Many of us can reach a point in our musical career that we feel it is time to call it quits.  Maybe you are thinking that you are no longer able to compete with the hot young 20 year old out there making millions on their bubble gum pop.  You had a vision of rising to the top with all the glitz and glamour, but your time has yet to come.  So are you too old to make it?

I would have to say no.  It may be that you have not shot to super-stardom overnight like you envisioned, but not many of us do.  The good news is that there is not an age limit to success.  This comes down to the business of music, your personal goals and marketing.

The music business is set up to sell sell sell.  Today much of that selling is in an image and formulated previous success.  So, if your tunes are all odd metered and dissonant with no bridges or a chorus, good luck pitching that to the masses.  On the other hand, if you have well thought out tunes with a catchy hook and a four on the floor beat, then you may have something to work with.  On top of it all, you need to have real emotion behind the music.  If all of these factors come together, guess what… your track is now marketable!   The best part is that if the music is hot, it won’t matter your age.  People will connect to your songs and want to hear them time and time again.  Then if you have your music ready for purchase online and at shows have a handful of CDs packaged for the merchandise table, it will sell.  Who needs the record companies then?

Written for Presto Music Store

Let us know what you think and post a comment below.

Aerophone is the technical name used for wind instruments. The sound in the wind instrument is produced by the column of air inside them and is set into vibration by reed or the player’s lips. The length of the pipe controls their tuning. Below are a few aerophones in different parts of the world.

Ocarina

Ocarina is an ancient wind instrument, which has the essence of the flute. It is an oval shaped enclosed space with 4 to 12 finger holes and a mouth tube projecting from the body. Though commonly found in ceramic, it is also made in some other materials such as plastic, wood, glass and metal. Its history dates back to 12,000 years and is a part of the old family of instruments. It is similar to an important Chinese instrument called Xun, another instrument important to Chinese culture. It is also popular in the European countries. Ocarina works when air enters through the wind-way and strikes the labium producing sound and air vibrates throughout the inside of the ocarina. The tone depends on the ratio of the surface area of opened holes to the volume.

Shofar

The shofar was developed by the Hebrew and is a musical horn. It was neither considered to be a folk or classical instrument. It is indeed a ceremonial item. Today, it is used in Christian and Jewish worship. It is common to find the shofar in holistic ceremonies and rites. It was used in biblical terms mostly to announce the newm-oon, holidays and the jubilee year. It is used in processions accompanied by musical instruments to announce the start of a war. The shofar was used in the temple in Jerusalem together with the trumpet. It was straight in shape ornamented with gold at the mouthpiece. During the days of fasting, the ceremony was conducted with shofar on either side of the trumpet.

Bagpipe

Bagpipes are reed instruments classified as aerophones and utilize an air reservoir. An uninterrupted stream of air is allowed by the reservoir and directed trough the reeds. This instrument is used throughout Asia, North Africa, and Ireland, Scotland and across Europe. The various types of bagpipes are traditional, chalice, medieval, Mediterranean and chanter. This instrument is usually made of rosewood, which is tolerant to weather conditions and resists cracking. Nickel-plated solid brass metal is also used in these bagpipes.

Rag-dung

Played in drones for chanting , the Rag-dung is a long trumpet or horn used in Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies. It is the most widely used instrument in Tibetan Buddhist culture. It is often played in pairs or multiples, and the sound is compared to the singing of elephants. Tsultrim Allione describes the sound of the dungchen: It is a long, deep, whirring, haunting wail that takes you out somewhere beyond the highest Himalaya peaks and at the same time back into your mother’s womb.

Fanfarehorn

Fanfare is a fun instrument made of brass Fanfarehorn and a nickel mouthpiece. It breaks in to two pieces joined with a bright colored cord with tassels. It plays like a standard bugle and the length of pitch is approximately the key of XC.48 inches.

Among the wide range of musical instruments, Conga and Bongo are two different hand drums of different origins. They are percussion instruments that enhance the melody of music. Percussion instruments are musical instruments that produce sound by beating or striking. Drums, rattles and metal plates are some of the musical instruments that come under the family of percussion instruments.

Conga is a Cuban hand drum which originated in Africa. It is a tall, narrow and single headed hand drum. It is believed that congas are derived from Sikula drums or Congolese Makuta drums played in Congo, Mbanza Ngungu. Congas are made with hollowed logs. The original Congas were probably made with salvaged drums. Congas are generally paired and both the Congas are same sized hand drums.

