Archive for the 'Arts and Crafts' Category

Published by Eugene W on 05 Jun 2008

How To Master Lead Guitar Improvisations The Fast and Easy Way

by Eugene W

Guitar improvisation is among the most important aspect of lead guitar playing and without improvisation you will never be able to make the type of impact you would like to make while doing a live gig.The better way to master lead guitar improvisations is by understanding the various scales and the different techniques that are used. But guitar improvisation is definitely not easy especially when you are learning on your own. If you are a self taught guitarist then you can use books, e-books and video guitar lessons from cyberspace, download guitar tools from the internet, and practice using guitar tabs and guitar backing tracks.

All of these techniques will help you to learn about the guitar, the fretboard, the minor and major scales, the blues scale, and the chromatic scales. But when you progress from the basic to the advanced stage then the only way you can learn guitar improvisation is through practice. For a guitarist, practice is a never ending routine. The more you practice, the better you are with guitar improvisation. Whether you are rehearsing with the help of a book or with tabs and lessons available over the internet, you need to know that if you have complete control over the minor and major pentatonic scales then guitar improvisation will be like a walk in the park for you.

For example: if you are using G-major pentatonic then it will be: 2-4, 1-4, 1-4, 1-3, 2-4, 2-4 at the 3rd or 15th fret for G major pentatonic. In G, A, B, D, E, G, you will notice that the G major pentatonic as well as the E minor pentatonic share exactly same notes. If you play the G major pentatonic scale in the open position then it will be like this:

—————————0-3– ———————-0-3——- —————–0-2———— ————0-2—————– ——0-2———————– -0-3—————————-

The fastest way to guitar improvisation is through learning how to play the pentatonic scales to perfection. The minor pentatonic scale consists of 5 notes, which are the same as in major pentatonic. The only difference is that the tonic of the scale in major pentatonic is different from that of minor pentatonic.

Let’s take an example:The C-major pentatonic scale is C - D - E - G - A - C and it will become an A-minor pentatonic scale which will be A - C - D - E - G - A. All you had to do was select the note ‘A’ as the tonic note. Let’s take a look some of the minor pentatonic scales as mentioned in the Circle of fifths.

# C minor pentatonic scale C - Eb - F - G - Bb - C

# G minor pentatonic scale G - Bb - C - D - F - G

# D minor pentatonic scale (Down - Up - Top) D - F - G - A - C - D

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Published by Zack R. on 04 Jun 2008

How To Play Blues Guitar Fingerstyle Like Eric Clapton

by Zack R.

There are many different types of guitar fingerstyles for rock and different for blues and this technique can be best learnt on an acoustic guitar. Mastering diverse fingerstyles will assist you to effectively render blues music and backing tracks.

When you are playing your guitar, the technique by which you strum the strings or pick your guitar strings without using a pick is called a fingerstyle. Fingerstyle has been in use for quite a long time in jazz, blues, rock and is even used for blues backing tracks. There are some greats of the world of music like Mark Knoprfler, Jeff Beck and Chat Atkins who do it very well. Some of the blues guitarists who do the fingerstyle better than anyone else include John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Otis Rush and Albert King among others. Learning the fingerstyle will definitely make things easier for you especially when you are trying out blues backing tracks.

In a nutshell, this technique is all about how well you are able to use your bare fingers. You can use blues fingerstyle on both the acoustic blues and electric blues but they should have nylon or steel strings. Using the fingerstyle gives blues players a definite edge. Most of the blues guitarists of the Delta style used extensive blues backing tracks reinforced by fingerstyles.

You may have heard the word fingerpicking more than finger style and mind you - both the words sound similar but mean different. Fingerpicking in blues is more focused on specific picking patterns that have been derived from certain chords and are always played in a style quite similar to arpeggio. For example: The song Layla by Eric Clapton is fingerstyle but the song Never goin back again by Fleetwood Mac is fingerpicking.

Types of Blues Fingerstyles

There are different types of blues fingerstyle techniques that you can learn as you progress up the ladder and of course if you want to play blues backing tracks. The most common way to use fingerstyle in blues backing tracks is by using the classical guitar style. In the classical guitar style, you have to use your thumb for playing the 3 bass strings, and use the index, and middle finger for playing the melody strings.

There are three distinctive style of blues fingerstyle guitar and each have a different effect in blues backing tracks. They are:

1.Using the thumb: The thumb fingerstyle mostly requires down-strokes. It will provide you with a hard style, hard sound, and a great tone but you will not be able to play fast. This is considered a beginners style and will provide you with a feeling of the guitar and the strings and create the base for blues backing tracks.

2.Index finger and thumb: In this technique you need to simulate playing with a pick except you will be using your fingers instead of the pick. The thumb will help in down-strokes while the index finger will be used for up-strokes.

The thumb, index and middle finger: In this technique you will have a definite advantage over the other two techniques and can play blues backing tracks with ease and speed. The middle finger and the index finger will be used for alternate picking.

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Published by Davion W on 04 Jun 2008

Do You Want To Download Transformers The Movie? Here’s How!

by Davion W

There had already been a lot of raving reviews about Transformers the Movie because of its amazing audio and visual effects, among others. If you missed seeing it when was shown in theatres around the globe, you can still watch the full length movie in DVd or download Transformers the Movie from the internet.

