Working With Drum Tracks

By Lori Spencer

 

A drum track is the portion of any sound recording devoted exclusively to the drums. In multitrack recording, what is called the “drum track” in fact usually will comprise several different tracks. Each part of the drum kit is be recorded with a separate microphone, and each microphone assigned a track on the mixing board. For example, one track may be just the snare drum, another may be the crash cymbal, and an overhead microphone captures ambient sound in the room. Mixed together, all of these various elements represent the drum tracks.

Many songwriters will use a drum track to help them create songs. Instead of programming a drum machine for a demo or trying to draw inspiration from prerecorded drum loops, songwriters often find …

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Popular Dances of the 1970s

By Lori Spencer

 

To re-create dances from the 1970s, it helps to familiarize yourself with the era and styles. Many of the most popular dances of this era originated in the United States and were popularized around the world through movies and TV shows. A good way to start learning about the dances of the 1970s is to watch films and television from the era; Saturday Night Fever, for example, is a film that put dancing at the epicenter of American popular culture. This 1977 movie sparked massive dance crazes such as the Hustle and the Night Fever…(cont’d)

 

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Popular Dances of the 1950s

By Lori Spencer

 

In the 1950s, teens often congregated after school to drink soda pop, spin records, also known as “platters,” and learn the latest dances. They would show off their moves at the local Sock Hop, an informal dance event that was usually held in the high school gym; to avoid scratching up the gymnasium’s varnished floor, students were ordered to take off their shoes. US music and culture had a strong influence around the world in the 1950s, as different types of music flourished during this decade, advances in technology made that music more easily available, and US servicemen stationed overseas brought the music with them. Popular dances included the limbo, the twist, the slop, and the Lindy hop, all of which…

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Music Industry Internships

By Lori Spencer

 

Many of today’s music industry experts originally began their careers as college interns. Music industry internships provide invaluable experience for young aspirants and offer a chance to learn the ropes of the music business. Types of music industry internships vary widely, from performing clerical tasks to working in promotions and marketing, or recording studio apprenticeships. Perks and bonuses may include free concert tickets and the opportunity to meet famous musical artists. Not all the work is glamorous, however; interns are frequently assigned menial jobs such as running errands, fetching coffee, answering phones and cleaning up the studio after hours.

Music industry internships can be the key that opens doors in a business that is notoriously difficult to break into. College students typically…(cont’d)

 

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Musician Marketing 101

By Lori Spencer

 

In the music industry, artists and record companies are marketing a product: themselves. They market physical products as well, a band’s latest CD, a DVD, or other official merchandise, and items simply will not sell by mere virtue of their release. A savvy music marketer knows that promotion, publicity, advertising, and branding are absolutely essential to generating sales. Without a creative and aggressive marketing campaign, a truly amazing album or artist might never find a sizable audience. Musician marketing involves employing all of these methods to get the music heard by as many potential buyers as possible.

The Internet has revolutionized the way music reaches listeners, for better or worse. Prior to the mid-1990s, musician marketing was chiefly…(cont’d)

 

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What Is a Guitar Chord Finder?

By Lori Spencer

 

A guitar chord generator, also known as a guitar chord finder, is a learning and reference tool for finding chords on the guitar. Musicians use a generator to create fingering charts for various guitar playing positions along the neck. Guitar chord finders also come in handy for chording any stringed, fretted instrument such as mandolin, steel guitar, banjo, or bass. They are used to look up scales and chord charts in almost any tuning the guitarist can conjure. Many Internet-based guitar chord generators allow users to customize the chart for left or right-handed players.

As a teaching tool, guitar chord finders help practicing musicians learn scales and…(cont’d)

 

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Best Tips to Become a Singer

By Lori Spencer

To become a singer requires not only a natural talent but also ongoing vocal training. Singers are constantly striving to improve their range, strengthen their voices, and learn new techniques. Before embarking on any kind of musical career, a singer must first learn to train and protect his or her voice. While other musicians have external instruments to play, requiring only the interaction of the hands, fingers, wrists, or mouth, singers face a more difficult challenge because the vocalist’s instrument is built in. Therefore the entire body must be kept in good shape, not just the throat itself.

The first step to become a singer is…

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What Is a Vintage Saxophone?

By Lori Spencer

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Defining exactly what a vintage saxophone is can be tricky. Collectors and experts agree that there are several other factors to consider besides the instrument’s age. Quality plays a big role; so does playability. The condition of the horn itself can have a bearing on whether it is deemed “vintage.” Another important factor is the history of that particular brand and model. If the instrument was once played or owned by a significant musician, or was only manufactured for a short period of time, that certainly adds both monetary value and vintage credibility. Woodwind restoration and repair experts stresses that there is a vast difference between vintage and just plain old. An instrument’s date of manufacture…

How Do I Find Saxophone Serial Numbers?

By Lori Spencer

Musicians who play, sell, and collect vintage saxophones always pay close attention to the instrument’s serial number. Knowing the serial number can help confirm the brand, model, and the location of the factory where the sax was made. The manufacturer’s original stamp typically will also display the maker’s name and logo. Saxophone serial numbers differ from model numbers in that serial numbers are longer and contain mostly numbers. As an example, an Aristocrat Series II is a model number made by Buescher; the serial number might look like 294125.

Saxophone serial numbers can tell you quite a bit about an instrument. If you wanted to find out when your Beuscher Aristocrat Series II sax was made…

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Different Types of African-American Fiction

By Lori Spencer

African American fiction encompasses many different genres of popular literature. Numerous best-selling mystery novels, Westerns, historical dramas, romances, and short stories have been penned by black authors. Anthologies of classic African American fiction are also consistently strong sellers in the trade books marketplace. Traditionally, American black fiction has been divided into four distinct categories: Colonial Literature (1740s – early 1900s), Harlem Renaissance (1917 – 1940), Post-Harlem Renaissance (1940 – 1980), and Contemporary Fiction (1980 – present).

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