Congas are played in many forms of American pop music, salsa music and in Latin music. In the religious music of Afro-Caribbean, as well as in Rumba, Conga drums were used as a lead instrument. Latest congas have a fiberglass or staved wood and a screw–tensioned drum head. Congas are played with palms and the fingers of the hand and the conga player is known as conguero. Congas stand about 75 cm from the base of the shell. Congas may be played while seated or they can be mounted on a stand or racks to enable you play them standing that is generally seen in Orchestras and bands.

While playing, the conguero follows different patterns and there are five different basic strokes. They are Muffled tone: played with the four fingers holding against the head of the drum to muffle the tone. Open tone: it is also played with four fingers at the rim of the head that produces a resonant tone with a clear pitch. Slap: it is a fast and difficult technique played to drive emotions in the dancer. Bass tone: played with the full hand that produces a low sound. Touch: as implied by the name, this tone is produced by just touching the fingers or heel of the palm to the drum head. It is possible to combine a touch of the palm with a touch of the fingers in a maneuver called heel-toe, which can be used to produce the conga equivalent of drumrolls.

Bangos or Bango drums are percussion instruments made of two small hand drums attached together. Unlike conga, the two drums of bongo are of different sizes. The smaller one is a macho that is a Spanish male and the larger drum is known as hem bra, a Spanish female. The head of the drums are initially made out of animal skin and now synthetic materials are also used. X-ray film is also preferred by some bongo ceros.

Bangos originated in Africa and were brought to South America by the Atlantic slave trade. Initially Bango heads were tuned and tacked with a heat source but gradually metal lugs were developed for easier tuning or detuning. Bango recordings can be heard by the groups Sexteto Bolona, Sexteto Habanero and Septeto Nacional those performed Bango.

Because of its high pitched sounds and versatility Bangos are used as one of the soundtrack writers for television and movies

Bango drums can produce high pitch sounds and should be held firmly to produce good sound effect. They are generally held between knees. Right handed percussionist should keep the larger drum or hem bra to his right side. The latest trend is to use sticks or brushes whereas Bangos are beaten with hands. Bangos can be muted by covering the head of the Bango partially with palms.

For any kind of music, whether vocal or instrumental, good practice is essential. Good practice habits will help you not only in learning properly; it will give you a push in reaching your goal fast. Developing good practice habits on any instrument or music is essential to become a good musician.

There are different kinds of musical instruments available, in which some are string instruments and some are key instruments. We will now see how to develop good practice habits in one of the string instruments called guitar.

For developing good practice habits in learning Guitar, the first thing we have to learn is how to hold the instrument properly. While starting to practice Guitar, the person has to sit on a stool or a chair. Both the feet should be flat on the floor and the guitar has to be held in a position so as it rests on the right leg. The body of the guitar should be in an angular position so that the person who is learning can lean slightly forward to be comfortable and can view the fingerboard clearly.

Using a good music stand is strongly advised, because placing the music on the floor, on a table or on the bed will make the reading difficult and can damage the eyes also. The other difficulty in having the music anywhere else other than the stand is it might affect the position of the guitar.

Using a good metronome while practicing the lessons will be quite helpful in having a feel for timing. The other thing suggested for the timing is to learn how to tap the left foot while playing. It is necessary to have twenty to forty minutes of practice everyday initially to develop good practice habit. Later you can try to increase the practice time.

It is very important not to over do, when practicing the arpeggios and scales. One should also first develop proper eating, exercising and sleeping habits.

To develop good practice habits in learning instruments like piano, one has to first cut their nails properly. This way they can avoid the nails from protruding beyond the pad of the finger. This is important because the curved fingers help to play the piano properly.

When starting to have lessons one should always play short sections, which should not exceed 2-4 bars. One has to pay attention to fingering and one has to make sure that the notes are played with the same fingers every time a piece of music is played.

First you have to practice a lot of ‘hands separate’ before starting to use both the hands. For a thorough practice one has to continue practicing with the hands separate and then with the hands together. Even after learning to play a piece of music on piano or keyboard one should not rush to increase the tempo, but should keep it steady. This way you will have more control over the notes in the later stage.

Another good tip for developing good practice habits for piano is to try not to look at the hands while reading the music. You can look at the hands only when finding the initial position. Try not to lose the music while looking up and down from the notes to the keyboard.

