Telephone Hold Music – The Psychological Impact
October 12, 2009 by John Seal · Leave a Comment
Telephone hold music – We’ve been discussing the importance of appealing to the range of people and personality types calling your business or organization. We’ll now zero in on some of the specific factors that play into your choice of telephone hold music – and its emotional and psychological impact on your callers. This is important for the simple reason that your telephone hold music may actually have an influence on your bottom line!
What criteria should you consider in choosing your telephone hold music? Your own personal preference may or may not be the best point of reference. Of course, you may want to be guided in part by the tastes of your clientele who are calling, however, that may or may not be the best way to pick your on-hold music either. The effects of various types of music, from classical to country to rock to rap, on humans, animals, and even plants have been studied for years and become subjects of popular discussion. While researching for this blog I came across an article (at “Suite101″, a library of online articles on a range of topics) describing one such study in which one group of mice listened to classical music twenty-four hours a day while a second group listened to heavy metal. The researcher then timed the mice as they ran through mazes to see if the music affected their speed of learning. According to the article, the researcher unfortunately had to terminate the experiment prematurely as the mice exposed to the heavy metal music all killed one another. Could there be a lesson here to learn for you in picking your telephone hold music?
Statistically, it appears that music types such as classical, soft jazz, piano, and harp may be the optimum choice for engendering a positive mindset in your callers as they wait on hold. It seems that, as a general rule, the harder-edged the music the more negative the emotional and psychological impact on those exposed to it. (By the way, violent and negative lyrics can also have adverse effects on listeners, and this would tend to compound the problems with music such as hard rock, however, for telephone hold music it is generally better to use instrumental music anyway. More on this topic in a future post.)
Real estate agents are known to employ the positive psychological and emotional affect of the smell of fresh-baked bread or chocolate chip cookies wafting through the air to help create positive feelings about a house they are showing. Perhaps the right choice in your telephone hold music could have a similar impact on your callers’ ears! It may be only a subtle effect, but if it favorably disposes them toward doing business with you, even if only slightly, it would be worth it.
Why Music Keyboards Rock!
October 12, 2009 by Dave Falkner · Leave a Comment
Music keyboards are electronic marvels of technology. An electronic music keyboard is compact, lightweight and easily transportable. Music keyboards are available as portable models that are simply set on stands and as more fixed instruments with attached stands or frames for fixed placement in a home or studio. Low cost music keyboards are now available.
A child who wants to learn how to experiment with making their own music has many options when they try their first music keyboard. The first instrument that most fledgling musician’s want to learn to play is a piano keyboard. With 54 black and white keys, a music keyboard is an attractive and fun instrument to learn how to play for the musical novice. Music keyboards provide a wide variety of options for teaching children music and having fun creating sound for the first time!
Yamaha keyboards are known for their superior quality and performance, but yamaha keyboards are generally more expensive than other keyboards. Casio keyboards offer more economical music keyboards for the beginner. Other brand names of music keyboards are Korg, Casio, Kurzweil, Moog and Kawai.
Many modern music keyboards are MIDI compatible (musical instrument digital interface). MIDI files are a highly efficient method of transmitting musical information over the internet, because of their small file size. A useful keyboard feature is that you have access to MIDI which allows the keyboard to communicate with computer software and other equipment.
Most piano keyboards are divided into SEVEN octaves. Music keyboards range in price and complexity from miniscule to monstrous.
A beginner who wants a wide range of sounds to chose from will love their new music keyboard. Playing along with a background track is a favorite feature that’s included on most music keyboards. The ability to play with different beats and make different types of musical sounds is what makes the music keyboard a very fun instrument to play. Music keyboards are used as backup instruments in many different types of live music performances. You can start playing music keyboards today by buying a music keyboard at virtual music keyboard stores online.
