Blues Guitar Chords & Progression - BB King Style

By Zack R.

Learning how to play and improvise with a great blues backing tracks is not as easy as it might seem to a beginner but the one good thing is that focused learning and practicing with a great blues backing track will help a lot in understanding blues chords and progression.

Using blues backing tracks is an important aspect of playing blues lead guitar. Blues is considered to be one of the origins of jazz music and you will find some influence of blues even in contemporary jazz. Most of the blues music and the ones used in common blues backing tracks are pentatonic scales and the mixolydian scales. These scales can be used in rock too and hence the ones used for blues are enhanced with the blues notes. If you understand the basic of the blue notes then you will be able to improvise over blues backing tracks with ease. Basically, blue notes use a drop in the pitch of the 3rd, 5th and 7th of the major scale. If you hear a professional talk about a blues scale then what they really mean is the pentatonic minor scale with a blue note like b5.

There are many people who jam to blues backing tracks in the C key and the chords used could be C, C7, G7, and F7. If th tracks are meant for a solo then the Am pentatonic scale will be quite useful and perfect to a certain degree. Some of the other options of blues backing tracks include C-minor pentatonic comprising of the c-blues scale and c-major and Bb major scales in Dorian mode.

Blues Chords and Progression

Here are some characteristics of the blues chords and progression, which will definitely help you to play blues backing tracks effectively:

Most of the blues chord progressions are in a 12 bar form. Apart from this, you will also find 14, 16, 24 or even higher number of bar forms for blues. The tonic chord in blues progression is basically the dominant 7th chord. The blues music has been predominantly defined not only as music that focuses on chord changes as well as scales but also on feeling. There are 3 basic chords in blues and they are all dominant 7th chords.

A few of the blues backing tracks improvisation techniques include:

Using hammer-on or even a slide right from b3 to natural 3 Mixing the Mixolydian scale with the dominant blues scale

Mixing scales is probably the best way of enhancing blues backing tracks techniques

Blues Tabs

In the first part, you need to use the C Mixolydian scale with a natural 3. In the second half of the 2nd bar, you need to use the C-minor pentatonic scale using a flat 3. If you really want to pursue blues guitar techniques then the best place to learn is by listening to recording of blues guitarists or legends like Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. You can also listen to some of the compositions of famous jazz guitarists like Kenny Burrell and George Benson.

About the Author:

Are you a blues musician? Get over 50 blues backing tracks for guitar, harmonica or harp at 50 Blues Studios. Take your blues guitar music to greater heights by jamming with a professional blues band at your own time and speed.

Choosing A Guitar That Suits You Best!

By Zack Roberts

When it comes to choosing the right guitar for you, the most important point to keep in mind is what kind of music are you looking at playing?

Rock or Blues Guitar Music

If you are looking at playing rock or blues music, the best guitar to go for is an Electric guitar. The key here is to start small and grow big. I have seen so many people go out and buy the most expensive equipment before they can play anything. You may have your heart set on getting big names like a new Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Stratocaster, but the prices are pretty steep.

When choosing your first electric guitar, the best thing to go for is a copy of an original i.e. Plywood. The sound between an original Solid Wood compare to Plywood is a lot better, however plywood is much cheaper. My suggestion is to go for small brands like Legend, Onyx or Orion for now. Once you have mastered the basics, then it is the time to upgrade.

Second hand guitars are another option to go for. There are some great deals going in the local papers. When looking for a guitar, make sure you plug it in and try it out. Grab the strap if need be and put the guitar around your neck. Get every possible bit of information you can before making a decision.

Tips: Keep in mind that when you go for an electric guitar, you will also need an amplifier. There are some great deals going whereby you can choose guitar, amplifier and lead in one package. One final tip is when choosing your guitar; REMEMBER to plug it into an amplifier similar to what you are buying. There is no use testing your guitar through the most expensive amplifier in the shop. It will not sound the same when you play through your own amplifier at home. Choosing the right amplifier is important; therefore it is covered in the next lesson.

Classical Acoustic Music.

The best guitar to go for if you are looking at playing Classic Acoustic music is either Spanish Classic Acoustic Guitar or Steel String Acoustic.

Spanish Classic Acoustic Guitars are extremely light and having nylon strings which are very soft on your fingers. They come in a range of different sizes even very small size for young kids. Spanish Classic Acoustic guitars are also a lot cheaper and easier to maintain than Steel String Acoustic Guitar.

Steel String Acoustic Guitars are a little more expensive compare to Spanish guitars. Again, with acoustic guitars, there is no need to go for big brands when you are first starting out. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable playing it. Also, make sure your fingers fit around the guitar neck and it is not too big for you to play. It depends on you as to whether you want to pickups or not. But remember to test it first before you buy.

There are many possibilities when comes to choosing a guitar. Whether you decide to choose an electric or an acoustic, the fundamentals are the same.

Ask yourself. What style of music are you looking at playing? Classical Acoustic music or Rock music? How keen are you when comes to playing the guitar? How serious are you? What is your budget? Are you looking at getting the best equipment from the beginning or looking at starting small and then upgrading gradually? It is a little difficult to tell at this stage, so your best bet is to keep expenses low and your music education high. Choose a guitar that fits you, suits you, and makes you look good!

About the Author:

Are you a blues musician? Get over 50 blues backing tracks for guitar, harmonica or harp at 50 Blues Studios. Listen free samples of guitar backing tracks and start jamming right now. Visit 50 Blues today - Your #1 Blues Guitarist Resource.

Guitar Lessons On The Slowhand Blues - The Blues Scales

By Zack R.

The slowhand blues is the most prominent technique that makes blues music what it is today. Mastering the slowhand blues will demand time, effort and focus and above all in-depth comprehension of the different blues scales and the blues notes.

Defining blues is not the simplest of things and playing it iwell s a completely different ball game. There are plenty of great blues players and guitarists in the blues hall of fame to learn from. The fact of the matter is that if you are able to master slowhand blues then who knows you might be able to create a great blues record that will take you to the hall of fame too! But then that's just a thought right now. The main focus should be on mastering the blues scale and creating a blues backing track so that you can practice soloing using that.

When we talk about blues, you need to first learn to differentiate between different guitar techniques. You may be able to do impossibly fast runs or stretch your fingers far on the fretboard to play multiple notes but that's not what blues is all about. There is a degree of emotion and feeling that comes with the blues scale and has been well rendered by the likes of BB King, Albert King and Eric Clapton. Eric Clapton is one of the greats who is so versatile that he can play almost all the guitar styles including acoustic or unplugged, electric, slide, fingerpicking, open tunings, among many others but his real root lies in playing slowhand blues.

Starting with Slowhand Blues

Where do you actually begin from particularly for dominating the slowhand blues? Tough question really but it depends on quite a few elements like individual influences, the specific key, finger size and special patterns that also called boxes. Each box has the notes of an octave in an arrangement that will be simple to play. Once you are comfortable with the boxes, it will help you to play along with some blues backing track. The boxes or patterns mostly highlight the places where you can bend an important note with your index finger. One of the best ways of mastering the slowhand blues is by spending more time in exploring different positions that will help you to play your strings better. Here is an example of a slowhand Blues scale: The A Blues note

I---8---10--I I---8---10--I I-7-8-9-----I I-----------I I-----------I I-----------I

The E minor Blues scale will look like the following:

I-------------------------0-3-I I---------------------0-3-----I I---------------0-2-3---------I I-----------0-2---------------I I-----0-1-2-------------------I I-0-3-------------------------I

The E minor pentatonic scale will be like:

I-------------------------------------12-15-I I-------------------------------12-15-------I I----------------------12-14-15-------------I I----------------12-14----------------------I I-------12-13-14----------------------------I I-12-15-------------------------------------I

A I-----0-2-----------------I E I-0-3---------------------I

You will have to start with an open E-string and when you reach the D-string, go onto the 2nd fret, which is also an E. You need to play both the notes simultaneously so that you can hear it. To make it easier, download some of the blues backing track for the same and practice with it. One more important thing: Never download any midis of blues backing track as it will not help you to understand the scales and the changes.

About the Author:

Do you love the blues? Want over 50 electric blues guitar backing tracks? Visit 50Blues and start jamming now! Don't have a band? You got one now with 50 Blues. These backing tracks are great for acoustic blues guitar too.

Dumbo, Disney's 4th Animated Feature

By Steve Collins

In 1941, Walt Disney distributed his fourth animated feature, Dumbo. Based on the children's book of the same name, written by Helen Aberson and drawn by Harold Perl, Dumbo follows the adventures of Jumbo, Jr., a baby elephant. Because of his unnaturally large ears, which give him the power to fly, Jumbo, Jr. is nicknamed "Dumbo." His only friend, other than his mother, is Timothy the mouse.