Wish to become a song writer? Song writing carries something magical with it but at the same time it can be a frustrating process. To become a good song writer you need to have a lot of patience as the process is lengthy. It may even take a month, sometimes, to complete a song.

One of the most important yet difficult tasks in songwriting is the beginning. Half the battle is own if you start the song off well and then the song itself tends to dictate where it wants to go from there on. Many times you know what topic you want to write the song about, but you just don’t find the exact words which can explain the topic you have chosen. This can be very frustrating and, hence, songwriters usually have to invest a lot of time when it comes to starting the song. To start the song well you should be convinced about the topic you have chosen. The topic can be about a break-up, or to show how much you love your partner or about friendship. It is very important for a songwriter to keep the song focused on that topic. This will make life easier for the song writer.

A good tip for developing outstanding lyrics and becoming a better songwriter is to listen to loads of different types of songs. You should listen to the lyrics carefully and decide for yourself if the writer of that particular song has been able to convince you about the emotions that he is trying to display through that song. Lyrics are probably the backbone of the song. All the number one hits along the years have had extraordinary lyrics. You have to be careful about the fact that your lyrics should match the subject of your song. There is a great chance of the song becoming a hit if the lyrics are written in a conversational manner. Lyrics should not just appeal to emotions, but also appeal to the ear. One of the obvious ways to achieve this is by incorporating a rhyme scheme into your lyrics. It is observed that a listener connects to the song in a better way if the lyrics rhyme with each other.

A song is incomplete without good music. Once you are set with the subject and ready with the lyrics, the next important hurdle is making sure what kind of music will set the mood of the song. If you are writing a sad song then you would want the music to evoke sadness. At times a sad song is also backed up with upbeat music to create that tension. If you have written a fast number then you should back it up with fast paced music so that the listeners can tap their feet along with the beats of your song. To become a good song writer it is very important that he/she plays or sings the song once it is complete in front of family or friends to get their opinion and feedback. You should be ready to take criticism in a positive way and work on the mistakes. You should also understand that you may need to write lot of songs before you finally end up with one people like.

Presto Music Store has officially launched our digital library!

If you would like to view our library, you can do so by clicking the link in the menu bar of our homepage, or simply by CLICKING HERE.

So what exactly is our digital library all about?  Well, this is a place where we are offering 100% unique musical products for you.  Some of these items are completely free resources for you to use as you wish.  Others are larger production materials which we offer at a great rate.

If you would like to view an example of our free content, have a look at this item. Circle of Fifths: Visual Learning Aid Presentation

We have also put together some more comprehensive educational materials for you to check out in our digital library. Here is an example of one of these items Didgeridoo How To.

Didgeridoo How To is a complete DVD course created for Presto Music Store which teaches you all about playing the didgeridoo.

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For all of our digital products, you can purchase them directly through our store by adding them to the shopping cart, as you would for any of our other items.  You will then be sent a link with special download instructions for the item.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter by clicking the subscribe button on our homepage and submitting your primary email address.  This will ensure that you keep up to date with us as we create more and more of these unique products for you (and no… we never send out spam and we hate it too).

Also, if you have any suggestions on an item that you would like to see developed for our digital products, please post it in the comments below.

Here is a quick video showing you how to view our products.

It is said that the Didgeridoo is one of the oldest musical instruments in the history of mankind. It originates from Darwin and Arnhem in Northern Australia, Kimberly in Western Australia, and the Gulf Country in Queensland and was created by the Aborigines of Australia. The Didgeridoo is a wind musical instrument played by blowing air and adding ones voice. It is a strange action but one that emits a very melodious sound.

The Aborigines were nomads, on the move all over the countryside in search of food and water under extremely hard climatic conditions. The men used to carry their hunting weapons like the spears, boomerangs and woomera, while the women traveled with things that were essential for them and the children. The days were spent in hunting and moving while nights were spent around the campfires listening to stories and singing songs. Now who has heard of singing without any musical accompaniment? The Aborigines weren’t traveling with any musical instruments either!

The innovative Aborigines solved this problem by creating the Didgeridoo, a wind blown musical instrument, out of the termite infested hollowed fallen tree log. Eucalyptus trees are used to make didgeridoos. The didgeridoo can be created anywhere without much ado. The hole of one end of the log is smoothed as far as possible and then bee wax is applied around it to enable the player to blow air into the log more comfortably. The didgeridoo is then decorated with some traditional artwork.

