Bass Guitar Types - Which One Is Right For You?

A bass guitar is primarily a four stringed instrument that produces sound, usually through amplification, by either being picked, slapped, or most commonly plucked. When people think of a bass guitar most often the image they get in their mind is a longer four stringed version of a guitar. However, that is an all to common fallacy, in fact there is a large number of types of basses out there each with their own unique feature.
Electric
The electric bass is an instrument that runs a cable from its input jack (a hole on the side of the bass), to an amplifier that projects the sound made while playing the strings on the instrument. Electric basses can differ in size, shape, make, sound, and even with the amount of strings. The long slender part of the bass just as with a guitar is the neck. The neck ranges in size between short-scale and regular scale. For beginners short-scale basses are easier to play but the sound is usually compromised in that it creates a much darker and less bright sound.
The neck of a short-scale is usually around 30 inches a dramatic difference from the 34 inches on standard bass necks. The sound of a bass can change dramatically depending on the type of wood used. Alder, Ash, Koa, and Walnut are some of the most common types of wood used for the bodies.
When it comes to the bass's neck rosewood and maple are almost always used. While most electric basses usually only have four string where the tuning is (E-A-D-G) some basses contain a fifth string that has a lower register (B-E-A-D-G), and there are even some basses that not only have a low B string but a high C as well, making them a six string bass, (B-E-A-D-C).
Acoustic & Acoustic-Electric
Much like guitars, basses have their own acoustic models that do not require a cable or bass amp to produce sound. All that is needed for these specific types of basses is simply playing. The sound is produced by the vibrations made from playing echoing through the body of the bass and then resonating out of the large hole in the front of the bass's body, the sound hole.
Acoustic-Electric basses are an even rarer form of basses that can produce sound with or without an amp. They are almost identical to acoustic basses in size, shape and look and like an acoustic basses they can make sound merely by being played. However, unlike acoustic basses acoustic-electrics can act like electric basses and be plugged into and be played.
Beginner Kits
Basses like guitars can end up getting pretty pricey. High end bass companies like Fodera, Warwick, and Ritter can create basses that can go into thousand dollar range. There are though several beginner kits that typically only cost a couple hundred dollars.
 also normally hold more than just the bass itself. In general most beginner kits contain a small bass amp, an electric cable, a bass tuner to keep the bass in tune while playing, and of course the actual bass. Beginner kits can be found at most music stores as well as several online music distributors.
There is a myriad of basses out there each with different features. Some that need an amp to be heard some that don't. However, the one unifying thing with all these different instruments, is that they are all basses and each has its own distinct use.

Elvis Presley Songs: The King of Rock and Roll

Who doesn't love Elvis Presley songs? He is the King of Rock and Roll... and the king of gyration. It was his leg shaking, hip thrusting, and his irresistible smile that drew the women to this unforgettable performer.
It was 1956 when Elvis debuted his famous foot shuffling on the Milton Berle show to the sound of "Hound Dog." The viewers were in for the shock of their life. His slow-moving gyration around the microphone stand created a swirl of controversy.
The next day's national media used terms like "vulgar" and "obscene" because of the strong suggestive sexual content. Nearly six decades later, one wonders what kind of world those people lived in back then. Television critics slammed the performance as being "appalling" and lacking any "musical merit."
The New York Times said, "Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. His specialty is rhythm songs...with an undistinguished whine...with a beginners aria in the bathtub." They suggested his movements on the stage were more like those of a blonde bombshell on a burlesque runway.
Later he performed on the Ed Sullivan show. It was here that they only allowed a camera shot from the waist up. Sullivan thought Elvis was a decent and fine boy. He remembered him as one of the most pleasant people to be around at the time.
Cosmopolitan magazine wrote in December of 1956 that though he was kind to his parents, sent money to his family, and was unspoiled...he didn't have a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in public.
Years later he moved on from such harsh remarks. And today he is certainly known to be the first King of Rock and Roll. He is a cultural icon of music around the world. It is estimated he has sold more than a billion singles and albums. And according to RIAA he had 149 top 100 singles in his music career. Not bad for a guy who sung with whine in a bathtub.
Elvis is the only recognized performer to be inducted into four music Halls of Fame. His name can be found in the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame." His home at Graceland, is a national historic landmark and his face has adorned a United States postage stamp.
Leonard Bernstein said that Elvis was the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything from: music, language, and clothing...which created a social revolution from the 60's forward.
Today young people have no concept of the force of this iconic performer. He laid the ground work for so many contemporary performers. And though his picture adorns so many objects that may detract from the cultural influence he was...he still stands as one of the last centuries world wide cultural changers.
Even in his death Elvis Presley songs are a hot selling commodity... approaching nearly $50 million in earnings annually. Elvis and Elvis Presley songs continue to be a genuine cultural force.

