corina music site

Posts Tagged ‘guitar’

It is very difficult to categorize music and yet these days any album coming out is referred to by its particular genre. In order to really enjoy the different genre of music, it is important to understand them. This article will take you through all the major types of music that rule the hearts of millions of people around the world. You can decide which is best for music recording and which you can actually try to learn.

One of the most important categories of music is classical music. This is the type of music that needs a lot of hard work because of its inherent complexity. Classical music is not simple and definitely not for bathroom singers. It needs a lot of practice and learning to master this art. Most operas feature this music and the divas who sing the classical songs are highly respected for their range and layered performances. Classical music is taken very seriously by people who love it and if you are interested in it you may have to be coached rigorously to be stage ready.

Another type of music that has roots in very early days is the tribal music. Tribal music is inherent to particular tribes and does not need any expensive studio equipment for its creation. The tribal music of many African, Hawaiians and the American Indian tribes have qualities unique to them. Lots of African tribal music is fast paced while the Hawaiian music is very lively. American Indian music often has a haunting quality that stirs the soul. Similarly, the Nordic tribes or the Arabic ones have their own music that can be very spontaneous and emotive. If you love dancing to simple, nature based music, tribal music is best for you.

Hip-hop is a rather new kid on the block in comparison to the aforementioned veterans of music. However, it has caught the fancy of the young generation to a huge extent. Low waist pants, gesturing moves, a cool attitude and rhythmic word play – all come together to give a special quality to hip hop music. If you want to be considered hip and cool, you may want to consider a number of hip hop songs while you download music on your iPod.

Another famous music genre is Rock. Long hair, a guitar in hand and a loud voice are the main features of a rocker. The kind of frenzy a rock band evokes is hard to emulate. The pulsating music and aggressive moves make this music, one of the most popular on earth. If you are a member of a rock band, you have a ticket to instant fame.

You can also opt for the rustic and definitely much softer music genre called country music. Other musical forms are jazz which is one of the most soulful categories, blues which as the name suggests specializes in sad numbers, dance which you will love if you work as a disc jockey, folk which is another age old form of music and many others.

‘Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together…’-Mark Twain.

Sitting atop the trident of Lord Shiva , the Kashi, the luminous one, is the place where the eternal light of Shiva intersects the earth. The city of Shiva, the Mahashmashaana, the sacred circle of all Gods, city of Moksha- a place teeming with people, yet there is place for everyone. A civilization that historians have termed as one older than history, yet startles you when you come across its modern face

By virtue of being the oldest living city, Benaras has its own rich history, tradition and treasure of music. According to mythology, when Renu, son of Vishwamitra and Mahagovind founded Kashi (Varanasi), they also brought with them the Aryan traditions and the Vedic culture. Going back to history, we find numerous instances of dance, music and drama evolving in Varanasi. Excavations at Varanasi have shown a terracotta figurine in which two musicians are playing percussion instruments. The literature of ancient and medieval times also point out to a great tradition of music in Varanasi as in 14th century’s drama ‘Vikrant Kauravam’. The ‘Bhakti’ movement in the medieval period also contributed to the development of music in Varanasi. ‘Jataka’ tales narrate the storyeof Veena competition in the ‘Sudarshan’ city. Ashwaghosh in his famous work ‘Sunderananda’ describes Ganikaas of Kashi. In the 16th century Govind Chandra ruled Varanasi and during his rein Dhrupad was the royal music. It is said that Mian Tansen took birth in Varanasi. Texts say that Jaffar Khan, descendant of Bilas Khan (youngest son of Tansen), invented the instrument ‘Sursingaar’- lower part of which was made of hollow wood and steel plates were set in the upper part and the strings used were made of steel and brass, and gave his first demonstration of this instrument in the court of Raja Udit Narayan Singh of Kashi.

Varanasi, the seat of learning, virtually reverberates with the chants of Vedic hymns that are said to be the oldest genre of musical form. Dixitar (1776-1835), whose signature is Guru Guha-the most recent of the trinity of Karnatak music, is said to have studied Dhrupad in Varanasi. Of more recent times, Sitar maestro Bharatratna Pt. Ravi Shankar was born in Varanasi on 7th April 1920. Music is an integral part of this city of Natraj. The city has credit of producing several music virtuosos liked legendary Late Pt. Anokhelal Mishra, Late Bari Moti, Late Pt. Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Bharatratna Late Ustad Bismilla Khan, Padmavibhushan Late Pt Kishan Maharaj, Vidushi Girija Devi, Pt.Chhannulal Mishra, Vidushi Purnima Chowdhury, Pt.Rajan Sajan Mishra, Pt. Balwant Rai Bhatt”Bhavrang”, to name a few. Varanasi, the cultural capital of India, has always possessed a central position not only in the sphere of Indian Classical Vocal scenario but also has contributed much to the field of   Instrumental Music. Among the pioneers of Instrumentalists of Varanasi, the most revered and noted name is that of Pt. Laxmi Prasad Mishra. His descendants and disciples gave a wide platform to Stringed Instruments.