One has to blow air gently into the didgeridoo and then simultaneously add your own voice to it. Strange though it may sound the sound effect is most amazingly soothing and unbelievable. The didgeridoo is also called Yidaki, didjeridoo, didjeridu or digeridoo. This instrument is not very easy to play as it involves you to breathe in through your nose and simultaneously breathe out through your mouth! The didgeridoo is played to the accompaniment of stories to create an effect of reproducing the sounds heard in the jungles during the story telling sessions and also during their ceremonial dances.

Normally the didgeridoo is played by the male Aborigines. The click sticks, or clapping sticks, are used to play the didgeridoo; the sticks are either clicked on the sides of the didgeridoo or clicked together. The didgeridoo today is used in healing, meditative music, massages, and also in the music you hear on a regular basis. This is one interesting instrument you can learn without a lot of hard work and enjoy learning to play it.

Here at Presto Music Store, we have a great variety of Didgeridoos. We have a beginner didgeridoo series that is made of PVC pipe. These are highly decorated to have a traditional look, and due to the size, material, and weight of these didgeridoos, it is easier to create that initial drone.

For our more advanced didge players, we have hand made original didgeridoos to offer. These have a fantastic tone and each one plays with its own character. Be sure to check out the sound clip for a taste of that instruments’ sound when played.

Click here for the link to the didgeridoos available on Presto Music Store.

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We strive to reach out to the folks in our community through our blog by offering informative articles about our products and services. We will be ever thankful to those of you who bookmark our articles. Social bookmarking is an easy thing to do, and this will help us to better evaluate what content everyone is interested in discussing and therefore better shape the future of the blog! To bookmark this site, please click the button below the post that says “Bookmark.” Thanks for spreading the word!

Let the sounds be heard,

-Presto Music Store Team

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Music is a mantra that appeals to everyone. Even though people around the world speak different languages and follow diverse cultures; music is something that unites them in a unique manner. Music soothes nerves and releases tension after a hard day’s work. Musicians all over the world provide that comfort and enjoyment to people. There are various career options for musicians.

Indian music is of two types. One is Hindustani and the other is Carnatic classical. Both are melody based and go by a set of fundamental ragas. Western Music is based on harmonics and played by chords. In this article we shall concentrate on western music and career options for musicians.

Some of the common music careers that an individual can opt for are music therapy, music bands like (rock, pop, jazz, R&B, classical, soul &funk, opera),wedding bands, music management, solo instrumental, solo vocal, orchestra, background vocalist etc.

A career in music therapy involves communicating with clients to improve their physical, mental and social health by using music as a medium. This therapy is used by the therapist for treating psychiatric disorders, sensory impairments, aging and interpersonal problems. This therapy improves self-esteem, helps in rhythmic physical exercises. Since 1944, music therapy exists in U.S. The study of this therapy was first started in Michigan state university. There are different designations which can be obtained in this therapy (in U.S.) like CMT, ACMT and RMT. These degrees are certified by CBMT (Certification Board of Music Therapists).The individual aspiring for these degrees must have knowledge in music history, voice, piano etc.

Rock music consists of drums, lead guitars, electronic keyboards, vocals, etc. Jazz music consists of bassoon, piano, flute, oboe, trumpet, percussion and saxophone. There are different careers in music management like artist manager, booking agent, concert promoter, Independent Radio Promoter, The artist manager helps the artist reach great heights by giving him creative inputs and his advice is taken by the music group to make business decisions.

The role of a booking agent is to secure the artist’s and group’s engagement in performing during the event. A booking agent gets a percentage of the artist’s payment as his wage. He negotiates the fee for the music events with the promoters or clubs. A concert promoter organizes, advertises and sometimes he finances the concerts in different venues like church buildings auditoriums etc. He secures the funds for the concerts. The role of IRP is to set up appointments with radio stations, DJ, music directors. They are involved in releasing and promoting new albums.

Solo music is where the musician plays or sings a part of the music alone. The solo musician generally performs a classical number. There are different types of solo music like solo piano, solo flute, and solo violin etc. Sometimes the solo musician is accompanied by orchestras. Solo music can be vocal or choral music. The credit of the show is attributed to the solo musician.

An orchestra is a collective group of musicians playing different instruments at a time. The instruments played here are string, wood wind, and drums. There are two types of orchestra chamber (smaller group) and symphony (bigger group).

