The Story of Amazing Grace

By A R White

"Amazing Grace" is hymn well known and loved by Christians everywhere. The inspiring lyrics speak for themselves but become even more meaningful when you understand the story behind them.

A movie called "Amazing Grace" directed by Micheal Apted came out in 2006. The film shed some light on the story behind this song. The movie is mainly about William Wilberforce who was a member of Parliament that dedicated his life to abolishing the slave trade. The film does a wonderful job of depicting the many personal sacrifices that noble men and women have to make when fighting for the cause of right. There was a minor character in the movie named John Newton who was a blind old preacher who Wilberforce went to for support.

As depicted in the movie, the lines of "Amazing Grace" were actually composed by a preacher named John Newton to accompany a sermon he was planning as he sat in the attic of his home in 1772. This was common for him as he often wrote a hymns to supplement his sermons. He delivered the sermon and hymn to his congregation on New Year's Day, 1773. At that time, hymns were more like religious poetry that could be chanted or set to a variety of tunes that fit the meter of the lyrics. "Amazing Grace" was set to many different tunes over they years. It wasn't until 1835 that William Walker published the lyrics with the "New Britain" tune which is how it is sung today.

Newton was not always a religious man. Surprisingly, he was a rough character as a young man and worked in the slave trade for many years. One night the ship that he was on was hit by a terrible storm. Fearing for his life, Newton prayed to God for mercy. That impressionable experience eventually led him to leave the slave trade and pursue of life dedicated to serving God. He studied theology and was ordained a priest in the Church of England.

To help Wilberforce with his efforts, Newton later wrote Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade which was a pamphlet recounting the horrors that he saw when he was a slave trader himself. This pamphlet helped to make others aware of how horrible the slave trade was. It helped Wilberforce gain the support he needed to be successful.

Obviously, these lines held great personal meaning for Newton: "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see." Additionally, these are words that all of us who are sinners that have turned to Christ can relate to. All of us have different struggles in life but Jesus is there for all of us.

Remind yourself that Jesus saves by keeping this song close to your heart. Wearing an Amazing Grace ring or necklace is a great daily reminder to maintain a worshipful attitude. Use these to also represent the great sacrifices that other Christians have made to inspire you to stand up for what is right.

A R White is an employee for eChristian Jewelry. She has a BS in English Language and minors in Editing and Family Life.

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Learn Blues Guitar - Two Important Aspects of Playing Blues Guitar

By Dan Denton

Many people set out to learn Blues guitar once they realize that much of Rock music has its roots in the Blues. As Jack White -- best known for his work with the White Stripes -- put it in the recent guitar documentary "It Might Get Loud:"

If you dig deep enough into rock 'n roll, you're on a freight train headed straight for the Blues.

The Blues is a musical style established by African-Americans in the early 20th century. By the mid to late sixties, when modern Rock guitar was undergoing its crucial formative years, many guitarists of the day were drawing heavy inspiration from the Blues. Such guitarists included: Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards and many more.

Though the Blues is a complex subject, both in terms of its history and its musical subtlety, there are a couple characteristics of Blues guitar that are fundamental. If you can develop a solid understanding of these aspects of the music, you will be in a much better position to learn Blues guitar.

The first important aspect of the Blues is its associated musical scale. The Blues Scale is a six-note scale. The intervals are: root, minor third, fourth, flatted fifth, fifth, and minor seventh. More typically, this would be written as: 1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7. If you are familiar with the Pentatonic Minor Scale, you may well recognize the Blues Scale as the Pentatonic Minor Scale with the addition of the b5 interval. The inclusion of this interval results in three chromatic notes: 4, b5, 5. For example, the E Blues Scale consists of the notes: E, G, A, Bb, B, D. In comparison, the E Pentatonic Minor Scale includes: E, G, A, B, D -- i.e. everything except the Bb. Because of the unique and defining musical characteristics of the flatted-fifth note (the Bb in the above E Blues Scale), this note is often referred to as the "blue note."

Characteristic chord progressions are the next fundamental component of the Blues. There are number of basic Blues chord progressions. However, the one that anyone familiar with the Blues should know is called the "12-Bar Blues". Though these chord progressions embody a wide number of variations, they all share some basic points of commonality.

First, as the name implies, all versions of the 12-Bar Blues involve a pattern that repeats every 12 bars. Because of the nature of this pattern, musicians often think of the pattern being grouped into three, four-bar sections. Second, the chords in the progression are derived from the I, IV, and V chord of the Key (using standard Roman Numeral notation for the chords). Third, each bar is restricted to a single chord. And finally, the chord to be used in each bar is predetermined -- albeit some bars have a couple choices.

Often, but not always, these progressions use 7th chords - dominant 7th to be precise. The following is a typical 12-Bar Blues chord progression with 7th chords:

I7 I7 I7 I7

IV7 IV7 I7 I7

V7 IV7 I7 V7

In the Key of E (a common Blues Key) this progression would look like:

| E7 / / / | E7 / / / | E7 / / / | E7 / / / |

| A7 / / / | A7 / / / | E7 / / / | E7 / / / |

| B7 / / / | A7 / / / | E7 / / / | B7 / / / |

This article reviewed two of the most fundamental components of Blues music: the Blues scale and the 12-Bar Blues chord progression. If you can become proficient in these two areas, you will be in a great position to play a lot of great Blues music.

The Blues is a complex subject. This article really just scratches the surface. For more information on the Blues, please visit our Learn Blues Guitar page and read our Blues Guitar Review.

Dan Denton is a guitar enthusiast with over twenty years experience. He especially likes Rock and Blues-based music.

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Tips on How to Become a Better Photographer

By Maggie Kesch

Are you becoming frustrated with the photos you have taken? Cheer up. You can still become a better photographer if you really want to. You can have lots of readings from different media about photography where you can get tips on how to capture perfect photos.

