year and Galtieri was toppled from power.
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls
Costello accurately captured the despair at his country being involved in something ugly and destructive, instead of something beautiful. Written prior to the sinking of the Argentine battleship, General Belgrano, the song assumed a greater degree of poignancy and prescience as time went by. The writer would never really scale these heights again.

Confused by Guitar Effects: Clean/Boost, Compressor, Distortion, Overdrive, Fuzz?

There are so many guitar effects pedals on the market and it is hard to know what the difference is between them. Categorizing effects pedals has been difficult. There has been little consensus on how to do this. There are six common classifications: Dynamics, time based, tone, filter, pitch/frequency, and feedback/sustain. This article will focus on the Dynamics Classification and the Tone Classification.
Dynamics Classification: Clean Boost/Volume Pedal, Compressor Pedal, microphone amplifier.
Clean Boost/Volume Pedal; Amplifies the volume of an instrument by increasing some aspect of its electrical signal output. These types of effects are usually used for "boosting" volume during solos and preventing signal loss in long "effects chains"
Examples: Fender Volume pedal, Dunlop MXR Amp effect, Visual Sound True Tone Clean Boost
Compressor Pedals; stabilize volume and smooths a note by dampening its onset and amplifying its sustain. Compression is achieved by varying the strength of a signal to ensure volume stays within a specific dynamic range.
Examples: Dunlop's MXR custom Comp pedal, Erockson Compressor/Sustain pedal, Boss CS-3, Aguilar TLC Compressor, BBE Benchpress pedal.
Microphone Preamplifier or "preamp"; Increases a microphones low voltage output to levels that can be picked up and used by equipment such as mixing consoles and headphones.
Tone Classification: Distortion, Overdrive, Fuzz, Lo-Fi
Distortion and Overdrive; distort the tone by adding "overtones" creating different sounds such as "warm" "dirty" "gritty" types. Distortion effects produce the same amount of distortion at any volume. Overdrive units produce "clean" sounds at a lower volume and distorted sounds at louder volumes.
Examples: BBE GreenScreamer, Dunlop MXR Distortion III, MXR custom GT overdrive, Dunlop Zakk Wylde Overdrive Pedal, BOSS Bass Overdrive, Pigtronix Aria Distortion pedal, Pigtronix Disnortion, Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde Ultimate Overdrive, and Route 66 American Overdrive.
Fuzz Pedal or " Fuzzbox"; A type of overdrive pedal that clips a sound-wave until it is nearly a square wave resulting in a heavily distorted or "fuzzy" sound. The Rolling Stones greatly popularized the use of fuzz effects.

The Top Five Best Southern Rap Groups of All Time

When it comes to the South as a whole, there are many different dimensions and regions to consider. Especially when you're talking about rap music. Most rap fans know very little about the rap groups from the south, outside of Outkast. So let's take a look into the eyes of the South and see what's cooking. In no particular order, these are my picks for the best southern rap groups of all time.
1. UGK- This group from Port Arthur, Texas really needs no introduction. If you know nothing at all about the Underground Kings (UGK) know this. They are your favorite rappers from the South favorite group. With six studio albums and many guest appearances under their belt, Pimp C (Rest in Peace) & Bun B by far has had more influence on the South than just about any other southern rap group period. With classic albums like 1996 Ridin Dirty & 2001 Dirty Money, this popular underground rap duo let it be known why they are the Underground Kings.
2. Outkast- The ATL's finest and best product of to date is one of the best groups in hip-hop period if not the best ever. Name one rap group that has accomplished what Outkast have? From movies, to six Grammy Awards, to over 25,000,000 albums sold in the US. Their track record alone for making hits and going against the grain makes them in my humble opinion the greatest that ever did it and got away with it. Enough said.
3. MJG & 8Ball- Hailing out of Memphis, Tennessee this group has been on the scene since 1992 and has been nothing short of impressive. With eight studio albums and several solo projects, MJG & 8Ball have shown us throughout the years that they are about as consistent as you can get. This was the first rap group that put Tennessee on the map as far as hip-hop is concerned. From the days of 1995's Space Age Pimpin, to the days of 2010's Ten Toes Down. This group has steadily held it down for the South.
4. Three 6 Mafia- This group also started out of Memphis, Tennessee in 1993 with DJ Paul, Juicy J & Lord Infamous. Formerly known as the Back Yard Posse, Three 6 Mafia took the South by storm with their 1995 classic Tear Da Club Up, and went on to launch the carriers of Project Pat, Gangsta Boo, La Chat & Crunchy Black. But the icing on the cake for this group was when they made history by becoming the first black music group to win an Academy Award for Best Song for the movie soundtrack Hustle & Flow. They also was the first hip-hop artist to perform at the Grammys. Eighteen years later this group has shown us all that they are here to stay.
5. Geto Boys- Bushwick Bill, Willie D, & Scarface took the world by storm with their 1991 smash hit "My Mind Playing Tricks On Me" and the rest as we know it is history. This group originally formed in 1988 with original members Prince Johnny C, The Slim Jukebox, DJ Ready Red, and Little Billy, who later became known to the world as Bushwick Bill. The original group members broke up in 1989 and the new members, Scarface and Willie D later reformed the group with original member Bushwick Bill. With eight studio albums under their belt. The Geto boys is the one group that every OG in the game can take their hats off to as not only being memorable, but making a every lasting impact on the minds and hearts of the South and hip-hop fans alike.