When Disney submitted his first cut of Dumbo to RKO, their distributor at the time, the studio was alarmed to find the running time was only 64 minutes. George J. Schaefer, the president of RKO, requested Disney either edit the feature down to a short film or beef it up to 70 minutes. Disney refused, and insisted Dumbo be released as an A picture, in the maximum number of theaters nation-wide. Schaefer reluctantly agreed.

It cost Disney only $813,000 to complete Dumbo, which was roughly half the cost of Snow White and a third of the cost of Pinocchio. Along with Snow White, it would be one of the only two feature to turn a profit for Disney during the 1940s. Its original release, in 1941, went on to gross $1.3 million - a monumental success at the time. Indeed, according to Wikipedia, Dumbo was supposed to grace the December cover of Time magazine, only to be dropped at the last minute to cover the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Indeed, the Second World War would nearly break Disney's young studio as they were quickly recruited by the United States government to animate a number of training and propaganda cartoons for the Armed Forces.

Dumbo garnered the nomination for and subsequently won the 1941 Academy Awards for Original Music Score. It was also nominated for Best Song for Frank Churchill and Ned Washington's "Baby Mine" and won the 1947 Cannes Film Festival award for Best Animation Design. The popularity of the movie was capitalized on again during the 1949 re-release, making a tremendous profit for both RKO and Disney.

Dumbo was one of the first features to be aired on television as part of Disney's anthology series, solidifying its popularity for an entire new generation of American viewers. In 1981, it was the first Disney film to be released on VHS. In 2006, the 60th Anniversary Special Edition was released to wide acclaim, while a special edition "Big Top Edition" was released on DVD.

About the Author:

Steve Collins is an Author and Journalist based in Encino. A huge Disney fan, he uses Disney Movie Club to complete his collection. Read his reviews of the movies he buys at the Disney Movie Club

5 Greatest Quotes For Becoming A Better Guitar Musician

By Zack Roberts

1) "Don't Just Copy The Licks, Use The Concept." -Roger Mckinley

Again, Roger-Roger would carry a lick, say a Pat Martino phrase, and upon memorising it, amplify it, play them from all possible diatonic step, in whatever position, change the modes, etc. Do you like the way Albert Collins holds and sustains the fifth and accompanies it with a cascading flurry of descending notes? Try learning it, practising it, then re-write it from the flatted third, or the fourth or seventh. This is a good practice. Begin in a position you've never actually played in before, or in the major pentatonic, or applying open strings or associate it to the one starting on the fifth up an octave. Incidentally, Roger also schooled me to "..connect, connect, connect"

2) "Master All The Tempos"-Phineas Newborn, Jr. This piece of advice from the distinguished jazz pianist always stuck with me. I believe this is genuinely a central to dominating music. Let's say my intention is to master playing at rapid tempos. I work for 3 weeks on a tune at 152mm. I'm starting to get it. One night I go to a nightspot and discover some players playing a fast jam. Wow! What tempo is that? I haven't got my metronome with me but the melodic phrase and tempo I can't get out of my head. I get home and discover that the tune is somewhere in the neighborhood of 176mm to 184mm. Well, that's a whole new glob of wax! It calls for a completely new approach. I ain't gonna be able to pull off all those ingenious sixteenth note runs, (maybe a couple of them..) let's see, it's back to the drawing board. And so, I get down to get the hang off that tempo, and the peculiar expressive style of phrasing it would require to sound genuinely good.- Or, I have gotten pretty adept at a "quick" slow blues at 63mm. But I hear somebody just kill at a super slow 40mm. It's a completely new world! I've got my work cut out for me. This tip truly keeps one expanding and developing, and out of those same old ruts! Master time and you can rule the world!

3) "Free Your Right Hand"

I didn't make this one up, I just never heard it said. It's like a well-kept mystery that I had to discover the challenging way. I'm astounded when, as a instructor, a new student will tell me that his previous teacher had told him to always anchor his right hand. On a superficial level this creates a safe way to find the proper strings easily. I force the student to play with the right hand free and begin alternating the pick direction cooccurring with the down or upbeat. This is commonly met with opposition and creates confusion. I even had a student after one lesson go to a gig and as he tried this advice out on the stage, he wound up cussing me and of course went back to anchoring his right hand after the first set. I personally enjoy this method because you begin to genuinely use the guitar percussively, as a drummer would play the drums. The term "attack" gains a whole new meaning. As one masters the free right hand, one compensates for string noise by muffling unpicked strings with the left hand, or just by learning to be deadly precise. Combined or alternating lead and rhythm, can be brought up to a completely raw art form, not to mention while sustaining a note, one can reach for a beer, cigarette, or hand signal the girl in the 3rd row. (All habits I have given up, by the way.) Pete Townsend at one time said "Don't allow your technique get in the way of your stage show." How else to do those "windmills", simply with a free right hand?

4) "Emotion, First" -my acting coach, Joe Palese

When I was studying acting, many of us would arrive at the beginners mistake of memorising our lines first then tacking on the emotion after the fact. This makes for bad acting! We were adjusted and trained to try the much more dangerous (and messy!) approach of creating genuine and honest emotion in the context of the character reference and the scene we were playing, and then learn the lines in an wholesome fashion, always connecting to the emotion. This made for acting that was genuinely motivating. It is the equivalent for playing guitar and improvisation. How many times have we practiced a lick again and again, pull it off flawlessly at a gig or public setting, and have the feel that folks are not that impressed? Or, do the reverse- you are watching someone else, and although you are impressed, something is lacking and you're not sure what? This goes perfectly with the "Free Your Right Hand" tip. This is where we go first, or at any rate in the process, arrive at a priority. This is where we develop feel, color, audio, nuance, individual articulation like characters, speed that really backpacks a wallop, melody, domination of phrasing that comes in the circumstance of emotional communication. This also involves intimacy, and true self-expression, exposing ones self. Giving all that one has, as contrary to the ego trip or impressing others. This is the stock in trade of the true artist. Clapton, Wes Montgomery, Duane Allman, Bill Evans, and Miles Davis come to mind.

5) "If You Want To Be a Better Musician, Become a Better Person."-John Coltrane

O.K., so what does that mean? Perhaps it entails tell the truth, be real and authentic. Be happy..contribute to other people and the worldbe faithful yourself, be genuine to your ideals and valuesbe caring, be loving. Be a leader and learn to communicate effectively. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be a teacher. Do things as they should be done. Do all of the work. Do what you said you would. Be gracious. Make and nurture human relationships. Forgive. Make the world a better place. It really is a good deal easier than being a dork. It gives you power.

About the Author:

Are you a blues musician? Get over 50 blues backing tracks for guitar, harmonica or harp at 50 Blues

Starting your Career in Fashion Photography

By Dan Feildman

In today's world we are saturated with images. All around us there are images of thin women dressed in the latest fashion. They are on TV, in magazines and all over the internet. But who brings these images to us? Who captures these photographs that command our attention, these photographs that exude style and character while highlighting the clothing to enhance its elegance? These people spend years practising the art of capturing light and colour perfectly with a camera. They spend years studying composition to make their images achieve the most impact. These people are fashion photographers.

Photographers like Mario Testino are just as celebrated as models and designers in the realm of fashion. They present high-fashion to the public and have the responsibility of representing it in its best light.

The extravagant lifestyle of socialiseing with the rich and famous is the aspiration of many who ecome into this business. But the truth is that this is a bleak field to work in if you don't have complete conviction in what you are doing. This must be your passion, as the path to success will try you without mercy. For every success there are hundreds of failures who never get a glimpse of the fame and money they strive for.

To get started in this competitive field you must obsessively study your craft. You can never stop learning, so keep absorbing everything you find, especially in fashion magazines. There are fantastic resources on the internet. You can find books on the subject at Amazon.com. The basic equipment you will need to start out is a good camera, some standard lighting equipment and a tripod. On any shoot, make sure you have extra film so you don't have to interrupt your flow. Research the different types of cameras and the unique looks they produce, as your choice of camera will affect the look of your work.

Having a great portfolio to show off your work is vital to success. Have at least 20 photos in it to give you room to show off your skill in producing a range of styles. Developing photographs in the 4x5" format is the best way to display your work. If your work is in a publication, use that as well. If you are having trouble getting any of these, a good quality 8x10" will suffice. Make sure you show your ability to take photographs of different aspects of the human figure. A full figure photo with character will take you a long way.