?A Basic Introduction to Guitar Scales – Lesson
October 12, 2009 by Walsh Davis · Leave a Comment
You should know the few basics about the guitar, and the basic step in is the understanding of notes that is the basis of music. The next step is to have knowledge about scales. The problem is that when some people are introduced with scales for the first time, and they are being asked to play variations of these musical scales, it can become a discouraging task. In this article we are going to search some of the reasons for the existence of scales, and why we focus on them so greatly.
what are Musical Scales? A Technical View
We can construct music out of 12 viable tones because we have only 12 possible notes. Western music has produced such rules which describe how and when you can use these tones together. Although this is just convention, but by applying these rules you will instantly notice that something is wrong or unique instead of hearing the several common scales you hear commonly when you do not apply these rules. No special information is written in stone about the way these things are devised, but we are all so used to hearing music from an early age that contains these rules that we don’t even consider about the options until we start to study musical theory in depth.
If you want to play western style music and be a great guitarist, you are in need to understand these principles. A noteworthy part of these rules and conventions is the musical scales we use.
What is a scale? It is fundamentally a sequence of notes, picked out from the 12 available, that work out together to give an effect to the music. You can describe individual scales in a better way as a list of gaps between the notes. Half notes or Whole notes are denoted by the term Tone or Semitone which give the rule of using their basic letters, T and S.
Some people use Half and Whole (W, H) to denote the gaps, and another way is to list the number of semitones (1 or 2). Either mode is taken, these three are identical or all hand the gaps for the major musical scale:
1. T T S T T T S 2. W W H W W W H 3. 2 2 1 2 2 2 1
Let us see, how this acts. Pick up a scale at random – G# major. This step states 2 things. First, our root note is G#. Second, we will be utilizing the Major scale formula to work out the notes.
So, we start up with our G# note, and add the first step of the formula which is a T, meaning a Tone. Thus, starting with G # and moving up a tone or two half notes puts us onto A#:
G# + T = A#
Next, we start with A#, and look at the next alphabetic character in the rule – its a Tone once again, so we add 2 half notes to A#, to give us a C:
A# + T = C
Next, we start with a C and find out the formula – now it is a semitone, which takes us to C#:
C + S = C#
If we carry on with this we get the following:
C# + T = D# D# + T = F (remember nothing is like an E#) F + T = G G + S = G#
So, we have built up our scale of G# major according to our major scale pattern to get the notes:
G# A# C C# D# F G
Mostly, the scales we use have 7 notes in them but that is not an essential pattern. For example, the minor pentatonic scale only has 5 notes in it (its formula is 3 2 2 3 2 – I used numbers here instead of T and S because it has a few Tone and a half leaps, which is 3 half notes, and that is more easily written down as a 3 instead of something like “T + 1/2″, but it all signifies the same thing). Some scales have more notes, for instance the chromatic musical scale has all 12 notes in it.
Thus in this way the scales act! The formula depicts them and we pick whichever root note we desire to construct. The next step is to convert these notes into a formula so that we can play it.
Understanding One’s Singing Range
October 12, 2009 by Skyler Jett · Leave a Comment
What is singing range? If you are a music student, you definitely know the answer to the question. In fact, you can even tell us what’s your singing range is. But for those who simply love listening and singing along with music, singing range can be a total stranger. In a nutshell, a singing range or vocal range is the spectrum of pitches that a human voice can produce.
Here’s the actual definition. The singing range is the span from the lowest to the highest note that a person can produce with his or her voice. Another definition is, a singing range is the range of “musical useful” pitches, which singers can use when singing. Either way, singing range is defined ins so many ways, that’s why we also have different types of singing.
The most common types of voice that we always hear in a group of singers or choir are soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone and Bass. Soprano being the highest pitch and the bass being the lowest. The singing range is important in classifying these types of voices.
Singers are classified in only one voice type, however, they may have the ability to sing in more than one pitch. The classification only helps to identify which pitch the singer is most comfortable singing. Women typically sing in the Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano and Contralto voice type, where as men typically sing in the Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone and Bass.
Individual’s singing abilities may vary in many different ways. Opera singers, for example, are known for being able to sing high notes, while jazz singers are known for scats and whistles. Over the years, people are being recognized not just because of the ability to sing high notes, but also because of the ability to sing even the lowest notes.