The Influences of Colonial Europeans on the Music of the Black African Slaves of the Americas

The discovery of the Americas by Columbus in 1492 initiated a whole wave of European immigration towards the west. Nations such as England, France, Spain and Portugal set out across the Atlantic to explore, conquer and colonise huge territories of what are now known as the Northern and Southern American continents. So as to maintain the smooth running of these colonies, these nations brought with them black African slaves. It is of interest to examine how, under different influences and oppressions, the descendants of these slaves have developed to form significantly different cultures.
Today, a very noticeable contrast can be seen between the populations of Central and South America when compared to the black societies of North America. This contrast is particularly distinct in regards to music. It seems apparent that there is far more reminisce and reference to traditional African cultures in the music of Latin America then the Jazz of the North. Is this so? If it is then what number of things could have contributed to it? Could it be due to different oppressing regimes, perhaps dictated by religious differences? Maybe the cultural differences of the colonialists. Possibly even the indigenous natives made a difference. Most likely these things would be true due to a whole combination of contributing elements.
The Spanish were the first to leave for the New World. Within a couple years of Columbus' arrival in the Caribbean they had started to work their way south and inland down the Isthmus. The Portuguese, French and British soon followed. The British and French where most active in what is now known as the USA and Canada as well as the Caribbean islands. The Portuguese settled in what is now known as Brazil and the Spanish conquered territory from today's Mexico all the way down to Chile and Argentina. As well as these large nations there were also various smaller settlements such as the Dutch and Russians. By the 19th century these nations had between them, shipped over 11 to 12 million Black African Slaves.
It would not be possible in this study to attempt to include every relevant culture. In South America alone there are 13 countries each with diverse music traditions and all relevant to a study of Black African Cultural development. Therefore the Caribbean Islands will largely be excluded. Also there will not be time to give a detailed analysis of the many diverse African cultures from which the slaves came before colonialism, although a general understanding of African culture and music is acknowledged in the writing of this essay. Finally due to its particularly rich music and strong African influences, the areas of Spanish and Brazilian colonisation in Latin America will be examined as the primary comparative against the Jazz music of North America. In order to understand what it is that has made these two cultures so different it is necessary to closely examine both in their modern context as well as their history along with considerations towards the cultures that oppressed them.
Although Jazz has vast and varied origins, many of its influences can be found in the 'deep southern' states of North America such as the cotton fields of Mississippi Delta. The main oppressors here were the protestant British who lay down their regime in cold unforgiving rigidity. In an attempt to control black slaves and manipulate them as a work force, they found it necessary to hammer out all expression of African culture. If two slaves were found to speak the same native language they would be separated. Possibly most significantly, the slaves were forbidden their drums, a resource which is of great importance to African traditions. "Drumming, in particular is a highly sophisticated activity in Africa" and is used to accompany many day-to-day events, from religious ritual and worship to marriage ceremonies, celebration and even communication. In what ways the deprivation of their percussion (as well as all other African instruments) affected them is difficult to say but it is evident that African percussion can no longer be found in the music of these people.
However, despite their oppressors, black Africans have often found ways to express and maintain their traditions. For instance the colonial authorities seemed unable to (or chose not to) prevent the singing of work songs. Such forms as call and response can often be seen in Jazz music today. Black slaves were forced to convert to the Christian religion. They were required to go to church and sing hymns although again here we can see an example of them maintaining their own culture by adopting the western hymns and personalising them to create the style now known as gospel music. This is very similar to the vocal styles found in Africa.
Having been deprived of their traditional instruments, around the 1880's/90's, black Africans were permitted to play in marching bands (such as the music of John Phillip Sousa) and funeral marches in New Orleans. This put at their disposal, brass instruments (although not saxophones until later) and percussion that finally gave them a means to a musical outlet. The large 'marching' drum was set on the floor and later developed in to the early American 'trap-kit'.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6050600

Origin of Praise and Worship Songs People Know and Love

If you are a fan of today's praise and worship songs then it's important for you to first understand where they came from to truly appreciate them today. It's one thing to just be a fan of Christian songs people know and love today but it's another to have a true appreciation for the history of the songs from the church.
The actual date of origin of songs from the church has been debated and probably will be debated for years to come but the original songs date back before for the early 300's when they were called "plainsong" or a hymn. These were merely responses between the congregation and the Cantor reflective of that particular synagogue at the time. These were basically renditions of Hebrew and Greek poetry in a chant format. Later an antiphon was added to these responsorial chants which later became the foundation of what we know now today as a chorus.
Then in the 1500's and 1600's came a change as more composers began doing more praise and worship songs that involved a more individual religious feeling and less about quoting the Scripture directly. It wasn't until the 1700's before musical instruments became more widely used. Many shorter songs along with hymns and anthems were created during this period. This is where the songs began to take on a new sound and feeling that would continue to progressively change as time went on.
It was then in the 1800s and 1900s where gospel songs really began to take on the sound of music of the times particularly here in America. American traveling preachers began to use country-theme songs and this type of worship music eventually became the start of gospel music in the early 1920's. A lot of this music was deeply rooted in bluegrass, black gospel and jazz. The proliferation of this style of music continued into the 1950's. In the 1950s with the introduction of rock 'n roll that spurred many genres of music, praise and worship songs began to take shape of the genre of the times.
With each passing decade a new version or genre of music began to evolve and songs followed suit. In the 60's and 70's there was a hippy music movement and into the 70's was more the classic rock and many worship song artists began there as well. The 80's brought heavy metal and the 90's brought a combination of country and rock mixed to bring a new generation of worship artists in reggae, rap and urban Gospel.
Some of today's most popular gospel artists are a culmination of the collective history of Christian music dating back hundreds of years. Such popular artists of today and yesterday as Carmen, Chris Tomlin and David Crowder are all a byproduct of the great history that precedes them. So to be a fan of today's gospel music means more than just being your average fan, it's about understanding the true history of the praise and worship songs we as people know and love from then till now.