When you apply for a job, you can expect to leave your portfolio there for a few weeks, so make sure you make copies of your portfolio so you don't have to be idle while hearing back from employers. For a different look try taking partial body shots, for instance photographing watches on wrists. They make a great contrast to the rest of your work.

The internet is becoming a useful portal to display your work. Set up your own website with your portfolio online, and submit your photographs to online competitions. This will help get your work seen and a well-presented webpage can bring in a lot of clients.

What fashion editors are really looking for is a unique character in your photographs. Every photographer captures different images. It is a good idea to learn about your art to improve your technical skills. This will give you greater freedom to express your vision.To succeed at this, you must be persistent, so don't give up if this is your dream and never stop learning.

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Photoshop Basics -

By David Peters

A friend of mine had been saving up for some time to buy the legendary Photoshop. The editing software of choice by graphic designers, soulless tabloid journalists and artists around the world, he knew he was making a great choice. He imagined his life would be complete when he bought Photoshop. Life would be breezy, he would glide around his laptop making outstanding images whenever he wanted. But when he eventually bought the Photoshop package, he was completely lost.

You shouldn't have to go through this tragedy. You deserve better. Photoshop may be expensive, but anyone who knows how to properly use it will tell you it's worth every cent. Like anything else you will have to make mistakes and learn by yourself, exploring the interface of the software. One way to help is to go to 'Preferences'. Here you can improve the performance of your Photoshop.

Here is some advice to get you started. Search for the 'History Log' on the screen. This is where you can save your progress while you edit your image. The are a number of options to personalise your session. For example select 'Sessions Only' to make the log remember the time and dat that you start each session. Choose 'Concise' to recall more information about your work. And you can pick 'Detailed' for the most information, recording details about every edit you do to the image.

If you go to preferences you can change the algorithm options to improve the performance of your software. The color is decided by the color picker. Windows and Adobe are the most common choices. Resizing an image is done by the 'Image Interpolation' algorithm. Th majority of people select 'Bicubic Interpolation'.

The best way to learn about your new Photoshop tool is to explore! Read what you can find about the use of Photoshop and use tutorials. Play and practice ... you will soon learn the basics and eventually you will master the creation of amazing graphics and photos!

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Did you like this article? Curious about learning photoshop fast? Well now you can by reading this free Guide...what are you waiting for?

Maintaining Sharpness When Resizing Images

By David Peters

If you want to resize a large photo you have to take the correct precautions to prevent losing too much resolution. Making an image smaller can make it appear blurry if you don't do it right. This can make the picture less clear than it should be.

Fortunately Adobe Photoshop has the ability to fix this issue with its advanced editing tools.

To perform this function you must own at least the CS version of Photoshop. If you don't have this version, you may want to get it as it has far advanced features. Buying the software will get rid of the limitations you may have when editing your pictures.

To reduce the size of an image go to Image> Image Size. Select Resample Image and then select Bicubic Sharper from the menu. This is the optimal setting for reducing the blurring of the image when you resize it.

When you want to make an image larger, select Bicubic Smoother.

This tool is so useful for resizing that you may want to select it as the default so that it is automatically selected when you start your Adobe Photoshop up. To do this go to Preferences> General where you can select Image Interpolation. Here you just choose Bicubic Sharper from among the selection and it should be set as your new default.

It is important not to perform multiple resizing on an image. To experiment with image size, use a copy of the original image as many resizings will reduce the resolution of the image more than is needed. Use the copy to find out what size you want then use the dimensions on the original to keep resizing to a minimum on the image you will finally use.

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Digital Photography: Earning Money With Weddings

By Dan Feildman

Weddings are great photo opportunities. It's a day that everyone wants to remember and happy couples often need a reliable, professional service to capture their wedding perfectly for them to remember for the rest of their lives. Investing in relationships with wedding planners is a great way to gain access to this profitable business. The wedding planner will refer you to couples who will be more likely to hire you based on the wedding planner's advice.

Successful wedding planners only work with proven professional photographers with experience as a wedding planner's reputation is extremely important. They will never recommend an unknown service to their clients. So your first job is to get known. You will have to create an impressive portfolio and a few testimonials from satisfied customers.

If you have neither a portfolio or testimonials, offer to work for testimonials. Weddings are expensive and you may be able to get work by working for free. A strange concept, but it will pay off in the end. Make sure you keep the copyright on your photos so you can use them in your portfolio. And remember most importantly to take great pictures! Your future career depends on it. Your first job will often come through your family or friends. Once you have a portfolio and some testimonials, you can look for work elsewhere. Browse the local papers for wedding announcements to look for clients.

You might also offer your services for photographing related wedding events, such as bridal showers, the bachelor party, the rehearsal dinner or the gift opening event the morning after. Other marketing suggestions include contacting florists, limousine rental services, wedding chapels, tuxedo rental services, boutiques selling wedding wear, bakeries specializing in wedding cakes, and so on. Ask about leaving your pamphlets or brochures where customers can see them, or make an arrangement for a referral fee.

Offering to photograph other events that go with the wedding such as the bachelor party or the bridal showers can offer value to the customer. Essentially you want to look at your competition and see how you can offer more value to them. If you are starting out you may not have the experience, but instead you will offer your time and effort to make sure what you produce satisfies the happy couple. As you gain more business, you should look into marketing strategies. Although word of mouth is the best recommendation, try to spread the word about your business by contacting tuxedo rental services or wedding boutiques and asking if you can leave your pamphlets there. You can even look into arranging a referral fee to motivate your associates to send you more business.

Being inventive and creative in the way you approach business goes along way in wedding photography. For example try working with a local artist to produce scrapbooks for your customers. You will offer a completely unique work of art to hold your clients happy memories. As a final tip, make sure to please the bride. Make her happy, and your job will be a lot more enjoyable.

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The Adobe Photoshop Story

By David Peters

The effects you can achieve today with editing software are beyond what professional photographers years ago thought possible. Now is a time when there are no limitations on editing images- everything is possible and creativity is the only requirement to make outstanding pictures. There are thousands of programs that help us improve the photographs we take, but none have the respect of the professional and amateur community as Adobe Photoshop. The software is so closely linked with altering images that the term 'to Photoshop' has come to mean 'to enhance pictures'.

Do you want a picture of you, your family and a giraffe all dancing on the surface of Pluto? With Photoshop, anything you want is possible. With practice, you can make the vision of your wildest imagination come true. Effects that took large budgets and studios to create are now easy to produce with the click of a button.

One thing that Photoshop is closely associated with is isolating aspects of the image you don't want and removing them. This can be used to improve physical features, such as smoothing out damaged skin or covering up body piercings, and can even be used to remove whole objects from the image that detract from the photograph like a distracting person in the background. With Photoshop it is unlikely that you will be able to tell that any alteration has been done to the picture, as the software is so complex.

Photoshop is the industry standard for photography editing. This means that it is essential to learn how to use this application, but don't worry if you think it will be difficult. Like all good programs, it is easy to use and hard to master. The interface is accessible to the user, so that starting out is not complicated. If you feel you need help, ask any college students you know to teach you as they will probably be familiar with Photoshop.

The birth of Photoshop was in 1989 by the Knoll brothers. The software was being developed for their own use at the time, but the sophistication of the software made it clear that there was a market for Photoshop. They soon founded Adobe and began selling the program in 1990.

The success of Adobe is an outstanding example of the power of the internet. Software designed by Adobe is on nearly every computer in the world, as its free PDF reader has had such widespread popularity. The Adobe Reader is the standard PDF reader, just as Adobe Photoshop is the standard photo editor and is proof of Adobe's unique dominance of media-related software.

To become a master of Photoshop, you should find a copy that you can try things out with. Someone you know probably has it on their computer, so use their copy to try things out and get used to how Photoshop works. If your friend knows how to use the program, let them impress you with how powerful Photoshop can be. After that, you'll be hooked on Photoshop forever.

Downloading a copy for your own use will make it easier to practise using Photoshop. You can get a free trial version, but it will have limited features. The best thing to do is to buy a full version from Adobe as then you don't have to worry anymore and can concentrate on learning how to use the product. Photoshop is used so much, that it makes sense buying a copy. Once you own a copy, you may find that you spend hours experimenting and exploring the features. While this is a great way to get used to the features, specific learning in a Photoshop class can improve your learning curve and make you understand Photoshop faster.

When the time comes that you have mastered Photoshop, the only thing limiting what you can do will be your own creativity. You will have a powerful tool at your hands that can create any image you want, so now you can apply this to personal or business projects and be confident that you can pull anything off.

