Sweating Bullets (Guitar Hero 5 Expert + Drums Sightread)

First things first. I know I'm not the best Rock Band/Guitar Hero drummer in the world and I'm not trying to be. I'm just uploading my videos for friends and family to view so please leave the "you suck" comments at the door. Having said that, I just bought a Hauppauge HD PVR and I was really itching to try it out. Most, if not all, of the videos that I'll be uploading will be in HD. Some people will have problems viewing videos in HD due to older/slower computers. If the videos seem to be choppy or laggy then this is most likely your problem. Some of the common questions I'm expecting to get are: Question: What type of drum kit are you using? Answer: I'm using an ION Drum Rocker. Question: What type of bass pedal are you using? Answer: I'm using a Roland KD-8 kick trigger and a kickbox. Question: Do you play real drums? Answer: No. I've never touched a set of drums in my life until I started playing Rock Band. Question: How did you get a gold drum icon Answer: You get a gold icon for finishing the ESL (Endless Set List) on hard. You get a platinum for finishing expert and an inverted icon for finishing on medium. Question: Which system do you play on? Answer: I play Rock Band on my 360, however, I do own a PS3 too. Question: What's your gamer tag? Answer: Whetzel (on both systems) Thanks for watching and if you would like to you can subscribe because I plan on uploading more videos as I get time. Some videos will be fc's, some will be Gold Stars and some will probably ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWbyHLM3MUs&hl=en

4 Steps to Learning How to Play Any Song on the Piano

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1. Determining the melody - Melodies are the actual tune to a song, some song are melodious and tend to be a bit flat but it sound good because it is sitting on a nice set of running chord. For beginner I would recommend starting with song that are melodious and get the tune of it, Play it on the piano in single tune, it means without the chords and bass lines. Melodies determine what chords will be played. If you can use your ear to figure out what notes are being played in the melody, you are 1/4 on your way to learning a song!

2.Harmonizing the melody - This part of it, is that you must have some understand of chords and how chords are form. In music and music theory a chord is three or more different notes that sound simultaneously. Once you have figured out the melody, it is time to harmonize it. This is simply choosing various chords to accompany the melody. There are several techniques and tricks to doing this. An example of a chord formation is always use the 1, 3 and 5 note of a scale for a major chord, example C chord is make up of C, E and G and a G chord is G, B and D.

3. Altering Chords - This is the best part! Now that you have strategically figured out the melody to a song and have harmonized it, altering your chords to produce certain sounds is the next step. If you were playing gospel music, you would alter your chords differently than if you were playing classical or country music.

4. Listening - After you have determined the melody, harmonized the melody, and altered some of your chords, there are various techniques you can use to make sure that your song sounds right. Personally I listen to the bass line and whether is from the bass guitar or from the piano this can help you more, the bass line does help you to determine the timing of the song too.

I personally learn all these theory from "The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear" 300-pg Course by Jermaine Giggs and would strongly recommend this if you want to learn to play piano by ear. He has taught literally thousands of musicians how to play the piano by ear. This is very different from learning to read music score as what the classical pianist are trained.

Types of Drums

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Drums are percussive instruments built by stretching a membrane across an opening in a vessel. The most common property of various types of drums is their pitch. Drums are the one of the oldest and the most omnipresent instruments. Even with the various types of drums present, the most common aspect is the origin of sound. Sound in a drum originates from the vibration caused when you strike the membrane, called the head, with another object. Drumheads can be made from the skin of a goat, cow, antelope, or sheep, or even a synthetic material. The types of drums that exist vary as markedly as the people who use them for communication, ritual, or entertainment all over the world.

The common way of classifying drums into different types of drums is by their shape. Most drums fall into the following categories

cylindrical, barrel, conga, waisted, goblet, or bowl.

A frame drum, with its squat hoop, and a long drum, which is thin and tall, are both the cylindrical variety. A barrel such as a Tabla, goblet such as a Djembe, and bowl such as a Nakari, are named for their shapes so they are easily recognized. The conga tapers at its bottom, and the waisted drum tapers in the middle, as with a Changko's cinched waist.