Charles Kellogg is known for claiming to having a singing range of 12.5 octaves. This kind of singing range is really rare for a man. His claims though, were hard to verify. If you want to know the people with really high singing range and have been verified, you can look in the Guinness World Book of Records.
One of the singing range record holders is a woman in Brazil that has eight octaves singing range and the highest note of G10. Another is the man from United States that hold the title of having the lowest human note which is six octaves. It’s obvious, that if there’s one musical instrument that has different abilities, that would be the human voice.
Key Tips to Mastering the Guitar
October 12, 2009 by Eugene Walker · Leave a Comment
Join us as we take a look at a few key tips for learning how to master the guitar. You’ll learn how playing with no effects improves accuracy, how to get the most out of practice sessions with guitar backing tracks, as well as a few principles to apply to guitar practice.
Everybody who picks up a guitar has the ultimate goal in mind of being able to just pick up their guitar and blaze a solo,leaving impressed friends and family in a state of speechless shock. The problem is that most people don’t put in the effort that is necessary in order to master their instrument because they desire instant results. Guitar is one of the most difficult instruments to master, yet anyone can do it if they put in the effort and time and have a true passion for creative musical expression.
There are a few tips that are the key to unlocking success when it comes to mastering the guitar. One of the most basic tips to guitar success is to put in the time that is necessary to practice. As elementary as it may seem, a lot of people fail and give up the guitar because they expected instant results without putting in any work. Practice takes time, effort, passion, and work. There isn’t a single great guitar player in the history of music that didn’t sacrifice a lot of time to practice their guitar. Some would practice for five to eight hours a day. This doesn’t mean that you have to practice that long every day, but you have to give more than five minutes of your time if you want to see any real results.
Another great tip for mastering the guitar is to take it slow at first. This means that playing fast is put to the side for awhile. Take your time perfecting your chords and learning them. Learn all your scales, commit them to your mind, master these fundamentals first, and then you can begin to build on your speed. It’s important to remember that playing fast is not as important as playing with accuracy.
One tip for mastering accuracy and clarity in your playing is to play your guitar clean. Playing your guitar clean means no distortion and no effects. By practicing your scales and chords without distortion, you will have to play the notes clean and accurately in order for them to sound good. This will push your style and accuracy to the next level as you’re learning new techniques and scales.
An excellent tool to help you put into practice all that you’ve learned is to use guitar backing tracks. These are great for helping you take what you have learned and use it alongside other musicians. It makes practice so much more fun and keeps your motivated! These guitar backing tracks are like practicing with an entire band, and will help you develop timing and rhythm. They are excellent for helping you tap into your creativity and apply what you have learned to creating excellent lead parts.
Picking Out The Right Song To Sing On Stage
October 12, 2009 by Taylor Gale · Leave a Comment
The largest determination that anyone has to make for karaoke is what song they should undertake on stage. There are literally hundred of thousands of tracks accessible with most karaoke sets, so it can be discouraging looking through the great book of songs, but if you keep in mind a few points it will make your night simpler, and render as much enjoyment as possible.
First, ensure that you pick a karaoke track that suits your voice. Whether it is your 1st time or 101st time, you have to make sure that you can achieve at least majority of the notes you need. If you have a deep voice, there is no point of opting music stars like Celine Dion or Whitney Houston, and the same goes for high-pitch voices; Barry White should be out of the question. Instead choose karaoke songs that accommodate within your vocal range, and that way instead of concerning about if you can hit that difficult note coming up, you will be able to loosen and just enjoy the song.
Choosing the correct karaoke track also depends on what you are getting up stage for. If you are with acquaintances, and looking at getting up as a group for a bit of fun, it is wise to choose an up-tempo song that accommodates your mood instead of a dull ballad. If you are a regular, and want to take something a bit more serious, there is nothing wrong in picking out a slower song if you can address it.
If you’re celebrating an adult / older folks birthday with a karaoke party. You want to understand what songs to opt. Do your homework. You don’t want to select any old karaoke song; you require to select karaoke music that stirs a feel of nostalgia. Identify what songs were modern when the party honoree grew up. Your easiest bet is to identify the top 10 songs of each year or decade and construct your play list round those songs.