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How To Play Blues Guitar Fingerstyle Like Eric Clapton

By Zack R.

There are different types of fingerstyles for rock and different for blues and this technique can be best learnt on an acoustic guitar. Learning different fingerstyles will help you to effectively render blues 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. Blues Fingerstyle has been in use for quite a long time in jazz, blues, rock and is even used for improvisation over blues backing tracks. There are some greats of the world of blues music like Mark Knoprfler, Jeff Beck and Chat Atkins who do it very well. Some of the blues guitar players who do the fingerstyle better than anyone else include John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Otis Rush and Albert King among others. Learning the fingerstyle method of blues playing will definitely make things easier for you especially when you are jamming and playing over blues guitar 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.

Different Blues Fingerstyles

There are different kinds of blues fingerstyle techniques that you can acquire as you advance up the ladder and of course if you want to play great blues music with 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've to use your thumb for playing the 3 bass strings, and use the index, and middle finger for playing the melody strings.

There are 3 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 calls for down-strokes. It will provide you with a hard expressive 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 method you will have a clear advantage over the other two techniques and can play great blues guitar with ease and speed. The middle finger and the index finger will be used for alternate picking.

About the Author:

Do you want to improve your blues guitar solo? Visit 50 Blues to jam with a full professional band with blues guitar backing tracks. Find out what are the top 100 greatest blues guitar licks of all time.

Online Art Gallery - An Aspiring Artist's Lifeline

By Kathy Austin

Showcasing his cherished work of art, either a painting or a sculpture, was an uphill task for an aspiring artist. Traditional art galleries simply will not let him even put his foot in let alone display his art. The people who patronized these galleries were the genteel ones, and almost always admission was by invitation. An artist's road to glory and recognition was an uphill task and a pretty steep one at that. Recognition came late to many, sometimes just too late.

Art Galleries were patronized by the rich and the famous for only they could afford the wares of these galleries. "Terra Firma" Art galleries were and are practically the exclusive place for the exhibition of the paintings and the sculptures of famous artists and sculptors. Only under extremely extraneous circumstances could an aspiring manage to get his foot in.

With the advent of the Internet, this scenario has undergone such a transformation that it is now possible for a budding artist to have his or her work of art exposed to the entire world. It is the best medium for a talented artist to take advantage of. A medium from which the artist can showcase his or her creativity all over the world.

Once the online art gallery came into existence, the seemingly bleak future of many an artist considerably brightened up. The artist did not have to run from pillar to post to get to display his works. With a basic working knowledge of computers, an artist could create a digital portfolio of his works, up load them to a web site and - Lo and Behold! - it was there for the whole world to look at and sometimes wonder. Even traditional galleries had an online gallery of their own. An online art gallery has a number of advantages:

An aspiring artist can use the Internet to display his wares. He can create his own web site and put on show all of his creations. Being his own web, site he has total control over it and it is left to his whims and fancies as to what he wants to exhibit and what he does not want to. But this will involve either building the web site himself, provided he has the technical know how to do it or getting a professional web designer to build one for him to his requirements. An initial investment of some sort is essentially required.

Another option would be to join one of the many Online Art Galleries. There are a number of online sites; some offer their services free of charge but with limited options like keeping a work of art for only a limited period of time on the particular site. Others offer premium services for a fee, the quantum of the fee depending on the range of services offered and those accepted. The fee charged might be as low as a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. The beauty of this is that the artist need not be well known, have a patron or be a genius. And anyone can see it.

An Online Art Gallery permits the addition and deletion of paintings, a statement from the artist, details of the artist and his other works and contact details. Some of these galleries even handle the sale of an artist's painting and take a commission on the proceeds of the deal.

For those who have taken up art as a means of living, online art galleries are the best bet. In comparison to a traditional art gallery, an Online Art Gallery is more beneficial to an artist.

About the Author:

Kathy Austin is a writer for an online art gallery , Red Bubble. Red Bubble sells high-quality framed prints, mounted prints and more. You can sell art here.

Difficult Guitar Chords Simplified

By Zack Roberts

Many of the 7 chords and their extensions, 9,11,13 etc are seemingly very difficult to create with your fret hand. However, there are a few tricks that can help you create these beautiful chords without growing two more fingers.

Most jazz musicians use what are commonly referred to as "small chords" when playing. Jazz players do a lot of what is known as comping, the mixture of rhythm and bass runs; playing that requires quick changing of chords. Thus, playing the full voicing of chords is not always possible and actually, isnt always required.

We can get the essence of most chords with only four notes, as little as three if one is playing with a bass player. Before we look at the chord shapes, lets discuss playing technique.

When playing jazz rhythms, I do not use a pick. I use my thumb and four fingers on my pick hand instead. I can use them in unison when I want to play chords or I can use them separately when finger picking and playing a bass rhythm separately from the chords; comping. There are those players that can hold the pick between their thumb and index finger and use the remaining three fingers to play other notes.

The reason I bring this up will become apparent when we look at the chord voicings. The basis behind this technique is not playing all of the strings. Most of these voicings will require you to skip strings in the middle of the chord. Whatever method you develop to deal with this is up to you. Playing with just my fingers works wonderful for me. If you would like to develop the pick and finger technique, check out information on Bluegrass playing and flatpicking. You dont have to be interested in the genre of music, but the technique is well used in that musical style.

First we will look at the small style of the 7 chord shapes then move on to 6,9,11 and 13 chords. The nice thing about these chords is that they are movable up and down the neck. Thus, changing from a G7 to and A7 is just a matter of moving up two frets, much like barre chords. There really isnt too much more to talk about with these chord shapes. So, Ill just show you the shapes and you play them. Work with combining these shapes in progressions. If you have music around that you have been staying away from because these chords were too intimidating, pull out the music and start playing! I will show the shapes in either G or C dependant on the root string. Again, remember that these shapes are movable so just look at the bass note to get your chord name. Ill talk about different fingerings as we move through the lesson. However, I will offer fingerings in a traditional style and they will be shown as follows. First, the chord chart will indicate

G7 - Barre E,D and B strings with Index and fret G string with Ring.

Gmin7 - Barre E,D,G and B with Index.

First, the G7 and Gmin7. You can see how easily one could change from one to the other. Also, notice how the A string and the high E are not played, this is what I was mentioning above.

G7sus4 - Barre E,D and B with Index and fret G string with Ring.

GMaj7 - Barre E and B with Index, fret D with Middle and fret G with Ring.

The G7sus4 and the GMaj7. Again, only four notes per chord and easily movable.

Gmin/Maj7 - Barre E,G and B with Index and fret D with Ring.

G7b5 - E-Middle, D-Ring, G-Pinky and B-Index

Now were really getting into some jazzy chords. The G7b5 chord fingering can be tricky. I play in a style that is known as "thumbing the bass." Many guitarists have used this technique, Grant Green, Richie Havens and even Jimi Hendrix. However, the technique is stilled frowned upon by classically trained guitarists. The technique simply involves wrapping your thumb around the neck of the guitar enabling you to use your thumb to fret the bass notes. I can do this with bass notes on the E A and even D string when necessary. I have become very effective with the technique and my rhythm playing is respected in the circles in which I play. You can, however, simply fret the chords as barre chords or as four finger chords, as one would have to do with the G7b5. Work on different positions and find something that is comfortable and effective for you.

Gmin7b5 - E-Middle ,D-Ring ,G-Pinky and B-Index

GAug7 - Barre E and A with Index and barre G and B with Ring.

Again, were getting into some really jazzy sounding chords here. Try the different fingerings. The min7b5 will probably have to be played as a thumb bass or a four finger chord. The Aug7 could be played like a barre.

Gdim7 - E-Middle, D and B-Barre w/ Index and G-Ring

GMaj6 - E-Middle, D-Index, G-Pinky and B-Ring

Getting a little tricky here when it comes to fingering these chords. Also, we see our first new category, the Maj6 chord. This is where my technique of thumbing the bass really comes in handy (pun certainly intended)

Gmin6 - E-Middle, D-Index, G-Ring and B-Pinky

G13 - Barre E and D with Index, G-Middle and B-Ring

Okay, here are still more jazzy chords. The 13 chord is one of my favorites. This particular voicing of the 13 has the root, the b7, the 13 and the 3rd, just enough to make the chord sound like it should. The 5th can be added if desired, Ive indicated the 5th with *. Now, lets move on to some chords with roots on the A string.