• Maintain eye contact. Like in the real life, direct eye contact is also important in taking pictures. To let loose the power of captivating gazes and compelling smiles, position the camera at the subject's eye level. If you take pictures on children, stoop down to their level. Your subjects don't have to stare at the camera. The eye level contact generates a special and tempting feeling that draws you into the picture.

• Choose the right background. Avoid distracting backgrounds that shows like something dangling in your subject's ears. Might as well choose a plain background that allows you to show off your subject.

• Use flash. Don't use your flash when taking pictures outdoor on a sunny day, is a myth. Turn flash on even under the sun. Bright sun produces unappealing deep facial shadows. The flash lightens your subject's face and makes them show up. Much more during cloudy days, flash is a need. Sometimes, you can do it without a flash because low lights may provide pleasant results.

• Move closer. When subjects are small, a step or two nearer will do better. Fill up the picture area with your subject. But never too close, pictures will become blurry. Remember that focusing distance is three feet away from the camera.

• Not all subjects need to be in the center. Taking pictures especially with nature or views in the outdoor should be moved away from the center. In as simple as moving subjects away from the center of the picture, your subject will come to life.

• Don't forget to lock the camera's focus. Putting your subject at the side of the picture requires you to lock its focus for sharp pictures. Auto-focus cameras focuses on anything that is in the center, so never forget to lock the focus.

• Check your camera's flash range. Taking pictures further than the camera's flash range is a common mistake. Resulting to pictures that are too dark. You can find your camera's flash range in its manual. If you can't find it there, don't take chances. Never go further than ten feet away from the subject.

• Be the director. Be on the look out of the pictures that you have taken. See whether you have improved or not. Being the director, take charge of the location, props and arrangement.

These simple tips can help you to become a good photographer. Who knows someday, a hobby can become a profession.

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These Techniques Will Spice Up Your Guitar Playing

By Dale Schmidt

Learning these four simple techniques can take your playing up a notch and add style and feeling to the music you make.

First up is the slide. When playing a melody, scale or lead line, slide from one note to another. When? Whenever you feel it. Sometimes, just one slide at the right time can change the feel of the music. Use them sparingly with just the right touch. Slides are a great way to help you move up and down the neck in a smooth and musical way.

The hammer on. A hammer on is when you play one note then "hammer down" a finger (of your left hand) to create another note. For example, play the fourth string on the 2nd fret then hammer down the same string to the 4th fret to create a new note. Hammer ons are used a lot in all kinds of music. You can even include a hammer on when you're strumming a chord or playing a simple scale. Just make sure both notes you create sound clean and clear.

The opposite of the hammer on is the pull off. As you may guess from the name, you play a note (string) at the 4th fret for example, then "pull off" your finger to play the same string open. You only pick (with your right hand) the string one time. The pull off creates the second note. This takes a little practice (and a little strength) to play clearly but pull offs sound great both on electric and acoustic. Practice them every day to make them part of your style.

Last is the bend or "bending" a note. Although you hear string bending a lot in Rock and Blues, you can make it work with any kind of music. You'll find that it's easier to bend notes (strings) on electric than an acoustic, but keep at if you're an acoustic player. You don't have to make huge bends to add some spice to what you're playing. A slight little bend at the right time can sound great.

Some music, particularly guitar tablature, often shows you "how much" to bend a string. You might see a ¼ bend (bending the note so it sounds one quarter of a step higher) to a full bend where the note created by the bend is one whole step higher (a C to a C# for example). Some players bend the string up while others bend the string down. You can do either and still get the same effect. However, you can't bend the first string down or the sixth string down as you would be pulling them off the neck of the guitar so learn to bend the first string up and the sixth string down.

Add these four techniques to your bag of tricks and you'll become a better guitar player in the process.

Dale Schmidt is a guitar teacher in Washington state and author of Your Private Guitar Teacher. For more information: http://www.yourprivateguitarteacher.com

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Watch the Top 100 Movies of All Time - Indulge In Your Passion for Good Cinema

By Rizvana Abdul

Are you a movie buff who loves to watch films whenever possible? The movie industry is a huge one and it turns out large numbers of movies every year. Reading movie reviews is a good way to find out whether particular ones are worth watching, but do you really have the time to go through all of them one after the other? Wouldn't you rather have access to a list of the top 100 movies of all time so that you can figure out which ones to watch?

Reading a list of the top 100 movies gives you plenty of inspiration with regards to which film to watch. You can just pick up DVDs based upon the recommendation of this list so that you can have a great time watching them:

1. The ShawShank Redemption
2. Forrest Gump
3. Walk the Line
4. The Notebook
5. An Officer and a Gentleman
6. Die hard
7. Lethal Weapon
8. Breakfast at Tiffany's
9. Gone With the Wind
10. Goodfellas
11. Lady and the Tramp
12. Rain Man
13. Philadelphia
14. Casino
15. Good Will Hunting
16. Little Miss Sunshine
17. Titanic
18. Dumb and Dumber
19. Erin Brockovich
20. The Firm
21. Million Dollar Baby
22. Cold Mountain
23. Kingpin
24. The Silence of the Lambs
25. Gangs of New York
26. Men of Honour
27. Mona Lisa Smile
28. As Good As It Gets
29. G. I. Jane
30. Jurassic Park
31. E.T.
32. Knocked Up
33. Meet The Parents
34. The Pursuit of Happyness
35. The Usual Suspects
36. The Graduate
37. The Rock
38. About Schmidt
39. Just Like Heaven
40. American Pie
41. Thelma and Louise
42. The Departed
43. Saw
44. Analyze This
45. Casablanca
46. Mama Mia!
47. Tina
48. Cinderella man
49. Trading Places
50. Private Benjamin
51. Con Air
52. Short Circuit
53. There's Something About Mary
54. Grumpy Old Men
55. Cast Away
56. The Devil Wears Prada
57. Avatar
58. Enemy of the State
59. Catch Me If You Can
60. Toy Story
61. The naked Gun
62. American Werewolf
63. Back to the Future
64. The Green Mile
65. The Client
66. The Fugitive
67. American gangster
68. I am sam
69. First Blood
70. Armageddon
71. Beverly Hills Cop
72. Speed
73. 50 First Dates
74. My Best Friend's Wedding
75. Blow
76. The Lion King
77. Police Academy
78. Gremlins
79. Executive Decision
80. Girl, Interrupted
81. The karate Kid
82. Ghost
83. Miracle on 34th Street
84. Fatal attraction
85. Patch Adams
86. Seven Pounds
87. The Birdcage
88. Marley and Me
89. While You Were Sleeping
90. Deep Impact
91. Death Becomes Her
92. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
93. Face/Off
94. 28 Days
95. Home Alone
96. The Day After Tomorrow
97. The Net
98. Sliding Doors
99. Double Jeopardy
100. What Happens in Vegas