The Top 4 Female Jazz And Soul Singers Of All Time

Just imagine what kind of world we would have without music with our conversations revolving on topics like weather and work, whilst movies could be boring and lifeless without the musical components. Music is a vital part of living and through melody, lyrics and song it is possible for thoughts and emotions to be conveyed clearly and easily by various artists. This article will highlight the top 4 female jazz and soul singers of all time.
Aretha Franklin is well-known around the world as The Queen of Soul. Aretha is the second female singer who is recognized in Grammy history, after Alison Krauss. Over the years, she has won eighteen Grammy Awards as well as received the Living Legend Grammy and the Lifetime Achievement Grammy. Aretha has eight competitive and successive awards from 1968 -1975 in the Grammy category for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Subsequently, this award was nicknamed as The Aretha Award.
Billie Holiday has made a huge contribution to jazz music and only a handful of jazz singers could rival this artist. This American jazz singer and composer have been regarded as one of the greatest female vocalists ever. Throughout the latter years in her career, a lot of abuse was placed on her vocal cords and this eventually altered the original rich and strong texture of her voice. As of such, her latest records have a strange enticing fragility. But, despite the alternation in her voice, no one can contest the level of emotions infused in all performance and can be heard in all her songs, as this remained consistent and in full-force throughout her lifetime.
Ella Fitzgerald got her break whilst performing in a talent contest in Harlem at the Apollo Theatre. Before this, she was homeless and poor. During her teenage years, Ella was the singer for a band called Chick Webb. She grew up to become a jazz singer that was possibly the most gifted of all, where she excelled in scat singing with a bop flavor, in ballads, as well as recorded collections of some of the greatest composers in America. Although she is long gone, Ella has recordings which showed that she has earned the title of The First Lady of Song, as she is still being referred to even today.
Etta James is one of the greatest singers of American blues, R&B (rhythm and blues), soul, rock and roll, jazz and gospel. During the 50s and 60s, James enjoyed a successful career with the legendary Chess Records as an R&B and blues singer. In recent years pop star Beyonce played the role of Etta James in the feature film Cadillac Records covering the classic hit "At Last". Etta's turbulent life of drinking and drugs was portrayed throughout the film which had mixed reviews but one the memory of Etta's astonishing voice will be with us forever.

Opera Music - The First Operas

Opera is a very old form of musical entertainment. The word opera is from the Italian language and translates to mean work or labor. Classical opera is a musical production that combines a musical score with a libretto (dramatic work or written storyline). An opera combines many different elements including acting, singing, dancing, costumes and music.
The very first opera is often considered to be Dafne. Jacopo Peri composed this production with contributions from Giulio Caccini. Ottavio Rinuccini wrote the libretto. It made its debut as a private event in 1597, in Florence at the Plazzo Corsdi. The concept behind the production was to bring alive the classic Greek tragedy. Many of the early operas take their story lines and ideas from Greek literature. Although, this dramatic work was to begin a completely new form of musical genre, the musical score has virtually disappeared.
Dafne was actually not written for an orchestra but for a much smaller ensemble. It composed for lute, archlute, harpsichord, viol and triple flute. The libretto written was the story of the god Apollo falling deeply in love with the nymph Dafne.
Peri and Rinuccini's showing of Dafne was a huge success and was so well liked that they were asked to write a second work using the same format. Their second joint effort was to a commissioned piece to celebrate the marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Medici. This musical creation was entitled L'Euridice.
L'Euridice was preformed for the first time in 1600. Peri himself preformed the lead role in this production. The story of this opera is once again Greek in origin. It revolves around the god Orpheus and his search for his beloved Euridice. Euridice, who is actually a nymph, was taken to the underworld and Orpheus is trying to get her back.
These two operas were the first time that audiences were introduced to the recitative. There are many times during a performance where a cast member has to convey what they are thinking or feeling to the audience. Rather than trying to set this portion of the production to a song, the actor is given the liberty to sing but uses an almost conversational tone. There is usually music in the background, but the words are not set to it. The other major differences are that in a song there are normally choruses and repeating portions. This does not happen in the recitative. The emphasis here is to move the action of the play forward.
These two productions would herald the beginning of a completely new form of art. Like all art forms, there are many variations of opera. Through the years, opera has changed and evolved greatly. Both the composers and the writers take many liberties to make their productions more appealing to the audience.