C9 - A-Middle, D-Index, G-Ring and B-Pinky

Cb9 - Barre D and B with index, A-Middle, G-Ring

Okay, these 9 chords are fantastic for jazz and fusion. I find these have a great sound with some distortion or clean. One thing to point out, the Cb9 can be confusing. This is a C9 with a flat 9, not a Cb with a 9. As you know, Cb=B and is very rarely used. But, if this were shown as a Db9, then it could be confusing. Two ways composers will help with this. If it is shown as a Db9, you may assume it is a D9 with a flat 9. If the chord intended is a Db/C# 9, the composer will most likely call it a C#9 to avoid confusion. Also, if the chord intended is a Db9 with a flat 9, you will see either C#b9 or you may see Dbb9. You will come across these voicings once in a while and they can be confusing as you can see. Take the chords in context and the correct chord is usually quite apparent.

Cmin9 - A-Middle, D-Index, G-Ring and B-Pinky

CMaj9 - A-Middle, D-Index, G-Pinky and B-Ring

Okay, I think that is enough for now. We have 16 chords above that can be played with all 12 different roots, Thats 192 chords! Have fun with these

About the Author:

Z Roberts is the founder of 50 Blues Studios. If you want to master the blues guitar, you need to get access to professional blues guitar backing tracks at 50 Blues website. Visit 50 Blues today! - Your #1 Blues Guitarist Resource.

5 Greatest Guitar Playing Tips of All Time

By Zack Roberts

Here are the 5 greatest tips of all times made by famous people and how they can apply to guitar playing. I've heard and read these tips over the years and they have earned their weight in gold :

1) "What You Think, You Become." -Ghandi

I came across this quote in the book entitled "Fearless Creating", which is written by Eric Maisel . It emphasized the possibleness that the things we try to make all begin in our ideas, and imagination. I cast this quote on my wall, my notepad, my hand, everywhere for a number of years to remind myself to keep my purpose present in my mind, and it always assisted me to not give a whole lot of attention to uninvited negative thoughts and my automatic ones, such as..SEX!

2) "There is Always a Way" -Vinnie Colaiuta

I've read this in an interview with Vinnie in a friend's magazine some years back relating to drums. The entire gist of the article was that when he was faced with a abstract problem, or when he was trying to pick up something especially challenging, or new, he was of the mind that there was "always a way" to get it, be it an adjustment of posture, a new way of looking at the execution of it, a new way of playing the blues guitar instrument, something to change to accomplish what was previously believed to be "impossible". I always try to use this when moving up the food chain, trying to get to the succeeding level. It has resulted in some great results, if not necessarily technical prowess, certainly something creative and unique.

3) "Poor Artists Borrow, Great Artists Steal" -Picasso or Stravinsky

I have overheard that it was either one of these extraordinary artists who said this. Also a corrolary"To be a really good guitarist, you must copy the styles of other blues guitarists."-Frank Gambale.

Well, first what can we steal? Chord progressions, tempo, groove, melodic phrase, (backwards melody!) Expressive style, mental attitude. What is the difference between that and "borrowing"? I think the great artist turns his thievery into something entirely his own, perhaps by unabashedly admitting the theft and developing it into a whole new foundation. Think -The Beatles, Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Page, Clapton, Ornette Coleman, Elvis. Whereas the "borrower" is feigning to us that his original work has never before been heard and they have a contrived quality. This can be a very fine line.

Prior to ever reading the interview with Frank Gambale, saying that imitating styles was a invaluable tool, I was intrusted to some obscure concept of "being original". When I acquired the accuracy of that affirmation, I set about to work, and it has changed my life. I embraced the point of view that I was a student, and had a great deal to learn from those who preceded me, that music and its history was outside of myself, and was greater than I was. I am now a firm believer that both of these aspects expand one's growth to an immense degree. They give the player completely fresh languages to speak, and once you speak new languages, you will be able to create your personal great stories. Stories with depth and richness.

4) "The Impossible Can Be Accomplished Through Meditation and Concentration" -The Cup and Saucer Guy

I recall being kind of trapped on a plateau with my blues guitar playing at one point. I had achieved a good deal, but I didn't know how to really move ahead. I was watching a variety tv show on television one night. A man came on balancing one hundred cups and saucers. He did this for what appeared to be a very long time and then he allow them to all crash around him. As the audience applauded his effort, the host asked him how he had learned to do this. His answer was that through meditation, he was able to achieve the necessary concentration. I began my own meditation methods, first applying a easy technique of being still, which I had discovered in the pieces of writing of people like J. Krishnamurti, and Tara Singh. Nothing which requires years to master, but a simple way of continuing to quiet the mind, increasing concentration, focus, and listening, just being in a very calm and relaxed state, paying attention. I now carry this stillness and relaxation to all my guitar performances.

5) "The Three Month Rule" -Roger Mckinley

Roger Mckinley was a associate student at Berklee. Roger was also a very gifted rock and blues guitarist, who, when I first came across him, was imitating Pat Martino. Just 2 years later, had created his own explosive unique style. ( see tip#3!) He left the jaws of many around him agape (and he never seemed to be committing any effort into it!) I was surprised that he befriended lil' ol' me and was willing to jam with me. I understood and leanr so much from him on just a single jam session. One of the things he told me is that it takes a good 8 weeks to bring an element of originality into your playing. This has saved me a good deal of frustration, and tempered my natural impatience. I have come to a conclusion that no matter how much I practise something, it is usually the better part of 8 weeks before I actually can master it.

I hope you can use these practical and inspiration quote to bring your music and guitar playing to greater heights.

About the Author:

Zack R is the founder of 50 Blues. Do you want free blues guitar lessons? Visit

10 things that will make you take better photographs

By David Peters

1. Surf around the Web. Look at images at magazines, papers, on-line galleries and you'll find a wealth of ideas. Try the Gallery at shotaddict.com. Want more - go to flickr.com and look through tones of creative shots. Another useful source is VFXY, it displays recent posts from various photoblogs.

2. Enter online photography competitions. These can give you inspiration as they assign topics for your photos. The pressure can motivate you to shoot your best, and who knows, maybe you'll win a fantastic prize.

3. Watch Movies. It is another source of inspiration, as they are nothing more than still images shown to you at 29.97 frames a second. Lots of ideas for concepts, lighting, messages, or just plain pretty images.

4. Frame your photo with thought. Think about the composition of your photo. Shooting the same thing from a different angle will produce an entirely different photograph.

5. Composition is the key. Think about what you are doing. Frame your photo in your mind. Look for interesting angles and light, go high, go low. The key is to shoot the subject in as many different ways, under different lighting, and try to make those images interesting. So, don't just point and shoot, but consider composition.

6. Plan a trip to a local botanical garden or a zoo. Make sure to visit such places from time to time, - there are lots of things to shoot there.

7. Shoot boring things. Take a look around you in a whole new way. Make an effort to shoot things that you would never consider shooting. A bottle. A phone. A lamp. Anything, just shoot it in lots of different ways and see what comes out.

8. Explore the web. The internet is an amazing resource for visual inspiration. Type anything you can think of into the search engine and see what comes up. The internet gives you access to lots of amateur photographer's work, among them some hidden gems, which will surprise you.

9. Join a photo community and interest groups. It is cheap, informative, and fun. You can post your photos, participate in critique and discussions at forums. Some very good and interesting stuff to be found there!

10. Shoot at different times of day to achieve different types of atmosphere. Experiment with dusk, noon, night and see what fits with your subject matter best.

About the Author:

Want to find out more about Editing Digital Photographs? Don't trust anyone's advice until you have read This Free Guide

Hanging Pictures in Drywall

By Kurt Schefken

Home decorating consists of putting up drywall, redecorating, painting, hanging wallpaper or putting in new flooring. One part of home decorating that we tend to overlook is hanging a picture. This may seem like a very simple project, but if it's not done correctly, you can have problems. Before you begin hanging a picture, you need to consider the weight of the picture and the type of wall you will be hanging it on.

You'll need to purchase the correct fasteners to hang your picture on the wall. These fasteners may be nails, hooks or new adhesive stickers that are now becoming widely used. While these are the most common fasteners, they may not be appropriate on all wall types. If the wall in question is made of brick, stucco or concrete, you won't want to use a regular nail. You'll need to use a concrete screw to ensure that the picture is hung securely and you haven't damaged the wall. Using a nail may only result in chipping the concrete by the nail.

If the picture of object is heavy, you can use a plastic anchor or a molly bolt. Either of these will work great and will not damage your wall. The local hardware or home improvement store will give you free tips on what kind of fasteners will work best for your picture or object to be hung.