Hesitant to download Transformers the Movie because of the spyware and adware and all the other viruses? Don’t be. Just choose a legitimate site to download the movie files from, so you can be sure that your system stays clean.

Before you begin to download Transformers the Movie, there are several things you need to have. First and foremost is the obvious — you will need a computer, preferably with a large amount of space, because movie files usually have large space requirements.

Further, you have an internet connection, be it DSL, Broadband, or dial-up. You can download Transformers the Movie by using either way, however, if you want to save time, using high-speed internet connection is best.

Once you already have an internet connection, you can now sign up in any of the legitimate downloading sites in the World Wide Web, by paying the corresponding fee. You may be required to pay an annual fee or a monthly fee, or per-download fee. However, if you search the net for more sources, you may stumble upon a site that will require you to pay only once and then you get to download as many movies as you want. This will really save you a lot of money.

An important thing to consider before you download Transformers the Movie is that the site must not only be legitimate, it has to be of good quality as well. Good quality sites often have an efficient technical support system, a secured payment system, and high quality and updated movie files.

If you try to make a thorough research of downloading sites, you will come across quite a lot of them offering downloading services for free. Rather than be excited about these free sites, those who have been around the internet business will tell you to stay away from them. These free sites will only spell trouble for you because they usually do not have a secure payment system and they also lack technical support, and if there’s something they have that legitimate sites do not have, it’s malware.

Why not hop over to my entertainment blog to download Transformers the movie safely and instantly?

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Published by Michael Dale on 03 Jun 2008

Learn How To Draw By Looking More Carefully

by Michael Dale

When somebody says they can’t draw… Is it true?

The fact is that people draw every day… they just don’t know they are drawing.

The basic function of drawing is to make marks onto a surface to communicate ideas and information. Making marks is usually done with pictures and writing.

“You can draw if you can write”

The same skills are used in writing and drawing.

You don’t think about what you are doing when you write…

* You are forming lines

* You are drawing circles

* You are creating curves

Writing comes naturally to you. Because you were taught to write at school the skills of writing become instinctive.

The same skills are used for drawing that you use when you write…

* You can use a series of lines to draw a house

* You use a combination of curves to draw a face

If you take time and are willing to put in the effort, you can learn to draw… there is nothing to stop you improving your drawing skills.

Here’s a challenge… Take a pen or pencil and draw a cat or a dog. If you aren’t used to drawing the result will disappoint you. Your drawing might not look anything like a cat or a dog.

This is no great surprise to you. You already know that you can’t draw.

The surprise might be to learn that many artists would also fail to get an exact likeness.

The real challenge when you draw is to sharpen your observation skills.

Take a closer look at a cat and dog. Look at the head…

* See the shape of the head

* See how the ears are placed on top

* See the eyes

* Look at the nose

Very soon you will see a clearer picture in your mind…

“Now, draw your dog or cat once more and you will see a vast improvement”

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Published by Sara Smith on 03 Jun 2008

Hot Flower And Butterfly Tattoo Ideas

by Sara Smith

Have you been looking for months for a great tattoo design? Often it can be difficult to find the exact design that you want. If you have been looking for a delicate and cute tattoo for a female then you might want to consider a flower butterfly tattoo. These of course can go separately or together either way flowers and butterflies make for great subjects for female tattoos.

Why They Are Great Flower and butterfly tattoos are great for a variety of reasons. One the design is very flexible and can be tattooed onto a number of different places on the body. Of course you can go with a lower back design or even a full back design. They look great as upper back, legs, thighs, stomach and even hip tattoos. They are very easy to size and shape to fit the shape of a female’s body perfectly and most of all they are very colorful. These hot looking tattoos can be done in just about any color you want. There is also a lot of great symbolism behind the butterfly and the transformation it goes through. You can also pull some symbolism into the tattoo by the flower that you choose.

Where To Get That Tattoo - These tattoo look great in a variety of places on your body. Of course there is the lower back tattoo design that many women are getting these days. However, if you want something a little more unique or original you can go with a full back or even an upper back design. These tattoos can easily be sized down to fit on the top of a foot, place on an ankle or wrist tattoo design and even work great on the hip and thigh. Whatever location you choose the tattoo can easily be designed to fit well.

How Much Will It Cost - These tattoos as with any tattoos can vary a great deal in their cost. For example a small tattoo design might be only $50 bucks but a larger tattoo design can go all the way up to $500 easily. The size is often a big part of the price. The larger the size the more expensive the tattoo will cost since it will take more work to get inked and even designed. However, you don’t exactly want to be out bargin shopping for a tattoo since it will be with you for the rest of your life Spend some time trying to find a tattoo artist that will work with your ideas and listen to what you want.

Once you have chosen to get a flower and butterfly tattoo then you will want to next find the design or find a tattoo artist to create a design for you. When selecting a tattoo artist make sure you find someone who will listen to your ideas and take them into consideration. Remember to have fun and enjoy the process and don’t rush to try and get the tattoo done. It will take time but in the end you will be much happier.

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