A further classification on the types of drum is made on the basis of which side the drum might have a head. A drum may have a head at either end of the body or only on one. Drums like congas and bowls have one head, but frame drums have two. Some drums can be carried while walking or dancing while some drums are stationary, such as the Djembe from Mali.

Besides the categorization of various drums into types of drums one should be aware that not all drums are specifically tuned. The drums develop their tone due to body shape or head size. Pulling a cord or shifting a peg to stretch the head can adjust the pitch of a drum.

The western world of rock music listeners is more familiar with non-pitched drums, such as a bass or snare drum in a drum set. These can be used in combination with any harmony or key.

We can also differentiate drums in a drum kit as types of drum. A drum kit consists of a collection of various types of drums and cymbals. It can also be accompanied by various percussion instruments such as cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines arranged in a suitable manner for the convenience of the drummer.

Differing music styles implement the components of a drum kit in different manners. Ride cymbals and hi-hats are usually preferred more in a jazz set-up, whereas a bass drum and snare drum is preferred more for rock music.

With the on-set of technology another type of drum that gained popularity is the electronic drum kit. It was in 1980 that electronic drums were introduced. Today they can be easily used as an easy replacement for other various types of drums in acoustic settings.

You're Still a Grand Old Flag

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George M. Cohan's encounter with a Civil War veteran inspired a song that became a Broadway hit. From there it became a household name.

That song was, and is, "You're a Grand Old Flag". This song celebrates Old Glory and all that it stands for. The song is a patriotic march with a catchy lilt and equally catchy lyrics. It certainly is a summer concert-in-the park favorite.

George Cohan found himself next to a veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg one day. He noticed the man had a neatly- folded American flag in his hands but that it was ragged looking. This man said to Cohan, "She's a grand old rag."

This triggered an idea for a song in Cohan's head and he wrote one using this line. There was consternation from people over the term 'rag'. Many felt it was an insult to the Stars and Stripes and they wanted that word removed from the lyrics. Cohan did just that, changing the word to 'flag,' and the rest is American musical history.

Cohan wrote the tune in 1906 for his stage production 'George Washington Jr.' The play, and the song, premiered on February 6, 1906 at the Herald Square Theater in New York City. The story starred Cohan, who played a U.S. Senator's son who desires a simple girl from the southern United States. His father has different aims - wanting his son to link up with an English woman of prominence. The story is their battle to achieve two different goals.

The play and the song 'You're a Grand Old Flag' were a huge success. From Broadway it subsequently moved into America's living rooms over the years because of record and sheet music sales. In fact, this was the first song from a stage musical to sell over a million sheet music copies.

You're a Grand Old Flag became a staple at the family piano and was played across the country. The tune is bright and positive. It evokes feelings of national pride, and one cannot help being uplifted upon hearing it.

George M. Cohan was born in 1878 in Providence, Rhode Island. His parents were Vaudeville performers who continually toured the country. George traveled with them, along with his older sister Josephine. He honed his show business skills as a member of the Four Cohans -- this mother-father-sister-brother act. They kept up a hellish tour schedule with the B.F.Keith Circuit and belted out four to six performances a day. This paved the way for the big time for Cohan, the dues-paying years teaching him much.

Eventually Cohan became a prolific Tin Pan Alley tunesmith and penned many popular songs. Others included "Life's A Funny Proposition After All," "I Want to Hear a Yankee Doodle Tune," and "Over There."
His influence was so great he earned the moniker "The Man Who Owned Broadway." Along with that he is known as the father of American musical comedy.

Cohan was not only a songwriter. He wore these hats as well in his career:

* Playwright
* Composer
* Actor
* Singer
* Dancer
* Director
* Librettist
* Producer

His influence and popularity as a true American entertainer resulted in a film about his life. This film was Yankee Doodle Dandy, which portrayed his rise from his Vaudeville days to his Broadway success.

Today, Broadway and its tunes may be a whole lot different from Cohan's time. They still owe a debt of gratitude, however, to this eminent American songwriter and his stage musicals.

Songs like "You're a Grand Old Flag" still speak today to people who are thankful of and appreciate the opportunity America offers.