Next on your list is deciding where to put the picture. How high or how low is usually a debatable question. The rule of thumb is to hang the picture so it is at eye level. Take a tape measure and measure from the floor to where eye level is on the wall. This is where the center of the picture will be hung. The next step will be to measure the actual picture. Measure from the bottom of the picture to the highest part of the hanging wire. To determine where you will hang it, subtract half of the picture's height and adding this to where you determined eye level was. You can then make a mark on the wall where it will be. Next, you need to make sure the picture is centered vertically and horizontally, making sure there is a stud behind the drywall.

Hold the fastener in place and nail or screw the fastener in the wall. When the nail or screw is securely in the wall, gently hang the picture. You want to hang it gently in case you missed the stud. If you did miss the stud the weight of the picture may put pressure on the nail if you're nailing into drywall. If you find that the picture is not quite as high or low as you want, first try adjusting the hanging wire. This is much easier than putting another hole in your wall.

If you have to hang more than one picture on the wall, you'll need to figure and measure for each picture. Measure for the first, then hang it, then measure for the second and so forth.

About the Author:

Kurt Schefken works most often for http://www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com , an internet site with information about curtain track . One can see his articles on country style shower curtains and country curtains here.

The Story of Jimi Hendrix - The Guitar Legend

By Zack R.

Who'd have thought that a self-taught musician who, as a boy, desired a guitar so desperately he completely built one out of a broom before acquiring a pathetic one-stringed ukulele, would eventually be acclaimed by many as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in rock and blues music history?

Jimi Hendrix was born in 1942 and served in the US military army as a paratrooper in his early days.Having taught himself the guitar, he played the US' 'Chitlin Circuit' of clubs before heading over to New York, garnering a spot as the new guitarist for The Isley Brothers' band before joining Little Richard's back-up band and others.

On moving to London in 1966, he formed a trio - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - which gained rapid popularity in Europe. Jimi became known for entertaining showmanship, which sometimes included setting his guitar on fire! With a landmark appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and huge success of album 'Are You Experienced?' Jimi became a world-wide star.

Hendrix was the headline artist at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, where he played his controversial war-like fuzz-guitar version of 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. Jimi Hendrix died at the age of 27 in 1970, having recorded only three fully-conceived studio albums and more than 300 unreleased recordings.

With his unusual style of playing guitars inverted ('left-handed') and restrung to suit him, Hendrix is accredited with bringing the electric guitar to a higher level. Hendrix aimed to mix what he called 'earth', blues, jazz, or funk driven rhythm musical accompaniment, with 'space', the high-pitched psychedelic sounds he improvised on his guitar.

Hendrix played a key role in making the Fender Stratocaster the biggest-selling electric guitar in history and making popular the use of guitar distortion using effects pedals, including the wah-wah pedal, and units. He pioneered in the recording studio, experimenting with stereophonic and phasing effects.

With his albums among the most influential of the 1960s, Jimi Hendrix changed rock music as the world knew it.

About the Author:

Zack R is the founder of 50 Blues Studios. If you are a blues musician, listen to samples of free blues guitar backing tracks at 50 Blues. If you are a harp player, get access to 50 blues harp backing tracks at 50 Blues website.

The Story of Eric Clapton, The Legendary Blues Guitarist

By Zack R.

On this thirteenth birthday, an English boy - an illegitimate son of a soldier - received his first acoustic guitar from his grandparents.

Despite his love for blues music, he found learning to play so challenging he almost gave up. He practised for many long hours, hanging on to learn chords and trying to imitate and mimic the sounds and tone of his blues guitar idols like Big Bill Broonzy by listening to them on his tape machine.

Soon after finding that the study of stained glass design at England's Kingston College of Art wasn't right for him, he busked around Kingston, Richmond and London's West End before bringing together his first band at age 17 - the Roosters - an R&B outfit, in 1963. Fromthat point onwards, Eric Clapton went on to a sensational musical career as an incredibly talented guitar player, singer and songwriter.

His versatility is remarkable, with hits in genres from Delta blues ('Me & Mr Johnson'), pop ('Change the world') and reggae ('I shot the sheriff'). Nicknamed 'Slowhand' for his string-bending blues licks and riffs, Eric Clapton is known as one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century. Do you know that Eric was 'christened' Slowhand by the manager of The Yardbirds because when he broke a string [only had 1 telecaster] he took his time replacing it on stage ...and let everone wait...including the audience.

With his love of the instrument demonstrated in his amazing collection of about 750 guitars, Eric Clapton is hailed as one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time. How is your musical journey progressing?

About the Author:

Are you a blues musician? Get over 50 blues backing tracks for guitar, harmonica or harp at 50 Blues Studios. Listen free samples of guitar backing tracks and start jamming right now. Visit 50 Blues today - Your #1 Blues Guitarist Resource.

Sit Back, Relax, and Watch Live TV on the Internet

By Davion Wong

For television buffs and couch potatoes, one way to enjoy the timeless diversion of viewing live shows is to watch live TV on the internet. Television watching is one of the most common and easiest forms of entertainment, and most families or singles the entire world have at least one television inside their homes.

Those who would want to have access to more channels should be willing to shell out a little more every month or so. However, the arrival of PC Satellite TV soft wares has changed television watching to a considerable extent. You can now watch live TV on the internet after a single affordable payment.

Now, you do not even have to settle for expensive cable TV monthly fees, or be bothered by untimely inconveniences when bad weather upsets the connection to your expensively installed satellite dish. The breakthroughs of the internet are steadily increasing over time, and now you can watch live TV on the internet for a more reasonable expense and at your own convenience.

Now, the viewing the tube is not anymore restricted indoors or inside the four walls of your home. Watch live TV on the internet and experience viewing transportability at its finest. Check out your favorite shows whenever you need to, or wherever your daily activities may take you: at your afternoon coffee shop, during break times at the office, on out of town trips, or even during long bus travels.

With free sites, increased traffic may not allow you to watch your television shows with the best quality. There will be slower connection due to a large number of users. On the other hand, PCTV cards that you can install to your computer may allow for impressive viewing speed and quality but are relatively expensive at their hundreds of dollars price.

With an internet connection, purchased software, and a computer, access to live television is merely seconds away. Forget the time, choose your channel, and watch your shows without interruption.

Enjoy the ease and convenience of mobile internet television. This soft ware is not even as expensive as cable subscriptions, because there are no regular monthly fees. Just pay a single expense and you're good to go. Watch live TV on the internet without the recurring hassle of regular fees.

The web is an endless resource of information, news, and entertainment. Now, you can even watch your all-time favorites via the television. With simple and affordable software, you can easily watch live TV on the internet, and do away with unnecessary monthly expenses. The information on my website will be your guide to an ultimate entertainment experience. Visit now and get updated.

About the Author:

Discover how you can instantly watch satellite TV on pc for pennies. Also read another article on how to watch satellite TV on PC.

Tips To Master Blues Guitar Scales for Blues Musicians

By Zack R.

Come and join us as we take a look into what makes up a blues scale, and as we examine in depth the benefits of using blues backing tracks to perfect and hone our knowledge and skill for playing the blues.

One of the most passionate forms of music that is played on the guitar is blues music. Blues guitarists seem to bleed out their emotions through their fingertips, and weave a soul-bearing story using six strings. Many individuals who fall in love with playing the guitar soon fall in love with blues music, if they weren't already infatuated with it before.

One of the key elements to learning how to play blues music is learning the scales and chords that make up the foundation of what blues music is. There are a lot of different kinds of blues music and different styles within that genre that you can learn, so it's important to just start with the basic simple chords and scales and work your way up to the more complex ones.

The basic blues scale is a pentatonic minor scale, but it has one additional note than the regular pentatonic minor scale. It's this additional note that gives the needed amount of tension to create the signature blues sound. The scale consists of six different note names, but when you actually play the blues scale you will play all the places for those note names within that specific position.

Once you learn that particular scale, you are now ready to master the timing, structure, and improvisational aspects of blues music. This is best accomplished by playing along with blues backing tracks. Practicing along to blues backing tracks is like practicing along with an entire blues band accompanying you. There are a lot of benefits that can come from using blues backing tracks to improve your practice time.

One of the benefits to using blues backing tracks to perfect your skills is it helps you to understand structure and how the scale fits in with the rhythm section. By playing along with blues guitar backing tracks, you'll be able to combine the knowledge you have of the scale and apply what you've learned about music theory.