Feel The Beat On Your Own Computer

Make beats on your computer and you could be right up there with the pros when it comes to creating your own unique sound. These days, with a variety of beat making programs available, it is possible for just about anyone to create music. If you're not finding the sound you want at your local club, then mix it up on your own PC!
Whether you're looking to create pop or hip hop Beats, the best place to start is with one several brands of beat making software. Names such as Cubase, FL Studio, GarageBand, Ableton Live and Reason are just a select few of the beat making and recording software programs available on the market today. Check out each one and see what features they have to offer and you're sure to find one that suits your needs.
Now that you've got the means to make a beat, you need to decide exactly what kind of beat you want to produce. Think about the kind of music you like to listen to and what kinds of beats spark your interest. If you find them entertaining, chances are other people will too. With that in mind, you can begin sketching out a basic game plan to make beats on your computer.
Every good beat is made up of several components, originating from the various parts of a traditional drum set up. There's the kick drum, the snare, and the high hat, each of which have their own unique sound. These sounds can be combined in a variety of patterns to make an individual beat. How you use them is entirely up to you and the key to finding a good beat is creativity and experimentation.
Fortunately, most software programs allow you to make changes as you listen to your recorded beat. This makes it much easier to mix and match and come up with hip hop Beats that add just the right amount of funk or a pop sound that can drive them to the dance floor. You can record your beat directly from a drum machine or keyboard or use software driven instruments instead.
Once you've decided on a beat, then you can take your creation to the next level by adding other elements including a melody and bass line. You can lay in a melody on top of your beats to give your piece texture. The bass line usually rides under the beat to give the piece a solid foundation. But it's those beats that drive the song, so they really need to stand out.
Depending on the software you use, there may be a variety of percussion instrument sounds you can choose from when you make beats on your computer. Everything from cymbals to cowbells to snaps can add flavor and character to your beat. Don't be afraid to experiment; you never know what you might discover along the way.
If you've ever dreamed of being a music mogul, now is your chance to get in on the action right from your own keyboard. Check out the different kinds of beat making software and consider your options. With a little ingenuity and imagination, you could be on your way to discovering the next big beat!

Perfect Wedding Bands and Music - Make the Right Choice

Wedding bands/music is like the icing on the cake; it can help to set the mood for the entire event. Hence planning for wedding music and songs can get to be a little daunting especially if you do not know how to go about it. Here are a few tips and pointers that can get you started in the right direction.
The first and most important thing is to decide what kinds of songs and music that you want to be played on your big day. There are so many options to choose from like traditional wedding bands/music, contemporary, light-hearted, religious, eclectic or somber. You can also choose music pertaining to a specific culture or according to the theme of your wedding if any. Once you have decided the framework, consider half the job done. It is best to sit down with your partner and make the selection rather than do it all by yourself; if you have hired a wedding planner, then make sure that she is also a part of your discussions as the music must reflect the overall mood of the wedding.
You can also mix and match the style of music; some people prefer somber and religious music for the ceremony but fun and sassier dance numbers for the reception to get the guest grooving. Another important tip is to choose wedding bands/music that reflects both of your personalities. Do not blindly follow any trend; instead select pieces that is meaningful to your relationship. You can also play one or two special songs that have touched you during your courtship; it is a wonderful feeling to play some heady love ballads for your first dance during the reception.
Dedicating a special song to a friend or a family member is a great way to say thanks to that person. It is also important that you keep the tastes of your guests in mind while choosing music especially for the cocktail party or reception. Get wedding bands/music that will appeal to both the younger and older generation and will keep all of them on the toes. It is quite easy to hire a wedding band or DJ these days; you just need to go online and search the top ranking ones. Another easy way is to ask for recommendations to your wedding planner or friends and relatives.
If you are hiring a live band, then make a choice of the instruments that you would like for the wedding music. Some people prefer soft and light piano music while others prefer more specific ones like saxophone, string quartet or a folk group. You can discuss the type of music that you prefer with the band master and also inform him of the special requests. Give adequate time to the band especially if you need many special numbers as they have to procure the music and practice it before the event. But if you are going in for a DJ, the work gets done faster as everything is electronic.

Top Indian Host MOdel Actress Genelia D Souza Cool Pictures and Filmography-Biography

Genelia D Souza is a Indian Bollywood and Telugu film actress and Model. She was born on August 5 1983, in India. She is also a TV show host.


Filmography & Career
Film Career: Genelia started her career with Boys, a Tollywood (South Indian Film- Industry) venture. Her only prominent success in Bollywood was the multi-starrer Masti, but she has been winning great accolades for her work in Tollywood.
Debut Film: Boys-Tollywood, Tujhe Meri Kasam- Bollywood
Famous Movies: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008), Ready (2008), Mere Baap Pehle Aap (2007), Dhee (2007), Mr Medhavi (2007), Satya In Love (2007), Chennai Kadhal (2006), Bommarilu (2006), Subash Chandra Bose (2005), Raam (2005), Sye (2005) , Happy (2005), Masti (2004), Samba (2004), Na Alludu (2004), Sacchein (2004), Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003), Satyam (2003), Boys (2003)
Latest Movies: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008)
Upcoming Movies: It's My Life, Life Partner
Film Awards: FNCC Best Actress Award For Dhee (2007), Santosham Best Actress Award for Bomarillu (2006), Nandi Special Jury Awards for Bommarillu (2006), Filmfare Best Actess Award (Telegu) for Bomarillu (2006)