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What Do Singing Lessons And A Turntable Have To Do With Each Other?

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microphone for singing

microphone for singingAfter writing about Alan Emslie as a singing drummer and talking about several other famous singing drummers recently, I decided to take up singing. I know I’m not a drummer, but I’m not trying to be a singing drummer. I just want to be better at singing so that I can sound great when I go to karaoke with my friends. To that end I found myself a vocal coach and am now taking singing classes.

Around the same time, I bought myself a turntable record player. This was also spurred on by my little blog here. A while ago (I can’t remember how long, but I’m pretty sure it’s been quite a while) I wrote about listening to Alan Emslie’s music on vinyl, instead of on other media.

Since then I’ve read a lot of articles about how vinyl makes many records sound better and I also got to hear a lot of vinyl records at my friends’ houses. That spurred me to finally get my own turntable. I didn’t spend too much on it, but I did spend at least $1000. Let’s just leave it at that.

listening to musicBasically, after doing my research, I didn’t think a record player that costs less than that would be very good. It wouldn’t give me what I want, which is to listen to my favorite albums the way they were truly meant to be listened to. I want the record player to give me that full vinyl sound and to not get in the way. I don’t want a cheap player that will cause some sound to get lost.

Now we get to the title of this post. What do these two things, purchasing a record player and the beginning of singing lessons, have to do with each other. Why did I decide to make a post about the two of them?

The truth is, I wanted to write about both, but it didn’t seem like I could cover either of them enough to really fill one post. So I thought they should both be put together so that I could get you up-to-date and not have to do so with two different articles.

On top of that, both my getting into singing and my buying a record player does signify me getting much more serious with music in general. I’ve always been a music fan and I have this blog, but I have never really tried to get into music as much myself. Now I really want to turn myself into musician. And I also want to be a music enthusiast. Not just someone who likes it and listens to it, but someone who really appreciates it. And to do that, I really believe you need to have a vinyl record player.

These two new changes in my life are both going to lead me closer to what I believe is my destiny: to be a musician and to be a lover of music. Music is my life and even though so far I haven’t been able to spend much of my life on music, mainly due to a really busy work schedule, I have sworn to make more time for it.

I’m cutting out other things like watching TV, etc. and I’m going to focus every bit of my non-work hours on music. That means I’m going to study my singing and get better, I’m going to continue writing this blog and I want to listen to as many records as I can. And I mean really listen to them, so that I really appreciate the music I’m hearing. That is what it’s all about.

Becoming a Vocalist as a Drummer

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man singing

man singingAlan Emslie is a world-class drummer. If you’ve ever heard any of his solo projects or any of the music he has done with other artists, you will know there is no doubt about this. But there’s one thing he is not good and that is singing. He has never been a good vocalist, but it doesn’t really matter. That is why he usually works with other artists, whenever he needs vocals on his music.

A lot of drummers want to handle their own vocals. If you are one of these, I fully encourage you to do it, but just know that it will be a lot of work. You’ll have to look into getting vocal lessons or a vocal coach, first of all. Finding a good singing teacher is not easy, but here is a page that can help you. It details a lot of different ways to get vocal training, from free to very expensive and which one is best just depends on your personal preference.

If you have decided to get an actual coach, that site also has a few suggestions for coaches that you can hire over the Internet. If you do want to get one locally, it also tells you what to look for. There are a lot of factors you need to take into consideration when hiring a vocal instructor.

You can definitely do all of this on your own and Musicaroo can help you with that too. But, if you’re really serious about your singing, you’ll want to get yourself an actual coach to help you improve your singing. It’s just a smarter move and it’s what all the best singing drummers did.

It will take you a long time and a lot of hard work, but once your have gotten a professional sounding voice, you will be able to handle your own drumming and your own singing. This gives you a lot more control over your music, since you do not have to deal with one extra ego. And we all know that singers can have very big egos. And I’m not saying that us drummers are much better, but let’s face it, we are. Better than those guitarists, too.

That’s why the best drummers generally don’t bother singing. They can put their egos aside and let someone else take control of the band. Usually that is the singer. If you are the type that can’t do this, then it makes a lot of sense to sing your own vocals. In that case it is definitely worth the extra effort it will take you to get your vocals up to a good level.

Alan Emslie never cared about taking a back seat. He never had a huge ego that got in the way of his success. He knows he is a great percussionist and he doesn’t need to be in the foreground. Besides, he has brought out a number of solo albums that did put him in the foreground, so I guess he found a way to get the best of both worlds.

Whatever track you take, I wish you the best of success. Whether you want to learn to sing yourself and you get yourself some great vocal coaches to accomplish that or whether you just want someone else to handle the singing and you focus on the drumming, you can be hugely successful. It just depends which path is better for you. Either way, good luck!

Top 7 Health Benefits of Playing Music

Hymn, Music Fan, Musician 2 Comments

Playing music is becoming more and more popular for people of different ages, and it’s no wonder, since it has so many advantages. It is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself, right up there with gardening, even if it is just indoor gardening under indoor plant lights. And those advantages are open to anyone who wants to learn or improve. There is nothing preventing a child, an adolescent or an older person from getting some musical practice.

How Music Benefits Your Health

There are many ways music benefits your health, and many of them involve your brain’s abilities. It’s really amazing how much playing music from time-to-time can help you and also prevent some diseases. Even listening to music can help you in some ways, but playing it yourself is always better.