Another great benefit of blues backing tracks is the fact that it is a powerful weapon in mastering one of the trickiest parts of playing the blues, and that would be improvisation. With these guitar backing tracks you have the freedom to improvise a hot lead solo based on your knowledge of the scale and your own creativity. Improvisation is an important technique, one that is crucial for the blues guitarist to flourish in, especially during a live performance, which these tracks are also good for as well.

About the Author:

Are you a blues guitarist? Learn advanced playing tips on how to play blues guitar with videos and lessons. We cover all blues scales as well as every blues guitar chords.

Learning Blues Guitar Scales - For Lead Guitar

By Zack R.

Playing best blues guitar scales include the Am Pentatonic scales, natural A minor scales, E minor, G shuffle licks and many others. These scales can help you not only to master the blues scales but also help you to play lead guitar and improvise your own lick and riffs over blues backing tracks.

There are different types of blues scales that can be used for lead guitar playing. You can also use them to make some blues backing tracks so that you can play along with the tracks and learn faster. Blues backing tracks can help you to play solo or lead even when there is no second guitarist present and the best thing is that you can even purchase some of the best blues backing tracks from the Internet from companies such as 50Blues. Let's take a look at some of the most common blues scales used for lead guitar playing and for creating blues backing tracks.

Using Blues Scales

You can start with a natural A-minor scale also known as the A minor scale. Here's how it looks:

A B C D E F G A w w w w w

You can start practicing the natural A-minor scale till the time you are extremely comfortable using it. You can use all the notes that are there in this blues scale for playing the lead guitar with a blues backing track. There are many blues players who use the A-minor pentatonic or the Am pentatonic scale in a mix with the natural A-minor scale.

Once in a while you should try and mix two scales together to bring out a different blues sound. To play the natural A-minor scale, you can tune it to play the Dm7 chord. The Dm7 comprises of D-F-A-C notes. The only chord that is not in the A-minor pentatonic scale is F because A-minor pentatonic comprises of A-C-D-E-G notes.

On the other hand, the natural A-minor scale comprises of A-B-C-D-E-F-G notes. So what you should ideally do is emphasize on the F taken from natural A- minor scale while playing the Dm7 chord. This will bring out a definitive blues scale and sound that can be played as lead with blues backing track.

Some of the best blues scales are just minor pentatonic scales with some added notes. This added note is commonly referred to as the blues note and helps in bringing out the specific blues sound. You can play a basic minor pentatonic scale or the basic blues scale, which will consist of 6 different notes.

When you are playing the lead or creating a blues backing track for a solo then you will need to play all the points for all the 6 notes that are within one position. For example: If you use a C blues scale then you will find that it consists of C E F G G and B notes. Here are the notes that are found in the basic C blues scale:

|--C--|-----|-----|-E--| -1st string |--G--|-----|-----|-B--| |--E-|-----|--F--|-G--| |--B-|-----|--C--|-----| |--F--|-G--|--G--|-----| |--C--|-----|-----|-E--| -6th string | 8th fret

The idea is that there are 6 different notes mentioned above and once you have reached your 6th note, you will need to start back from the C note and go over the process again and again to master the lead.

About the Author:

If you are a blues player, take your music to greater heights by jamming to blues backing tracks Improve your leads and improvisation techniques. Find out who is the best blues guitar player of all time. Visit 50 Blues today.

Download Videos for Your IPod and Get Instant Entertainment

By Davion Wong

In order to download videos for your IPod, it is basically important of course to have the right IPod model. Video IPods and Touch IPods all have capabilities at videos downloading, while the IPod Shuffle and the earlier models of the IPod Nano merely have music downloading capacities, and none of the video download features.

Now there are even more ways to view movies, music videos, exercise videos, TV series, and many other videos. Download videos for your IPod from your computer by choosing the best and most reliable downloading site, pay a particular charge, then enjoy endless video transports from the computer to any IPod models. You can go to ITunes, the most popular and biggest music and video download site by Apple, and purchase individual videos for a price.

There is a huge selection of videos that can be transferred to your revolutionary IPod. You can store your all-time favorite movies in your IPod and get unlimited opportunity at watching them over and over again, whether you are at a caf or traveling long distance on a bus. Also, you can transfer music videos of the music artists of your choice, and play them during parties or view them at your pleasure. Download videos for your IPod and be able to utilize this amazing gadget to the fullest.

The better choice definitely would be to take advantage of video downloading websites that offer a one-time membership charge for a lifetime of endless video downloads. Most video files should be formatted as AVI, RM, DIV X, WMV and a lot more. These sites are lawful and present genuine services, and are certainly more cost reasonable than those websites that demand a particular charge of every video transfer activity. You can download videos for your IPod legitimately and without the needless hassle!

Downloading sites that offer exceptional technical support and customer service and feedback features are also considered to be very reliable. You are assured of prompt assistance in case of software glitches or complicated video transfers. Most of these sites also offer money back guarantees as an indication of their credibility. Always search around for the best sites to download videos for your IPod.

It is also vital that a reliable and customer friendly downloading website be chosen for your IPod Video downloads. There should be an excellent customer service feature, in order to provide support for all your video transfer needs.

It is a handy, convenient way to watch your favorite videos whether with others or by yourself to as a way to pass time and kill boredom. By lifetime membership, you can download all the videos you want endlessly, without having to pay another amount again.

There have always been novel rewards brought about by the speed and convenience of technology, now even more by the increasing popularity of IPod Video and IPod Touch. Start to download videos for your IPod and discover the easy ways to do it, and the many sites that offer reasonable charges. My website can be your gateway in getting the latest trends in music and videos. Log on now!

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Discover how you can access unlimited iPod downloads instantly for pennies. Also, read another popular article on iPod music downloads.

Hot Full Sleeve Tattoo Designs And Information

By Chris Smith

What the heck is a sleeve tattoo and why would I care you ask yourself? Well, sleeve tattoo are hot and a lot of people are curious about them. For example not only what are they but how much do they cost, where can I get one? or How much time will it take to get a tattoo done. This article contains a ton of useful information to get your started with sleeve tattoos.

What Is A Sleeve Tattoo? So if you are wondering what I am talking about it is a large arm tattoo. Sleeve just comes from the shirt sleeves that typically cover our arms and a sleeve tattoo is a full tattoo design that frequently covers up the whole arm in the tattoo design. You can get a variety of different lengths which will mean different amounts of the arms will be covered. For example a half sleeve tattoo is typically from the should down to the elbow or forearm area. A full sleeve then is all the way down to the wrist with the tattoo design.

While there are many ways to go about getting a sleeve tattoo most people typically fall into one of two categories. First they might have started by getting individual tattoos on their arms and then later connect all of these together with some larger tattoo design. The second way is to get one large tattoo that covers the whole area. The style or type you chose will depend on the existing tattoos you already have in the area and what your goals are.

Connecting Tattoos: One way to end up with a sleeve tattoo is to take already existing tattoos that are on the arm and somehow find a unifying theme to connect them together. For example one might have a horseshoe tattoo for good luck on their bicep and want to connect this and extend the design down their arm. So they might decide on some flames and a pair of lucky dice to go with the horseshoe.

Complete Project: Another method that is pretty easy to understand and exactly as the title states is done by getting one complete tattoo design for the entire sleeve. Instead of connecting individual random tattoos the person starts with a blank slate and designs the entire sleeve at one time. This can make for a beautiful and unified looking tattoo and is often a nice way to go.

Sleeve Tattoo Inspiration Ideas and Designs: Once you have chosen the method for getting your tattoo done then it is time to think about what design and tattoo you want for your full sleeve. This can be a hard and sometimes frustrating process. However, if you learn to enjoy the journey along the way the process will flow much more smoothly. Take your time in getting a full sleeve tattoo since this is a big commitment and something that you will live with for the rest of your life. Therefore you don't want to rush into anything. Instead take some time and think about what tattoo designs inspire you and what themes speak to you. Look at a lot of other pictures, flash and tattoo designs other people have done for their full sleeves. You don't want to just flat out copy but rather gather ideas and resources from other people's inspiration and then see if their is a unifying theme that you can use in your tattoo. Speak with a professional tattoo artist about doing a custom design and let him know the things you like and don't like and see what he or she can come up with.

Popular Sleeve Tattoo Designs: Of course your tattoo needs to be individual and unique to you so these are just some suggestions of ideas that have been done often and make great full sleeve tattoo designs.

Sleeve Tattoo Ideas: Flames - One popular design theme that you can find on a good number of full sleeve tattoos are flames. These typically start down at the wrist and the flames burn upwards towards the shoulder. This look great and can easily be incorporated with other designs or tattoos.