Anyone aspiring for a career in music can choose from a wide range of options available.

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We strive to reach out to the folks in our community through our blog by offering informative articles about our products and services. We will be ever thankful to those of you who bookmark our articles. Social bookmarking is an easy thing to do, and this will help us to better evaluate what content everyone is interested in discussing and therefore better shape the future of the blog! To bookmark this site, please click the button below the post that says “Bookmark.” Thanks for spreading the word!

Let the sounds be heard,

-Presto Music Store Team

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Can you imagine a day in your life without music? It is an unimaginably essential part of our life and a something that has no barriers; any one can speak it. Music can be formal or informal we can learn to either sing or play an instrument. If one feels there is a lot of talent and motivation in the child one can go a step further and learn to formally play, sing and read music. Here is a brief list of reasons children should be encouraged to pursue music.

1- A baby is put to sleep with a lullaby; all over the world you need not know to sing or read music for this. Music is present in all forms of worship. Marriages are conducted with some form of music or the other. Almost everyone sings at some point in their life, don’t you remember having heard a loved one driving you up the wall with their tuneless humming of a song being played on the radio. So, you see we all love to sing, it doesn’t matter if we have learned to sing formally or by ear.

2- Music is used in different forms to aid learning; in families many traditions are handed down from one generation to the other through songs and music, in the junior classes story’s are built around songs, nursery rhymes are sung, and of course we all have had our share of fun with “Ring Around The Roses”, in fact there are so many memories built around music and growing up it is difficult to start citing them. Many of us have learned to play music in our childhood, but few have not learned to read it.

3- Music is said to aid in the learning process in formal education. It helps one with learning mathematical concepts, paying attention in class, and also helps in improving reasoning skills. Thus it is important to introduce music to children from a pretty young age. Along with learning to play an instrument if a child is taught to read music early there are very good chances that they may take it up more seriously and make a career out of it.

4- Normally, most of the children start banging on pots and pans from a very young age, this should be encouraged; they should be allowed to learn to play any instrument that would suit their size and interest. There is no point in forcing a child to play the guitar if he is interested in playing the piano. Allow them to play whatever they want to, and then when you realize there is a strong motivation to do better get him to learn to read music. This will definitely help him to learn better and faster. It will make him enjoy his lessons better and within no time you will see him accomplishing a lot more in music then you had ever imagined.

5- Learning to read music at a young age makes a lot of sense for those who have an aptitude in the field of music. They will naturally understand what they are being taught, practice by themselves in the absence of a tutor. Accomplishing more laurels in their world of specialization will come a lot easily to them.

So if you have a special little person in your life, please take the time to introduce them to the world of music! Then, listen to what they say to you about it. This encouragement may seem simple at the onset, but can ultimately provide a lifetime of enjoyment!

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We strive to reach out to the folks in our community through our blog by offering informative articles about our products and services. We will be ever thankful to those of you who bookmark our articles. Social bookmarking is an easy thing to do, and this will help us to better evaluate what content everyone is interested in discussing and therefore better shape the future of the blog! To bookmark this site, please click the button below the post that says “Bookmark.” Thanks for spreading the word!

Let the sounds be heard,

-Presto Music Store Team

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Hello World of Music Enthusiasts!

Have you seen this anywhere?

Or how about this?

Or Maybe even?…

Are you catching the pattern here?

That’s right! Presto Music Store has our very own stickers now available! But here is the catch…

They are FREE!

Yes, we love the free stuff! Who doesn’t?!?

In fact, not only are they free, but if you ask us for these free stickers and then submit a picture that we post of where you placed the sticker, we will give you 5% off any item in the store!

Free Stuff that Saves you Cash!

Seriously, does it get any better than this? Okay, so maybe there are things in life better, even we can admit that. But, this is a great deal for you and it can be fun to find just the right place to put one of those sneaky little stickers. So, if you would like to participate in this grassroots campaign, all you have to do is send an email to:

info@prestomusicstore.com

In the subject title please write “I want my free stickers!” So that we will be able to quickly sort out the fact that you are an awesome person and enjoy free stuff. Be sure to put the address where we should send the free stickers in your message.

That about sums it up! We look forward to seeing some great pictures from you.

Presto Music Store
Bringing the World of Music to your Door

p.s.-bonus points for comedic uses of the stickers in the picture.