Visiting movie theatres involves spending quite a bit of money, especially if the group is quite large. The cost grows up if you have to buy food and drink as well. Imagine what a waste of money it would be if the movie were not a good one. Even the film you watch at home should be a good one because your evening can be ruined if it is not interesting. It would be great if you had a readymade selection of movies you could just pick from.

Reading a list of the top 100 movies gives you plenty of inspiration with regards to which film to watch. You can just pick up DVDs based upon the recommendation of this list so that you and your family can have a great time watching them.

There are bound to be quite a few websites that offer lists of the top 100 movies of all times. However, you should make sure that you visit one that gives you the most comprehensive information on the world of cinema. The list of films should also be divided into different genres so that you can pick the best possible James Bond film one day or a romantic comedy like 'When Harry Met Sally' another day. You should also be able to find a list of the best movies made by your favorite actor.

This article on the top 100 movies will be your source of everything to do with the world of cinema and you will keep coming back to it. Movie watching will become a lot more fun when you never make a mistake in your selection.

Indulge in your passion for the movies by selecting ones to watch from the list of the top 100 movies of all time. Read well written movie reviews before going to the cinema or renting a DVD so that the movie is exactly to your liking.

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Flute Lesson With the Suzuki Method - The Basic Principles and Main Benefits

By Cristina Crespo

The Suzuki Method was created by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki with the purpose of raising children to be happy, confident, noble, fine human beings, with splendid ability. He used violin playing for that purpose, and soon his way of teaching extended to other instruments, such as cello, piano, guitar, recorder and flute. He believed that, provided with the right environment and tuition all childrencan acquire and develop high musical ability.

There are some well documented benefits of learning a musical instrument, such as development of sensitivity, auditory and language skills, manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, creation of connections between left and right side of the brain and enhancement of self-esteem. Well, with the Suzuki Method children benefit from all the above plus improvement of attention span and memory, integration into a music community that provides a with a network of social relationships, numerous performance opportunities from an early age, development of self-confidence that manifests itself in all areas of the child's life, plus it provides with an anxiety-free environment in which to thrive. Furthermore, the Suzuki Method brings some benefits for the parents too, like learning some extra parenting skills and strengthening the relationship between parent and child.

The main principles of the Suzuki Method are:

Early Start: Children can start learning the instrument from the age of three.

Performance Opportunities: These are regularly provided in the form of concerts.

Intensive Listening (the mother tongue approach): As with language, children learn initially by copying the sounds they hear and repeating them over and over, thus developing long-term memory skills.

Parent Participation: Parents play a crucial role in Suzuki learning. They participate in the lessons (no need for prior musical knowledge) and, guided by the teacher, provide the positive environment at home, where talent can be nurtured and ability developed.

Individual and Group lessons: As well as the individual lessons, children benefit from the group lessons, where they develop their musicianship, ensemble skills, memory and concentration; with the added motivation brought about by social interaction.

Set Repertoire: Each instrument has a carefully selected and stepwise structured repertoire, shared worldwide.

Positive Approach: Teacher and parents keep an encouraging attitude, always focusing on the achievements, thus allowing the child to develop the self-confidence and motivation necessary for further learning.

The flute (after the violin) is the second most chosen instrument by children who play music in the UK. The Suzuki Method was adapted for the flute in 1980, and has since spread throughout the world; however learning flute through the Suzuki Method is still relatively new in the UK. Suzuki Flute Teachers are a rare variety, however precious, since on top of their background music education they have been specifically trained to teach and adapt to the specific needs of every individual child and parent.

If you want to find out about more about Flute Lessons in London using the Suzuki Method goto: www.londonsuzukiflute.com

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Learn The Jazz Language

By Diana Rogers

When I first started playing in a band as a keyboard player, I was not familiar with the speaking part of the music language, as a musician. Sometimes as musicians, we get introspective and start looking at why we play patterns or chord progressions the way we do.

A wonderful comparison between speech language and improvising in music is that everyone learns to speak and have a conversation, as well as write in our given language. Unfortunately, many musicians never learn the "speaking" portion of the musical language.

When I first started taking piano lessons, I was classically trained to read all the notes on the music staff. After several years of advancing through different levels of music books and applying lots of music theory, I still wasn't able to find a music teacher who wasn't afraid of improvisation.

In short, music educators were not taught the history and evolution of improvisation in "classical" music. During the baroque period of music, improvising was a basic part during that time. Musicians needed to learn this skill in order to work together effectively.

Some say it is a skill that one learns unconsciously, without effort and fear. So it is with my grandchildren who are learning a verbal language. Hopefully, no longer talking like a baby but the English language. They seem to improvise with that language every time they have a conversation with someone.

So, we learn to read and write the language and that means we need to learn grammar. But with music, we learn it differently. Most musicians, including myself, learn to read the music notes at first but we can't speak with one another unless we're looking at the notes. We simply do not know how to "jam."