Sleeve Tattoo Designs: Tribal - Tribal sleeve designs are another great tattoo design that can commonly be done as a sleeve. Tribal tattoos are typically made up of large bold lines done in black and they look great from a distances and really stand out. Therefore they make great sleeve tattoos designs. Don't feel you have to go with the standard tribal designs either as there are many different native cultures that used tattooing. You can go with something really unique like a Maori tribal design.

Tattoo Sleeve Ideas: Celtic - Another way to go and one that is very popular is to integrated a Celtic tattoo design into the sleeve. Just think about Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He has a pair of wonderful Celtic forearm tattoos that could easily be extended into a full sleeve. There are step patterns, spirals, human and animal along with the classic knot work designs. These again make use of bold black lines of ink which can be intricate and bold at the same time.

Sleeve Tattoo Ideas: Floral Patterns - Flower tattoos can also make a great looking full sleeve tattoo. More typically used by women, but in no way only for women, flower or floral tattoos can offer a wonderful look and feel about them. They are often very delicate and can look almost tribal depending on the design. Flowers are also great design subjects because they offer a variety of symbolism behind them.

The Time and Cost Factor: You should consider carefully the costs and time commitment involved in getting a full or even half sleeve tattoo. They can be rather costly and time consuming and so you want to plan ahead and ensure that you can complete the project before you get started designing it. Typically it can take 25 hours of time to complete just the tattoo part of the work and this number can go up drastically depending on the design and the shop. As far as cost it can be hard to project again it depends on the shop. the experience of the tattoo artist and the amount of work they currently have. Of course when they are super busy they are good but you will have to pay more. Very rough guidelines in terms of price would be anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 dollars.

If after reading all of the above you are still excited to get a full or half sleeve tattoo then by all means go for it. They can make a wonderfully bold statement and a wonderful piece of body art. Just make sure you spend some time before getting started researching the design and the artist you want to work with. These are the two most crucial elements to getting a wonderful sleeve tattoo.

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Want more informative resources for sleeve tattoo designs? Try checking out this website which has tons of sleeve tattoo galleries, designs and ideas including Japanese sleeve tattoos

Having Discipline In Blues Guitar Practicing

By Zack R.

Any professional blues guitarist will tell you this: Discipline is very crucial when it comes to practising the guitar. Learning to play the guitar is one of the most gratifying things I have ever done in my life but it was also one of the most difficult. The reason is that I became adept with my instrument is simple. I practised! Not only did I practise, I practiced a great deal; every day in my bedroom.

I spent nearly all of my time practicing the fundamentals initially. Affairs like running up and down scales, switching between chords and trying to improve my repertoire of songs. Occasionally it was easy to make time to practise because I was in a good mood and I genuinely wanted to play. At those times I could spend hours just listening to how cool it sounded when I shifted from the chord D to the chord G.

But on other days, when my mood wasn't so good, it was my discipline and desire to play and improve that made me practise and develop as a blues guitar player. There are two main factors when it comes to discipline in practice. They are practicing regularly, and practicing well. Both of these are important points.

Practicing regularly is the most obvious and easy thing to do. Basically, you should play the guitar every day. These don't need to be mammoth, three hour long sessions, 30 minutes will generally be fine if you are focused during that time. Doing regular, small amounts of practice throughout the week is far better than doing one or two long sessions.

I know that in a busy life it can be hard to make the time to practise but to be honest, 30 minutes a day is accomplishable for anyone. There is no set time that is best for practice but I choose to do it in the evening simply because I find that playing the guitar is a great and relaxing way to wind down after a hectic and long day.

Practicing well is a much harder thing to do and there are many reasons why this is the case. Before I go on, I just want to say that bad practice affects even the most experienced players but it can be overcome with some help.

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The Subtle Influence of Blues In Modern Day Music

By Zack R.

Join us as we examine the joys of blues guitar and the influence it has had on modern day music. Learn how to make your guitar play what you're feeling. Deal with blues rhythm and try out some new chords and strumming patterns.

Playing from the inside out.

Blues guitar music is one of the most intriguing and fascinating music genre that is out there. It features a colourful history, interesting people and a way of expressing feelings unlike any other style of music. In essence, blues tells a story of one's life experiences and has diverse themes ranging from travel to modern day events.

Blues isn't as decorated as other genres of music. It is raw and uncensored and as far as the guitar is concerned, one of the finest venues to let your creativity soar. You will not be criticised for your technique here, instead, you will be complimented for your ingenuity. Within the realm of blues guitar, there are many different sub-specialties. There is delta blues and many more

A lot of blues guitarists fail to understand is that legendary players such as BB King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton were all blues players. Many of their songs were inspired by blues and produced a completely original and new generation of pumped up guitarists. Unfortunately, a lot people fail to arrive at that association and blues is oftentimes underrated by aspiring guitarists. The reality is that blues is only what you make it.

While I respect and understand those who decide not to play blues, I have little tolerance for ignorance. You have heard it said over and over again that blues has always been the cornerstone for many of your favourite styles that you love today. Blues lead guitar playing uses a multifaceted approach that is established upon smooth bends, hammer on's, pull off's and many other standard techniques. The way they are ultimately played and delivered is what sets blues apart. First off, blues rarely, if ever, follows a single one set rule.

However, there are numerous approach patterns that have made blues famous. You can branch out from these patterns into your own unique style. Ultimately, you can make anything sound bluesy with some simple scales. There are various kinds of blues scales. Many are derived from the pentatonic scale. However, a true blues scale has what is called a blue note. A blues note means a drop in pitch located on the 3rd, 5th, or 7th tone of the scale. If this flatted note isn't included in the key signature, an accidental will be used to tell you to play that note as a flat.

That scratches the tip of blues scales and there are many other variations. I encourage you to buy a scale book to hone your skills and see the other blues scales available.

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Creating Great Videos

By Neil B Johns

In the more recent era, the reputation of online video web pages has boomed. Online video online pages are web pages that not only will grant net users to scrutinize the videos that are available on their site, but many, many furthermore give cyberspace users the chance to design their own videos.

If you are in the process of making an online video clip, like a great volume of individuals are, there are two or three significant subjects that you should consider. A major concern of those things is your welfare.

What is special about online video web pages is that people can well put together practically any movie wished for. Some celebrated video clip online pages have requirements and controls on the sort of content that is admitted; yet, that is only to be expected.

These stipulations oftentimes exclude videos that include threats in addition, x-rated substance. However with these directives in force, there is still a tremendous kind of video that a participant can well whip up, but you are still well-advised to be careful when doing so.

As already noted, some video sites authorize you to display a video clip on just about whatever you wish. Online, we will stumble on videos that broadcast a variety of merchandise, then there are vids that are mostly unscripted, there are also DIY videos, as well as lastly personal videos.

When it comes to private videos, net users are prone to insert content concerning themselves or a rather humorous situation. Naturally this may constitute an interesting video clip, but for personal protection reasons, you should be cautious with whatever you are recording and uploading to the net.

Video online pages are inspected by many thousands of cyber web users, on a continual basis. This tell us that there are people by the dozen if not many thousands of souls you will not know of, who will locate your vid and watch it.

And you can't know who can be viewing your video clip, you have no understanding of what they are like or what their mental capacity is. One needs to behave with online videos as if talking with a perfect visitor unknown; you have got to be wary with content you furnish and just how much you give away.

If you are creating a homegrown video clip, with a personalized feel, there is a very good possibility that you will happen to be the person in front of the camera. In various situations, it is safe to reveal your own face.

When you introduce yourself, you are well-advised, to only to supply your first name. You may perhaps even wish to soberly, contemplate creating an additional name to supply simply for your video clip, not unlike a pen name.

Over and above your first name, you should never grant your own individual address information. That also includes your city or your state. With reason and means, somebody who looks at your online movie might without problems obtain your full address just by knowing the community or the state where you reside.

The same needs to be said for your phone numbers. By way of a telephone number, anyone may well gain your address on the internet.

Actually, the real issue is, if there is matter that you do not wish a stranger to hear of about you, do not place it in your online video.

Even that said that nobody should ever really give away their more private content in any of their online movies, there are a still some folks who do. These people do this for variant reasons, but plenty are looking online for buddies or an individual to date.

You are advised strongly against this, with online vid web content, similar to Google Video, YouTube, Yahoo video or Vsocial. If you are craving to hit upon a new partner or a husband, you are well-advised to trust online dating web pages.

A lot of those sites have set security measures in place that are arranged to keep you from harm. By holding onto these thoughts, everybody should be secure providing on the internet video clip sites without any hitches.

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