I still remember the day I made the decision that I was going to play guitar for the rest of my life. I was 11, flipping through the TV stations, and came across the Stevie Ray Vaughn PBS special.

When I heard Voodoo Child Slight return for the first time, I locked myself in my room for the next year, armed with nothing more than an $8 acoustic I got at a garage sale.

I learned the hard way. Hours a day, with my cassette player; listening, stopping, figuring out a note, hit play again, stop, rewind, figure out the next note, and so on.

I grew up dirt poor and couldn’t afford guitar lessons. At that time, $80 a month (the average for guitar lessons) was not even an option.

I justified my position by saying that I don’t need a guitar teacher showing me how to play like him, I’ll play the way I want to play!

And I was an idiot.

There was nothing I loved more than the guitar. Blues, Rock, Jazz, anything that I could listen to and get some emotion, and one thing that I know is true, if you love something you need to invest everything you have into it.

I used to say with pride that I was self taught, and that I could play by ear. However,  after almost two decades of playing, if I could give people just one piece of advice it would be TAKE FREAKIN’ LESSONS!

I used to spend 8 hours a day, 7 days a week trying to figure stuff out, and it wasn’t until a year and a half later when I started to play in bands that everything clicked.

You’ll learn more in one hour jamming then you will in a year and a half of isolated practice, and that’s a fact. Why should you spend hours a day trying to “figure stuff out”, when you could have someone that knows how to play show you the exact same thing in 5 minutes?

Also, the 2nd biggest piece of advice I would give is to always, always, always invest into jam tracks. Like I said, you can learn more in an hour jamming, then years of  ‘running scales’.

I never could afford lessons, and now with the internet that’s not even an issue anymore. You can get world class training from some of the industries best teachers for less than the cost of ONE conventional lesson. That’s crazy!

So if you wanna be a great guitar player fast, then I would highly suggest checking out Jamorama. You can download a free lesson, but the thing I love is that you have world class teaching, and some of the best jam tracks I’ve ever heard in one place.

If you want a complete guide to playing guitar fast, then you will not be disappointed!

The piano is a time honored instrument that brings joy to the lives of many people. It is one of the most popular instruments to study because its easy to learn, provides compelling and beautiful sound, and it is an essential foundation of musical study.

There are a number of reasons why both young and old choose to learn the piano. The number one reason is to play music. The results provide a number of benefits such as:

1. Playing the piano helps one keep the brain functioning at its best. Such skills that can be enhanced and maintained include: eye-hand coordination, stress relief and increased relaxation, encouraged creativity, increased self-confidence, increasing the desire to be challenged and learn new things, and an increased sense of self-satisfaction.

2. Playing the piano can be a rewarding hobby. Gathering family and loved and entertaining them by playing the piano is a lot of fun.

3. People who play the piano often go on to be in a band or have a career as a pianist. It also gives a good foundation to learn other instruments and even improve singing.

When preparing to undertake the task of learning piano, one can either learn from a piano teacher or learn online. Piano teachers such as Celesta Piano Studio teach students of all ages who are interested in learning the piano for either professional endeavors or for fun. You can also find a piano teacher in your own area. Lessons are designed around each student’s aptitude and goals. As well, there are online piano instructional programs. There are a number of piano internet sites that provide people with the ability to learn how to play piano online. You will be astounded by what you are taught and how fast you learn. Your friends and family will be pleasantly astonished by your new passion. Online piano lessons are very affordable and some sites offer free introductory beginner’s lessons. All that you will need is an electronic keyboard or a piano, internet connection, a quality browser, and Windows or Macintosh. There are also piano lessons one can order that can contain quality instructional DVDs, play-along CDs, and detailed workbooks. You are guided through the program and instructions are easy to follow.

Playing the piano is a wonderful life skill to have and can be a lot of fun. When learning the piano, you are discovering the history of music. Becoming skilled at the piano is a life long process with many personal benefits. Quality piano instruction will teach proper technique, reading music, rhythm, tone, and listening skills. Training will be challenging but not too difficult as you learn chords and theory. Practicing every day is essential to mastering this beautiful instrument. As your skills grow, you will become a better pianist and playing piano will become a great love. It takes time and effort but it is well worth the endeavor.

Music plays an important part in every person’s life. There are so many ways to learn to play the piano that there is a method suitable for anyone interested in this wonderful craft. Learning to play the piano will bring such pleasure in your life that you will wonder why you did not start sooner.

Whether you sing in the shower or love to belt out tunes at church, singing is a part of your life, and it is never too late to refine your skills. Even if you think you couldn’t hold a tune in a bucket, you can learn to sing and improve on your current singing ability. First, you need to dispel some common myths about the human singing voice.

Myths About Singing

Many people fail to learn to sing because they think that they can’t. Some think that they were born “tone-deaf,” and others think that only a select few have singing “ability.” While some individuals do have an inborn ability to control pitch or volume better than others, most people can learn these skills. It is very rare for someone to have absolutely no ability to detect tones, which would be true tone-deafness. Statistics show that only around two percent of all people in the world have this problem. Most people who have trouble singing to a particular pitch simply need to have their ears trained to hear these pitches.

Learn Your Range

Are you a soprano or alto, bass or tenor? Learning your range will help you select songs to sing that fit your voice. Just as a trombone cannot play the same notes that a piccolo does, an alto cannot try to sing the same high notes that a soprano can easily hit. If you choose to take voice lessons, have your teacher help you explore your full range, and then choose songs that fall within the boundaries created by your natural voice.

Breathing Correctly

Correct breathing is the key to good singing. Learn to take deep breaths using your diaphragm muscle, not your lungs. To find your diaphragm, take a long, slow breath, and try to push out your abdomen, keeping your shoulders still. If you can do this, you have learned how to breathe with your diaphragm. Then, project your voice out through your head, not your mouth. Visualize yourself sending your breath and voice out through your forehead. This will train you to use your “head voice,” which is far more pleasing to the ear than the standard voice used by most amateur singers.

Sing with Emotion

Once you have learned some basic skill and know what your range is, choose some songs and start singing. When you sing, enjoy yourself. Allow your emotional side to show through your song. If you sing with emotion, people will respond and appreciate what you are singing, even if your voice is not on par with the professionals.

Are You Too Old?

Many adults wonder if it is too late to learn to sing. It is never too late to learn. In fact, many singing teachers will not training children to sing, because their voices are not yet developed. However, as an adult, you will benefit from professional training. You have spent a lifetime learning poor singing habits, so learning to sing as an adult will require the help of a qualified singing teacher. However, with the right training and plenty of practice, you can develop a singing voice that you will be proud of!