When I first came across a very popular website online that teaches one how to play by ear, I would read about how easy it is to read the language of music and that it was not difficult to play by ear.

I was challenged at first because I could hear the difference in my playing without sheet music compared with the pros. It is necessary to have something worth saying when you speak the Jazz language. There is a huge difference between a beginner improviser and a great one. It's not about skill, technique or memorization, but it's about the concept and content.

As a piano teacher, I am trying to stay balanced with my students in finding the balance with their technique and developing their musical personality and composition.

A great tip is recording your self. Play the keys and playback your song and analyze the harmony and rearrange things a bit. The more you practice and get familiar with your instrument, your style becomes more fluid. Then you'll merge more with the other band members.

When I play with a group of musicians that I have known for quite sometime, you can just feel the chemistry. A transformational event takes place when we are playing live and we become one unified voice.

After all, improvising is the art of making up music on the spot. It is fun to learn the Jazz language.

Teaching for over 15 years and playing with various bands for over 30 years, Diana Rogers is the author of free monthly newsletters at http://ladydpiano.com/

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Guitar Finger Picking

by: Abel John Dean

Finger picking is a technique of playing the classical guitar where you use your thumb plus at least one added finger to pick or pluck notes, using your fingernails, fingerpicks or else fingertips. Various really gifted players be capable of use all 5 fingers on top of their picking hand, but most guitar players only use 4 fingers with use their pinky finger as being a support in the acoustic guitar.
Finger picking is most excellent acoustic guitar playing method that you will need to be trained if he's up for mellow songs, or something that originated from piano playing. As for me, it is a well known even the most effective guitar performance that I'd really love to determine myself. Not just that it exhibits a fantastic talent, it's also much more pleasing in your ears to listen to because of its soft, by-the-note, playing. Nearly everyone classical guitarists alter the shape of their picking hand fingernails for the purpose of manufacturing a preferred sound. Though, this isn't important in non-classical music; one should buy fingerpicks to suit on the hand.
Commonly finger picking calls for picking through chords well thought-out in the melody. Finger picking is needed comprehensively in folk guitar and classical guitar , other than it is usually frequent in other genres.
Finger picking is surprisingly trouble-free on an electric guitar, which can be odd for the reason that finger picking is frequently considered an acoustic technique. The player can grasp their picking hand's fourth finger against the right edge (left edge on a left-handed guitar), and whether it is held straight and steady, this technique is probably accustomed to brace the hand. This method known as anchoring, and is frowned upon by some players. It is usually possible on acoustic guitars by employing the bridge similarly, but this isn't as successful as it would soften the sound. Classical guitarists never anchor while playing.
When strumming with individual fingers, the broad-spectrum rule is move the wrist on condition that the thumb is needed, while if any other finger is used, only said finger will be used.
When you begin trying to study, your finger coordination are going to be bad and it is easy to get downcast. Requires quite a few days to let your muscle tissue build up, but if you practice with all your fingers without delay your on the whole dexterity will boost much faster.
Things to Know:
· Keeping your picking hand fingers curled is extremely important. If your fingers are even somewhat straight when finger picking, you need to adjust your technique. Your palm should move very little in the finger picking process. All movement should be done with fingers.
· If you are serious about wanting to fingerpick well, you might want to consider growing the nails on your picking hand slightly. This will give you a "brighter" sound

About The Author

You can obtain easy playing of acoustic guitar, helpful information regarding Guitar Finger Picking lear acoustic guitar The said website is devoted in helping anybody who aims to learn acoustic guitar Acoustic Guitar Lessons

The author invites you to visit:
http://easylearnacousticguitar.com

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Guitar Lessons For Beginners - Learning The Fundamental Guitar Strategies

by: Yugo Mendez

Ever dreamed of playing a guitar? But having second thoughts because you don’t know how to start as a beginner? Don’t fret because today there are numerous obtainable guitar lessons for beginners to help you. In starting your guitar lessons, it is crucial to learn the primary guitar techniques to achieve success in guitar playing.
The two primary ways of right hand techniques are, by using a pick (commonly known as the plectrum) or perhaps fingers. Plectrum is used in country, rock and pop music, in which it is useful with regards to strumming and also even louder guitar sound.

Making use of fingers is most often encountered amongst flamenco guitarists and classical guitar players, as mixture of guitar strings is way better performed with the right hand fingers, and often has softer sound when compared with the pick.
Aside from the classical guitarists and flamenco players, the use of the pick or fingers is usually a matter of individual taste.
Finger picking is known as a style of playing the guitar in which you use your thumb and a at least one other finger to pick or perhaps pluck notes, with the help of the fingernails, finger picks or maybe the tips of your fingers.

Talented players can make use of almost all five fingers on their picking hand; although some players only use four fingers and use the pinky finger as a support to the guitar. Most classical guitar players modify their fingernails with the goal of making a desired sound, even so this isn't crucial in non-classical songs; it’s possible to buy finger picks to suit the hand.
Generally finger picking involves picking through chords organized within a melody. Finger picking may be used extensively in classical guitar and folk guitar; yet it's likewise common in other genres.
Finger picking can be interestingly very easy for electric guitars, of which is unusual due to the fact that finger picking is usually regarded as a traditional acoustic style. The player may have his or her picking hand’s fourth finger up against the right edge (left edge on a left-handed guitar), and once it is held steady and straight, this method lets you support the hand.
This method is known as anchoring. This method is frowned upon by many players. It’s possible on acoustic guitars by using the bridge in the same manner; however this isn’t as effective because it will deaden the sound. Classical guitar players do not ever anchor while playing.

Whenever strumming using individual fingers, the overall rule is to move your wrist only when the thumb is used, whilst if all the other finger is used, only the said finger should be used.
Once you start learning to play guitar chords, your finger control will probably be unpleasant which can quickly make you disappointed.
It will take several weeks to allow your muscles develop, however, should you train and practice using all of your fingers together your general dexterity will increase much quicker. Learning the guitar can be very hard; however it may also be fun and also rewarding when you finally get the hang of it. It just takes patience.