Here are some ways music can benefit your health:

  1. Improves memory.
    Studies show that playing an instrument regularly has many benefits for your memory. And if you start as a kid, it’s even better, since you get those tenfold.
  2. Keeps you sharp.
    Some instruments are complicated, like the oboe, and take a lot of knowledge to learn to play well. But in general, playing affects your thinking in a positive way, and if you play every day, the risk of some diseases is greatly reduced.
  3. Relieves stress.
    This one is a massive point nowadays. Our tempo of life is crazy; all the stress and worrying brings up many health issues and can throw a spanner in the works of the human body’s systems. Fortunately, playing music can act as a “chill pill” and gives you an opportunity to relax and learn something at the same time. Another good way to reduce stress is to reduce things you need to worry about. To that end, get yourself some kind of security devices to protect your home. The peace of mind from feeling secure will reduce stress more than anything.
  4. Boosts your respiratory system.
    It’s quite common for musicians to have strong lungs and a good respiratory system in general. There are many exercises for breathing and correct techniques you’ll have to learn if you’re playing often and are serious about improving.
  5. Helps with Alzheimer’s.
    This is very important for sick people, as studies show that listening to and even playing music (though not the long and exhausting practices) helps a lot.
  6. Regulates your mood-swings.
    Mood-swings come from stress and can ruin your social life, your family, your career and the inner-peace with yourself. Science tells us there’s no need to go to the doctor and take medication; mood-swings can be dealt with on a different level. Music will help you relax, find enjoyment the process and stop those mood-swings.
  7. Coordination benefits.
    There are many people who have bad coordination and suffer greatly from it. Dancing helps with that, and doing crafts too, but music can also save you from the inconvenience and helps get your moves right.

What Instrument Should You Play?

This is the first question people usually ask when they think about playing music. And indeed, you have many options to choose from. It really all just depends on yourself. There is no need to do anything if you don’t feel like it, or think it would be uncomfortable for you. So, think of your desires first. There are many different styles of music, so who knows, maybe you’ll find you’re into folk and get yourself an accordion or a banjo. But if you really have the will to it, there is nothing that can stop you on your way.

Plus, who says you have to limit yourself to just one? You can be a world class drummer like Emslie and a great vocalist at the same time. Or you can do the Trent Reznor thing and just handle everything yourself.

Conclusion

There are many benefits of playing an instrument, which can be crucial for some people with specific diseases and health problems. Music is also a good therapy for many, just like riding a horse or swimming with dolphins. Music cures and heals us, and now it’s all proved.

How to Learn to Play Guitar: 7 Simple Steps

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Playing guitar is probably the option people think of most when wanting to learn an instrument. It doesn’t take nearly as much time, it’s quite popular, and you can find a lot of like-minded people through playing guitar. Of course, there are a lot of tips and tricks for it. Even though acquiring an instrument can hurt your wallet, after that almost everything is free, so you can run on pure enthusiasm. However, making a decision to play is one thing; you’ll also have to know where to start and what to begin with.

Your Short Guide to a Guitar

Before you actually set your wheels in motion, it’s good to have a short overview of the whole process and see what your steps should be in order to become an expert.

  1. Learn the guitar.
    It’s quite important to learn about your guitar. Don’t be afraid to pick it up, look at it carefully, touch it, and try the strings. Learn what each part is called and try to remember the names. This should be your first step, as you can’t go further without it.
  2. Learn your posture.
    Posture matters. The way you hold the instrument, and the way you touch the strings and place your hands is crucial. It’s quite important to learn to do it the proper way in the very beginning, as this will make the further steps much easier.
  3. Practice and touch the strings.
    Do some basic moves and feel the instrument and the way it sounds. This is actually the first time you’re trying, so it can be quite a memorable moment.
  4. Learn your chords.
    Take some time to learn the chords and make sure you don’t forget these. Practice often and the constant repetition should make it easier to remember those things.
  5. Try going cleaner.
    Your first sounds probably won’t be very good or clean, so it’s important to polish them. Use some techniques you can find on the web and be patient, it may not come easy at first.
  6. Feel the pain.
    The tips of your fingers will hurt a lot at first, that’s no secret. But remember, this is the pain of learning, and you’ll get used to it.
  7. Continue practicing.
    It’s all about the moves and the practice, so make sure you spare some time daily to play your guitar. After some time, you’ll see how easy it is.

А Few Tricks You Should Know

  • It’s all about reps.
    Most of the sounds you’ll make at first will sound nasty. It will take about 10 hours to master some moves and be comfortable, which is really not many. The more you do, the better you’ll get; it’s that simple.
  • Press down firmly.
    To make the sound better, you’ll need to press the strings down firmly, but don’t go too hard. Spend some time to find the balance.
  • It will be weird.
    Don’t panic. The sounds will be weird, your hands will hurt, and the moves will feel wrong and awkward, but it’s supposed to be this way. What seems so unusual now will be much better after a few days.

Conclusion

The best part about playing the guitar is it doesn’t require you to be someone special and to have some secret talent. Anyone can learn quite easily, it’s no oboe or a piano. If you try, you’ll see your efforts pay off. Then, one day, you will become so famous you will need a super high-quality security system for your home, just to keep away all the stalkers.