Basic Music Theory

Hey fellow musicians… Ron Greene here,

There are a lot of decent basic music theory books, tapes etc. on the market these days, and many of them provide good technical content. However, most of the information in them seems to lack specific details that otherwise, really never get you to the point of playing your instrument.

For example, this free music theory publication does a good job of explaining Key Signatures and the history of music, yet, this subject might not interest you as much as getting your instrument out and actually getting down to the matter at hand… playing it! Continue reading Basic Music Theory

Soundgarden and Audioslave, Chris Cornell, dead at 52…

According to wikipedia… Cornell was known for his role as one of the architects of the 1990s grunge movement, for his extensive catalog as a songwriter and for his near four octave vocal range] as well as his powerful vocal belting technique.

Chris released four solo studio albums, Euphoria Morning (1999), Carry On (2007), Scream (2009), Higher Truth (2015) and the live album Songbook (2011). Cornell received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his song “The Keeper” which appeared in the film Machine Gun Preacher and co-wrote and performed the theme song to the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), “You Know My Name”.

He was voted “Rock’s Greatest Singer” by readers of Guitar World, ranked 4th in the list of “Heavy Metal’s All-Time Top 100 Vocalists” by Hit Parader, 9th in the list of “Best Lead Singers of All Time” by Rolling Stone, and 12th in MTV’s “22 Greatest Voices in Music”.

The singer had played a show with Soundgarden, who were midway through their tour, when shortly after Chris Cornell was found dead on his MGM hotel by an apparent hanging.

But many are asking, why would a man who was worshiped by his fans, had a beautiful family and successful career, take his own life? Well, his wife and family attorney have come forward with a potential reason, here…
https://countercurrentnews.com/2017/05/chris-cornells-wife-just-blamed-his-death-on-an-fda-approved-psychoactive-drug/

Here’s a clip of his last performance before this unfortunate event…

(By via Rolling Stone)

“Born Christopher John Boyle in Seattle on July 20th, 1964, Cornell – who took his mother’s maiden name after his parents divorced – was the son of a pharmacist father and accountant mother in Seattle. He had two brothers and three sisters and jokingly likened his family to The Brady Bunch in interviews. Cornell eventually carved a path for himself after taking piano and guitar lessons before finding his way to the drum kit, which he played in an early incarnation of Soundgarden.”

More on Chris Cornell’s death here…
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/soundgardens-chris-cornell-dead-at-52-w482882

Music Streams Reducing Downloads…

So, how are you selling your music these days? It appears that certain streaming medias are in Vogue today and may be gone tomorrow. Question is… how do you monetize the best for your music? This article presents many aspects to consider regarding streaming media. You may also want to review an/my earlier blog post that talks about a service (Patreon) that gives you another source option for your income consideration.
Jam On!
-Ron

stream-your-music

 

 

 

 

 

 

(by via:theguardian.com,
 
“Every new generation of music service steals from the last generation’s customers. Apple stole Amazon’s best CD buyers, and Spotify has now stolen those same customers from Apple – or at least the same sorts of people.”…
… discover more on this subject here:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/29/music-streams-downloads-mark-mulligan

Music celebrities creating silly waves…

The events of popular musicians making outrageous publicity due to their ridiculous adventures, eg., Justin Beiber finding himself in more-than-once trouble… one has to wonder if these shenanigans are nothing more than a way to draw attention, albeit negative, to their cause of creating silly waves of publicity to sell more stuff… Is it really worth it?
This recent article from Chicago Tribune sums it up…
Jam On!
-Ron

music dials sorry icon

(via: Chicago Sun Times – by: Mikael Wood)

“Sorry seems to be the hardest word,” Elton John once sang, but for celebrities that no longer appears to be the case.

 

Apologies from high-profile musicians and actors have been piling up recently, reflecting regret (or at least its image) for a wide variety of perceived offenses, from the seriously damaging to the laughably slight.

There was Justin Bieber seeking atonement after videos surfaced…
-> read the complete article here… <-

Rudy Van Gelder Interview…

Often regarded as one of the most important recording engineers in music history, Van Gelder has recorded several thousand jazz sessions, including many widely recognized as classics, in a career spanning more than half a century…
per Wiki: Rudy Van Gelder
A great interview regarding insights thereof…
– Ron

blue_note_records

Rudy Van Gelder’s name appears on more jazz albums than any other engineer, producer or musician. In all Rudy has recorded thousands of records for Blue Note, Prestige, Hank-mobley-a-caddy-for-daddy_5024Impulse, Verve, A&M, CTI and other labels—which means he has been personally responsible for a sizable chunk of post-war jazz history…
More Here -> https://www.jazzwax.com/2012/02/interview-rudy-van-gelder-part-1.html

White Boys and Metal Music…

The Heavy Metal minority includes women and blacks. Interestingly enough, some music does have a fair amount of race and gender exclusions… some that you’d never think would be the case…

Ron-

Heavy Metal Girls

(by Mike Bell, Postmedia News)

 

What shouldn’t happen and what is entirely inexcusable, though, is when the self-proclaimed gatekeepers of a certain musical style let more important things such as race and gender enter into their “membership requirements,” and do all that they can to make sure those who don’t fit the bill know they’re interlopers…
Read On Here ->
https://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/heavy+metal+minority/8975442/story.html

Janis Joplin on Girls in Rock n’ Roll…


Janis Joplin… “You are only as much as you settle for.”  Check out this excellent (video/audio) biography of one of our era’s most influential musicians and most tragic cultural icons… (click image above)

Ron-

(by blank on blank)
On September 30, 1970, four days before her death, Janis Joplin gave her final interview, a profound conversation about creativity and rejection with Howard Smith of the Village Voice, found in the altogether fantastic The Smith Tapes Box Set — an archive of Smith’s restored interviews with such icons as John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Jane Fonda, James Taylor, Jerry Garcia, and more.

Fan page ideas for your website or social media…

As a musician, having a decent ‘Fan’ page on your website or any social media platform is a great way to develop your following. This article provides some cool and helpful insights as to how your might consider expanding on your current fan page (or building one from scratch)…

Ron-

musicians fan page

(by WixBlog)
Making a fan website is a great way to show appreciation to actors, musicians, athletes, artists or any other remarkable person that made an impact on your life. If you play your cards right, your website can become a hub for communication and conversation with fellow fans…

5 Fan Page to do’s here -> https://www.wix.com/blog/2013/09/create-a-successful-fan-website/

Guitar Power Chords

Guitar Power Chords” relating to the Music Dials…

Hi –

Rhythm and chords have always been the popular foundation for all types of music. Power chords are essentially, just 2 (many times 3) of the strongest tonal notes in the key of the song, which creates powerful sounding chords all to themselves.

In this case, by playing these notes as viewed on the Music “Power Chord” Dial, you will immediately find yourself laying down some substantial rock and blues sounds, indeed. Generally, they are played on the lower registered (bass) strings, where they have the most ‘punch’ to them. Continue reading Guitar Power Chords