About The Author

Visit Mendez and learn quality tips through his Guitar Lessons For Beginners in his site about Learning To Play Guitar Chords at:
http://learn-guitar-fast.org/blog/guitar-playing-2/guitar-lessons-for-beginners-learning-the-basic-guitar-techniques/

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How to Choose the Right Software to Make Music on the Computer

By Joey Cons

As technology gets cheaper and more accessible to the average Joe, home studios have become very popular. Anyone with a home computer, speakers and software can record the next Beyonce (or close to it). The big question is what software to choose from. The most commonly used DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software is Pro Tools. It is used by professional music studio's and Hollywood movie makers across the country. Although it's quality and features may surpass the competition, so does the price tag. A complete Pro Tools HD system with all the bells and whistles can range from 3k-15k depending on the amount of DSP or processors.

That's why for the average Joe like me and you there are alternatives. Logic made by Apple is a great sequencer and reasonably priced starting at 155 for the Lite and 350 for the pro. This is highly used by electronic music and HIP Hop music producers. It includes tons of VST's and plug ins standard. Next on the list is Soundtrack a more stripped down version of Logic. Then we have Garage Band which comes standard with MAC OS X computers. All three are great but some have more features than others. Ableton Live is a sequencing application that has become very popular for live performances. It uses preset loops and executes them on a timer, very popular for electronic music. Propeller Head's Reason is a bit different than most of your average sequencers.

It actually uses midi files with a virtual instrument rack. It works based on the loops you create then you fill in the dots in the sequencer. The instruments are great for lops but the sequencer is lacking a bit and does not have the ability to record live audio. This app is used for a wide array of genre's. Next on the list is Rebirth, which is a stripped down version of Reason. Unfortunately it did not have any sampling abilities and the sequencer was very limited. For sampling a popular and free application that can be used is Audacity. It comes with tons of free effects, an mp3 and wave exporting utility and the ability to import multiple tracks at once and apply chained effects and processors to the whole group.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to apps for home studio's but it hopefully serve's as a good starting point for all you future producer's.

http://www.soundjig.com Free samples, Music Loops, Drum Kits and Sound effects

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How to Build a Recording Studio

By Sarit Bruno

Studio Considerations

The magic of the recording studio has often mystified even the most seasoned professionals. With all the knobs, switches and buttons on various gear and large format consoles, no wonder confusion sets in to most non-techies. Many people, especially artists, composers, producers, and engineers, will end up putting together their own studio for writing and pre-production, with some eventually deciding to take the plunge and create a full-fledged recording complex that is capable of recording major albums. This article will try to shed some light on the considerations to take into account when making a studio, be it a small home studio or a professional recording studio.

Is size important? Some may say it is so but this is not always the case. The dimensions of the studio are very important. A room too large may become over-reverberant or full of unwanted echoes. A room too small may sound tight and unnatural. It is important that the room size and room sound is relevant to the type of music you are recording. You don't want to go into a very small tight room to record BIG rock drums. Although, big room sounds can be achieved by adding external reverb effects to simulate rooms at a later time when necessary.

It is best to find the room that suits the sound you are trying to achieve from the beginning of the recording process. The smaller the room, the smaller and tighter the sound will be; this is not necessarily a bad thing. Small tight rooms can be good for vocals, guitars and percussion if you are going for a tight clean sound. Larger rooms have more air for the sound to travel in, so it will be in fact a bigger more open sound. The sound has a longer travel time for the sound wave to move, therefore the reflection from the walls will take longer to bounce back creating a bigger more spacious sound. The decision of size and sound has to be made early on before the recording starts. One advantage that a larger room will have is the ability to be scaled down by closing up the room using modular baffles or gobos (go betweens). Gobos are structures that are partitions, that help to block sound by placing them in between the musicians, instruments, and microphones. Placing the gobos around the microphone at a close distance will help a large room with too much ambiance sound smaller. This will eliminate the reflections coming off of the walls that are further away.

Small rooms can produce big heavy tight sounds with the absence of the decay from the reverb that is caused from big rooms. Sometimes a large room can sound like it's washed out, or far away. With a good engineer any room can sound amazing with a little adjusting. A poor sounding room can be manipulated to sound good, although it requires much more work and time. Deciding on the proper room size for your needs is critical to the sounds that get re-produced. This will highly dictate the type of sound the microphones will pick up.

Clapping your hands in a room can give a good representation of what a room will sound like. The reflection coming off the walls will be picked up by a simple hand clap. The true test is to try out some instruments or vocals and position them in various sections of the room until reaching the optimum sound quality. If one side of the room sounds bad try a different spot or move around into a corner until the sound is improved.

Experimenting with different sections of the room also keeps the sound fresh when recording many instruments. If the acoustic guitars are recorded in the center of the room, when the time comes to record the electric guitars you may try recording them in a corner of the room for a different room sound. This gives clarity on the final mix creating separation and providing more distinction on various sounds.

If you are starting your own studio, remember that the bigger the studio the higher amount the bills will be. The benefit is that larger studios can charge more for their studio rates.

Getting the Necessities

If you happen to reach that elite 2% and become that million dollar, hit selling, famous producer or artist (or if you just win the lotto), then you might eventually think about buying serious studio gear and setting up your own producer paradise.

Acquiring the proper equipment and labor is key to a great studio and successful recordings. Studio gear is expensive and the knowledge of those who use the gear does not come cheap. Hiring the right people can save money and time in the long run. Studio designers also are specialty breeds that can make or break your studio. Your buddy Joe the carpenter may be able to help build it for less, yet if the studio is not properly isolated for sound it is a great waste of time, energy and finances.