But a small tip to remember about most karaoke bars is that most people are out to have a great time, so choosing a slow and gloomy song that does not truly fit the ambience of the room can have drastic consequences.
Ultimately, when selecting your karaoke song it is better to find a song with a melodic line and words that you are at least intimate with. You do not have to recognise every song you get up stage for off by heart (thats why the karaoke screens are there to aid you) but selecting a karaoke song that you have heard more than once or twice will give you a bit more confidence in singing on stage.
So, You Want To See How To Download Music To IPod
October 12, 2009 by Tina B Simmons · Leave a Comment
Downloading music can be fun and owning a large assortment of tunes at your fingertips is even more fun. The fact that you have bought an iPod is in all probability burning at you and now you are all set to start downloading music; however, you do not understand how to download music to iPod.
The iPod came with some sort of a USB cable that can plug into your computer. To begin downloading music, you must connect your iPod to your computer. You can then check your “My Computer” folder to see the device and what is contained on it. Sometimes with music players such as the iPod, they already come with a few songs on there, and then if you want you can remove them.
The cheapest method to put music on your iPod is through your CDs. You have previously spent the cash and bought them. It makes no sense to spend more money on the same tunes by downloading them from iTunes. You more than likely already have a music program on your computer. For example, if you are using windows, check out the Windows Media Player. You can rip music from your CD and then exchange them into mp3 files that can be positioned onto your iPod.
Don’t forget to ask your acquaintances for their Compact discs. You can get a broader assortment of music and it won’t cost you a thing but your time. Ripping songs from CDs is the greatest way to initially go in the beginning to acquire songs onto your iPod. You can also ask your buddies for help, if all of this sounds too complicated. If they already have an iPod, they can show you step by step how to download music to your iPod.
Now, how do you acquire songs from the Internet to your gadget? First stumble on a service that focuses on the business of downloading songs. ITunes is a excellent example; though, it will cost you money to download each song that you select. Take advantage of the at no cost sites that are presented across the web. Just keep in mind that viruses do exist and make sure that your computer has an updated virus protection program before downloading anything.
Look through all of the songs that are accessible, choose all of them that you want and download them to your computer. Then, using the same music program described above, go through the identical process to put the songs onto your iPod.
Downloading music to an iPod is actually very straightforward, if you know anything about computers at all. Just make sure not to get too carried away with buying music and whatever you do, do not max out your credit cards on music whenever you can get the tunes for free.
So, now you know how to download music to iPod and it certainly is as uncomplicated as it seems. Go ahead and get started downloading songs today.
Make Beats Now
October 12, 2009 by Eugene Truss · Leave a Comment
What is your motivation to make beats? Some people see it as a money making opportunoty while others might just want to use it as a recreational hobby. Both reasons are valid and have merit. The approach to doing this, however, is different depending on your motivation. If it’s for money you must go after the sounds of the moment to seize that opportunity, otherwise you can be free to be yourself. Decide how you want to proceed.
Getting feedback on your beats is important. Often times a newbie will put their beat out their hoping to hear praises, but the reality is that more is learned from the criticism. The faster you learn to not be scared of criticism, the faster you will get better at your beat making skills.
A common thing for beat makers is to gather on a website and have beat battles. Beat battles are when two people post their beats against each other in a competition. Sometimes there are prizes and sometimes there are just bragging rights. If you can take some criticism, this is one good way to get that feedback. Sometimes you can find forums online that provide feedback on your beats. Either way, the more information you get – good or bad – the better for you.
Ego has it’s place in all creative endeavors, but you need to learn to control it. There will always be “haters” in this world, but just because someone makes a criticism, it does not make them a hater. Say someone tells you your kick drum is mixed to loud, a sensitive overly egotistical person might think “hater”, but a well balanced person would at least take a second listen and either agree or not, but will not take it personally.
If you are selling beat, or plan to sell beats, make sure you build up your price based on the customer and the beat itself. If you have a super dope beat that you think is worth $500, your probably don’t want to sell it to the bedroom rapper down the street who only has $20 to spend. On that same note, do look for opportunity. If you know of a dope rapper in your area that makes locally popular mix tapes, maybe selling them a beat cheap or even giving them a beat will lead to more sales and exposure in the long run.