The studio engineer is also the focal point of the sound that is created. Having an experienced engineer involved in the process will make your sound have a character of its own. He is the extra set of ears that gives another dimension to your productions. He is also a critical consulting partner when building or choosing to rent a studio. Let the experts help you with advice, it will create less of a headache in the long run. The experienced engineer can fill you in on all the equipment needed for recording the music that is relevant to your world. He can also give some guidelines on how the studio should be setup before having to consult a designer. There is no room for guessing or assumption on these issues.

Check List: Part 1

When purchasing studio gear it is wise to research only what is absolutely essential for your style of music. If you're not recording live drums in your studio, there is no need to buy a plethora of microphones for them. By being patient and shopping around for the best prices, a mass amount of money can be saved in the end. When you save $50 to $100 bucks on each piece of gear it really adds up in the end, and there is a ton of gear needed to put a proper studio together.

Below is a basic studio checklist that will be discussed in further detail in later articles. These are the essentials of modern day recordings and the tools that are most commonly used in the best studios around the world.

The Studio Gear Checklist:

Recording / Mixing Console

The engineer or producer operates the console that controls all of the levels for recording, playback and mixing.

This is the big board that has all the buttons, switches, knobs, faders which control the levels and signal routing for each instrument. This could be referred to as a board, console or mixer. The most common consoles in major studios are SSL (Solid State Logic) or Neve. The console is the most important piece of gear in the studio. It controls the overall operations of signal flow and sound manipulation. The console allows for each instrument to be on its own channel on the board. Each channel may then have effects inserted into its signal path to enhance the sound. A signal may also be routed to external gear for further manipulation. Anything that can be imagined, can be done. There are no rules for experimenting with sound. A signal can be sent to reverbs, delays, compressors, guitar amps, speakers in hallways for re-recording

Each channel strip on a decent console will contain: Faders, Preamps, Panning, Equalization, Filters, a Routing Matrix, AUX Sends and Returns, Dynamics, Muting, & Solo.

Other Features Of The Console: Inserts, Outputs, Monitoring, Automation, Fader Grouping, Bussing, Splitting...

Patchbay

Allows the studio to combine interconnectivity with all the equipment by using patch cables. The patchbay can be configured for each studio's specific equipment requirements. All of the outboard gear, console and recording devices inputs and outputs are hard wired to the patchbay. The Patchbays can be be analog or digital. The most common is the bantam TT cable configurations.

Check List Part 2:

Microphones Microphones pickup the initial sound source. The mic is the first source in the recording process receiving and converting the sound wave into electrical energy to be amplified, transmitted and recorded.

Preamps Amplifies the original signal coming from the mic or instrument. Gives initial control of the recording levels. Preamps are located on the console or as external outboard gear.

DI Boxes The Direct box is used mainly for instruments such as keys and bass to be compatible with mic inputs. The DI box transforms line levels of instruments to mic level for console and preamp inputs.

Compressors Helps to further control levels and dynamics coming from the preamp or console. Usually comes in rack mounted outboard gear or software plugins for DAWs. Compressors keep levels from peaking into distortion levels and help to bring lower levels louder.

FX Processors For special effects like adding space, dimension, pitch and time delays on signals and recorded tracks. Usually comes in rack mounted outboard gear or software plugins for DAWs. Multi-FX processors may have reverb, delay, flangers, EQ, compression and more all in one unit.

FX Pedals Small floor foot pedals originally designed for guitar FX processing. These pedals are created for distortion and special effects, which add space, dimension, pitch and time on guitars mainly, but are an inexpensive alternative used as outboard gear for other instruments.

DAW The Digital Audio Workstation is like an entire studio inside of a computer. Protools, Logic and Nuendo are just a few DAWs that provide a digital multi-track recorder, a virtual console, a wide variety of effects, editing, and sequencing(musical programming) possibilities. The DAW uses software, hardware and computers in combination to operate.

Check List: Part 3

Control Surface The control surface acts as a console that controls a DAW or external machine. The control surface usually has faders, knobs and buttons that are controlled by the computer connected to a DAW. This makes operating the DAW similar to analog operations by being able to put your hands on faders instead of clicking a mouse. Some control surfaces have all the same features as a console. The most common control surfaces are made by Digidesign.

Clocking Digital recorders use different clocking formats to operate properly. Digital units sample the sound to be replicated. Clocking refers to the amount of time in between samples taken for reproduction. If the digital clocking is off it will sound jittery or add noise to the sound in the analog to digital conversion. A quality clock will improve the sound. Some common digital clock sources can be found in products made by Prism, Rosendahl, DCS, and Aardsync to name a few. Some clocks have sync generators built in to lock up with other machines.

Sync Generator Generates tones to allow communication between machines so that several recording devices can be synchronized together and operate at the same speed. Clocking works with synchronization (sync) when analog and digital equipment is combined. Sync uses SMPTE, MTC (midi time code), Midi Clock, MMC (midi machine control) to allow recording on several DAWs and tape machines to be linked up together.

CD Recorder Records and plays back compact discs. Gives the ability to record stereo mixes and playback these mixes on other CD players. CD standard for consumer playback is a sample rate of 16 bit and a sampling rate of 44.1kHz. Sony, Tascam, Alesis, and Yamaha all make good studio CD recorders.

Tape Machines Recording machines that use analog or digital tape for recording and playback of music. Some purists in sound recording prefer the sound of analog tape. There are many digital tape machines used for recording both music and video.

Cabling Literally miles of various cabling could be needed for a single studio. Common cables in sound reproduction are XLR balanced mic cables and Unbalanced 1/4 inch instrument cables.

Monitors / Amps Speakers in the studio are referred to as Monitors. Powerful clean amps are needed to run monitors. Many monitors are self powered, which means that they have built in amplifiers. Monitors usually consist of high frequency tweeters, low frequency woofers and cabinets that contain the speakers and components.

Headphones / Distribution By using a set of earphones this allows communication between the control room and the studio, also allows pre-recorded tracks to be heard during the overdubbing process. Headphones are also referred to as cans.

Instruments / Keyboards / Drums / Guitars These are more of the tools of the craft. You may have all the best studio gear in the world, but if the instruments sound bad you are starting in the wrong place. Anything could be considered an instrument if it makes noise that could possibly be recorded on a record.

Amplifiers This is often referred to as an amp. Amps increase the amplitude or volume of electrical signals from sound waves. These are used in powering speakers. Guitar and Bass amps can be used for many other applications such as running a vocal or snare drum through them.

Microphone Stands A wide variety of sizes and styles are needed for a proper studio. The mic stand helps to get the microphone placed properly for the best sound quality possible.

Studio Furniture There are many types of racks and furniture designed to hold consoles and outboard gear. The interior decoration of the studio completely sets the vibe of the working environment.

Electricity

Nothing will work without electricity unless you're jamming at the local drum circles down on the beach. Electrical installation studio power is often overlooked. Studios will setup a "clean feed" that is a separate breaker from the rest of the general power that is being used for air conditioning, lighting and the basic necessities of the rest of the building. Have you ever plugged something in and heard that horrific buzzing sound coming from the speakers or guitar amp? This is usually due to bad electrical wiring, which causes ground noise. This is the first thing to listen for when going in to a studio session. A simple solution to the problem would be to use a simple ground lifter on the gear or lift the ground from a direct box which can also solve the problems. We will go into details later.

Isolated electrical circuits for each individual room are a must in a recording studio. The proper amount of amperage is also a must. Not enough amperage will surely cause your breakers to blow. Consult with an Electrician who is familiar with studio setups to insure that wiring and voltage is regulated and conforming with local codes.

Unregulated Power Supplies (UPS) should also be in place just in case there is a power failure. This will insure that valuable equipment will not blow up or cause a fire. If there is a case of a power outage the UPS will provide enough time to backup important computer files and safely turn off your equipment. Some studios will have complete generator systems in place to keep the studio running for the remainder of the session.

Improper lighting can also cause buzzing ground issues, especially fluorescent bulbs. Avoid using these in any studio. Dimmers can also cause many problems. The average household dimmers will surely put a damper into a clean sound. Make sure that professional grade dimmers are installed to avoid ground noise. Always listen carefully to signals being recorded before committing to a final take. There are a countless number of accounts that the engineer discovers electrical noise on takes during the mix process.

If you are serious about your studio, may I suggest balance power or a separated panel with neutral power conditioning. The evil problems of ground issues are a direct reflection of sources returning or looking for a different ground. Voltage potential between neutral and ground will certainly change your way of looking at things... for example, .5 volts between neutral and ground is the maximum allowance by UL code that electronics will operate optimally without potential induction issues. I would suggest having a meter installed to rate this. Logging this information and having a good rapport with the local electric company would not hurt at all.

Air Conditioning/HVAC

This is another very important area that is often not considered. Studio gear gets very hot. The lack of adequate cooling could result in equipment failure or damage. Blowing up equipment is no fun and it gets very expensive. Some recording studios have a separate Machine Room for computers, tape machines and power amps that is highly air-conditioned to keep everything cool. This also cuts down on the noise from the fans on such units, which can distract concentration from listening in detail in the control room. Having too much air conditioning could also result in moisture or condensation build-up that may also damage the gear. Water in general is bad for electronic gear.

The return air system is used to pull heat out of needed areas and also provides an air intake for the AC units. These are placed in key areas where there is a build-up of heat from the gear, for example near the console or in the machine room.

Separate Rooms: Control Room

Most studios have several isolated areas for recording, mixing, and production. Soundproofing is the main agenda when creating multiple rooms in a studio. To achieve this, the main objective is to make the rooms airtight. If air cannot leak in or out of a room, there will be less chance of sound leaking in or out as well.

Most pro studios have double doors that create a sound lock to help prevent noise leakage. They also have very thick double walls with interior air gaps to also help trap unwanted sound. The floors in the studio should also be floated which means they are lifted from the ground to help further prevent extra vibrations and leakage.

The first focus would be the Control Room where the mixing console and outboard gear are contained. This is where all of the recording and mixing is controlled, hence control room. The acoustics in this room should be designed for hearing the exact sound that is being recorded or mixed. The sound of the room should be as natural as possible for accurate representation of the original sound translated to the speakers in the room.

The first rule for an appropriate acoustically treated room is that there should be no parallel walls .If you were to clap your hands in a room with hard parallel walls you would here the sound bouncing back and forth, this is known as a flutter echo. This is neither good for recording or mixing. The trapping of unwanted bass is important for a room to sound great as well. Twenty five percent of the room should be assigned for bass traps for an adequate mixing room.

Separate Rooms: Live Rooms

The next focus of equal importance would be the Live Room where the music is recorded. This is where the musicians and vocalists perform on the microphones. Live rooms should have more versatility to be able to adapt to different recording situations. Wood floors for example are great for reflection of sound, which creates a brighter tone. If a warmer tone is wanted, one could simply place a rug on the floor. Many live rooms also have a great deal of glass to see between rooms for communication. This is also very reflective. Many studios use curtains to control the amount of reflections coming off glass or hard walls. Non-parallel walls are again needed to eliminate any flutter echoes.

Some studios also contain a vocal booth within the live room. This would be a smaller room designed for vocals. They may also be used for guitar amps and other instruments. There are no rules for what this can be used for; its main purpose is for additional isolation during the recording process. Glass doors or windows are used for visibility of the artists and those working in the control room.

Many elaborate studios may have multiple control rooms and production suites. Lounges and proper bathroom facilities are important in keeping the creativity flowing. A dining area and kitchen are also a consideration if budgets permit. Many hours are spent in the studio when working on projects. It is important to have all the comforts of home to keep everyone happy.