Your choice of licensing is also important. Exclusive licening means you can only sell the beat once. Non Exclusive means you can sell it multiple times. Your choice here is important. Usually you will charge more for an exclusive beat, but you can get more sales with a less expensive beat.
You may have seen some online beat making advertisements. These sites have cheesy little programs that run in your browser and claim to make you a music producer. Stay away from these sites. They will take your money leaving you feeling like a fool and then tell you you can make money by getting other suckers to sign up. This is why you will see literally thousands of people telling you how good something like Sonic Producer is. In reality, by using these sites, you may be using the same loops and sounds as thousands of other people. No record executive in their right mind would license a beat from someone using these online sites.
When making a beat, let your mind flow as freely as possible. Start with some inspired moment. A sound or maybe a drum beat and build on it. Add as many parts as you can.You can remove them later is they aren’t up to par. Once you have enough parts, just arrange them into a cohesive manner to get your intro-verse-chorus down and you are done.
Someone asked me if music theory is important and I think it is. You don’t have to be an expert, but basic theory will help you understand how music is put together. Like a car that must have certain parts in certain order and places, music can be constructed in an easy and smart way with a little basic knowledge.
The one most important thing about making your beats is to have fun and be creative. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
A Review of The Popular Info Product “Singorama” – Does It Work?
October 12, 2009 by Cassandra Mills · Leave a Comment
A Summary of “Singorama”
“Singorama” is an audio series that helps users sing. There are 28 instructional audio lessons, and each lesson provides users with information on how to improve their singing. The lessons cover a broad range of topics, from increasing the singer’s range to writing music. “Singorama” is designed for people who want to improve their singing as well as those who want to become musicians. It is a comprehensive guide to being a successful singer and performer. The manual is very easy to use, and it gets fast results. We were happy with our singing after just three months on the program.
“Singorama” Testimonial
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’ve always wanted to be a successful singer and performer. The problem was my voice was to up to my ambition. It never quite sounded like I wanted it to sound, which is why I never made it past singing in the shower. Then my boyfriend and I were looking for something online and we stumbled across “Singorama”-Your Essential manual to Singing like a Professional. The article on “Singorama” advertised that I could sound like a professional by going through its program. My boyfriend bet $100 that it wouldn’t work. I’m always up for a challenge, so the bet was on.
Overview
“Singorama” is an audio series designed to help people learn how to sing. The series consists of 28 lessons that range from vocal range to writing songs.You can also record your voice on the computer with the software program “Singorama” provides.
The Benefits of “Singorama”
I started “Singorama” ready to become a star. The audio series immediately impressed me. I wasn’t just singing alone with “Singorama”. I was sensing with people. I really felt like that gave me an added advantage. “Singorama” taught me how notes were meant to sound and that made it easier for me to learn how to hit them myself.
I soon figured out that I was supposed to breath properly in order to improve my singing. What really helped me out was the breathing exercises. They made a great difference to my singing. I never knew how important breathing was to singing. Learning how to breath properly actual made it possible for me to hit the notes better.
In fact I realized through “Singorama” that I had a lot of bad habits that were causing my poor singing voice. It is amazing how many things I was doing wrong. Changing some of my habits made a great deal of different to my singing vocie.
After I got rid of my bad tendencies, I was able to work on the technical aspects, along with the rhythm. This helped me a great deal. Now that I was able to hit the notes I had to finish learning how to be a real artist. “Singorama” then took me from being a good singing, to being a fantastic artist.
At the end of the “Singorama” program I was recording almost everything on the sound studio program. The software provided by “Singorama” was really good and it was like having a professional studio on my own computer. The results I got from “Singorama” were amazing.
The Last Word
I’m $100 richer and I now have a voice I’m proud of. I am now a great singer because of “Singorama”. It brought out a voice in me I didn’t even know I had. Now, I’m ready to take the next step with my singing. I’m excited about what the future may hold and I’m really having a good time with finding out.