A few proper offices are necessary for the client to be able to have private internet access and to handle business without any distractions. All studios are designed differently. Whatever can be imagined can be created. There are no rules, only guidelines.

Acoustics

Sound is a wave, much like the ripples on a still body of water when a rock is dropped into it. The larger the wave, the lower the tone. Lower tones, known as bass frequencies, travel in wide long waves while higher tones known as treble frequencies travel in a tighter, shorter wave. Frequencies heard by the human ear range from 20Hz to 20K. Just as an indication, a piano's range, probably the widest range of any instrument, is from 39Hz on the low note and 3Khz on the high note.

Sound is measured in decibels also represented as dB. An average concert is about 95-100 dB while a heavy rock concert or hip hop concert could reach levels of 130dB. This is above the threshold of pain; so don't forget to wear your earplugs which are designed to protect your hearing when in extreme sound levels. Interestingly enough, whales can actually produce levels of up to 180dB. It should be remembered that taking care of your ears is the most important thing you can do to prevent damage and have a sustained career. So don't hang out with any whales and put some protection in your ears when exposed to loud volumes.

Absorption is the act of a sound wave being soaked up by a particular material. This is measured by co-efficient ratings. The higher the sound absorption co-efficient rating, the more sound that is being eliminated from troubled spots in your room. Different section of the room may require different co-efficient ratings. Remember that studios start off as an empty shell. Hard surfaces and walls need treatment to provide for a great sounding room. For example, 20 gauge theater curtains are commonly used in studios. They consist of a thick velvet material, which is excellent for absorbing high-end frequencies. The thinner materials soak up higher frequencies.

The thicker materials soak up lower frequencies. This is why thick bass traps are very large and contain ports or holes to trap low-end frequencies. The larger the port, the lower the frequency absorption.

There are endless amounts of products and designs that are used in the industry. Wall panels are also commonly used to absorb sound. These are made from a fiberglass product wrapped in a cloth material. Various sizes and thickness are used for problem frequencies. Again the thin materials eliminate high end and thicker materials absorb low end.

Reflection is the opposite of absorption. Think of the sound as a wave hitting a mirror and bouncing back. This can be used as an advantage for a brighter tone. If a room has too much absorption causing the room to sound too dead, hard surfaces such as wood panels can be placed in strategic locations to add a more live sound to the room.

Some studios have reversible hanging panels that can be flipped between reflective and absorptive to change the room sound at will. For vocals the room may need a more dead sounding absorptive room. Drums may require a more live sounding room. John Bonham, from Led Zeppelin had an amazingly huge live reflective drum sound. This became the goal for the big Rock drum sound.

Prince is underestimated as a drummer. He has a great tight drum sound on his first record where he played all of the instruments as well as the drums. The drums have just the opposite effect using absorption in a small tight room creating a very in your face heavy Pop drum sound.

These are not rules, only guidelines. Using your ears is always the key to getting the best sound.

Designing a studio is quite an undertaking to do professionally. Each room is completely separated and isolated from one another. The most common method is to actually build a room inside of a room. The inner walls do not touch the outer walls, which creates an air gap that traps sound. Each wall can be many feet thick and multiple layers of thick glass and doors divide the rooms.

The floors in each room are floated from the ground with spacers that also create an air space to lower vibrations and help to trap unwanted sound leakage. All floors have different characteristics in the way sound waves bounce off from their surfaces. While wood floors have a warm tone, concrete and tile have a brighter tone. This also holds true for walls.

A solid plan is needed to run cabling between rooms so that each room can be interconnected with each other for microphone signal lines and headphone communication systems. Custom made cable troughs or PVC tubing is used to send groups of microphone cables from a panel to the control room. From the control room the Headphone lines would be run through the walls for communication between all of the rooms.

Materials and Tools

Drywall is needed for walls. The more layers of drywall added will increase the thickness of the studio walls. By using varying thicknesses of drywall stacked and shifted, alternating at the seams will help minimize sound transmission between rooms. Many drywall screws and a good electric drill will definitely come in handy if you are building a studio.

Fabric is used for making wall panels and ceiling clouds that control the absorption in the studio. There are specific fabrics that are designed for different frequency absorption. Each thickness and texture has varying co-efficient ratings at multiple frequency bands.

AC Duct Board and other fiberglass products are wrapped in fabric with spray glue to create absorbing panels called Wall Boxes and Bass Traps. Thermal Fiber or Fiberglass Insulation is inserted in between two sets of walls and ceiling to create an additional thickness providing an alternate texture, containing fiberglass, which is superb for capturing sound.

Sand is also an excellent alternative choice for filling walls to prevent sound wave transmission. Wood provides the skeleton for frames that hold the panels and boxes. Larger Bass Traps with large ports could be made from wood or fiberglass. RPG panels are a series of wooden slats mathematically designed to absorb and refract, or soak up and scatter sound inside a room. Wood can also be used to create custom racks to hold the outboard gear, console and patchbay. Custom studios can be designed for any situation and style.

Doors, Walls and Windows

Doors and walls are the single most important item where recording studio sound bleed is concerned. A small 1/4inch air gap at the bottom threshold of a door will release 30% of the sound. Creating airtight rooms are the first step in sealing all the gaps for optimum sound proofing. The transitions between where the rooms are connected have more possibilities for sound leakage. All corners, gaps and frames for door and window cutaways must be sealed with a silicon or caulking material. Keep in mind that if air can escape through any passage then sound will surely go through as well.

Sarit Bruno manages content and editorial line for Audiofanzine

AudioFanzine offers benchmark testing/reviews of products, software or instruments and articles of a tutorial nature, all of which are systematically illustrated by exclusive videos or audio extracts. Addressing a universal audience, both amateurs and professionals alike, http://Audiofanzine.com addresses musicians as well as sound engineers, home-studio recording enthusiasts, and audio and lighting engineers.

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