‘Sangeet Nayak’ Pt. Dargahi Mishra, a stalwart amongst musicians, played a vital part in promoting Stringed Instruments by producing disciples in the fields of Veena, Sarangi, and Sitar. His two sons, Sarayu Prasad Mishra and Govardhan Prasad Mishra were well known artists in the field of vocal and Sarangi. Mithailal Mishra was an acclaimed artist in the field of Veena and vocal. Musicians like Chote Ramdas Mishra (Veena), Pannalal Sharma (Veena, Surbahaar, Sitar), Shivprasad (Vocal, Sitar, Mridang), Kanta Nath Vyaas (Veena) and Srichand Mishra (Vocal, Sitar) played an important role towards the upliftment of Stringed Instruments in Varanasi. Amongst the string instrumentalists of Varanasi, Ustad Vaaris Ali was a huge personality and following his tradition were Ustad Ashiq Ali, Ustad Mushtaq Ali. Pt. Debu Choudhury of Delhi, disciple of Mushtaq Ali Khan, is a world renowned artist carrying forward the ‘parampara’ of his Guru. Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma too is related to the Banaras Parampara.

Legendary musician Baba Alauddin Khan Sahab’s disciples Pt. Ravi Shankar and Pt. Jyotin Bhattacharya (Sarod) are related to Varanasi. Pt. Ravi Shankar, as already mentioned, was born in Varanasi and Pt. Jyotin Bhattacharya resides with his family in Varanasi. Renowned musician Late Pt. Lalmani Mishra is a well known name in the field of Vichitra Veena who is known for his scintillating renditions on such a tough instrument. Carrying on his Parampara, his son, Late Dr. Gopal Shankar Mishra and Pof. Pushpa Basu are musicians of great repute.

Varanasi has a rich tradition of String Instuments of which Sarangi is one. Among the Sarangi players of Varanasi, Tamakhu Mishra has been a signature. He was not much into limelight and performative glamour. Other Sarangi players who made Varanasi proud of themselves are Sumernath Mishra, Sursahay Mishra, Kashinath Kinnar, Siya Ji, Birayi Ji, Sheetal Mishra, to name a few. Late Pt. Hanuman Prasad Mishra, father of the world renowned vocalists Pt. Rajan – Pt. Sajan Mishra was an artist of great repute.

Among the Guitarists of Varanasi, Sri Shibnath Bhattacharya (disciple of Late Pt. Nalin Mazumdar of Allahabad who was the first to play Indian Classical Muisc on Hawaiian Guitar), Sri Gopal Das, Dr.Sanjay Verma , Dr.S.Kamala are known figures in this field.

Bharatratna Late Ustad Bismilla Khan Sahab, a synonym of Shehnai is the most revered and noted name in the field of Wind Instruments. Vilayatu Miyan had been a great artist of this field and caryying on this tradition were Ali Baksh and Samsuddin Khan and finally Shehnai was taken to its heights by Bismilla Khan Sahab. In the present days we have Sri Ramashahkar , Sri Sohanlal who have taken the instrument ,which is almost a synonym of Hindu marriage, to its heights.

Also, the flautists who have made Varanasi proud of themselves are Sri. R.K.Srinivasan, Dr.Prahlad Nath,  to name a few.

Varanasi has been a confluence of musical genres. Not only North Indian Classical music but Karnatak music has been flourishing here too. Way back in 1964 Late Pt. V.K. Venkatramanujam, a violinist of great repute came to Varanasi and thus started the flow of Karnatak Music. Another stalwart violinist from South, Dr. ( Smt.) N. Rajam ( disciple of ‘Sangeet Martand’ Pt. Omkar Nath Thakr) stayed for a long time in Varanasi and headed the Faculty of  Performing Arts,B.H.U., as the Dean. Her renditions are of the Norh Indian style.

The tradition of Instrumental music in Varanasi has gone through various phases. Many a noted musicians have remarkably made Varanasi proud, bringing home laurels. Some noted instrumentalists of recent times are Late Dr Ramdas Chakraborty, Pt. Surendra Mohan Mishra, Dr. Rajbhaan Singh, Pt.Amarnath Mishra, Prof. Krishna Chakraborty (all Sitar) ; Prof. R.P. Shastri, Dr. V. Balaji, Dr. (Smt.) Jayashree Roy,Sri Sukhdev Mishra, U.H.R. Pradeep, Dr. Swarna Khuntia Sri Vijay Choubey (all Violin) ; Sri Santosh Mishra, Sri Kanhaiyalal Mishra, Sri Sangeet Mishra, Sri Sandeep Mishra( Sarangi) ; Dr. S. Kamala, Dr. Sanjay Verma (Guitar) ; Sri Rajesh Moitra, Sri Vibhas Maharaj (Sarod).

The style of performance as compared to the ‘Chaindaari’ of yester-years has changed a lot. The present day performances are comparatively in a faster pace with not much peace of mind and soul, which fulfils the demands of a commercialized society. This is what is the symptom of  the ‘Pop’- or rather the ‘Popular’ culture. By the impact of a Globalized market, improvisations in the built of the Musical Instruments has been carried out for the betterment of performances by the musicians of Varanasi. Artists like Dr. Vishnuchittan Balaji has designed a Violin which has eleven strings and this Volin has been named “Bala Bela” by Padmavibhushan Late Pt. Kishan Maharaj. Dr. V. Balaji has designed another Violin which has twenty-five string and has named it “Triveni Bela”. He is now working on a new set-up of a violin that has two necks in a body. Another technical improvisation that has been done by Dr. Sanjay Verma is that he has attached the ‘Daand’ of Tanpura to his guitar. Dr. S. Kamala has also made improvements in her Guitar by adding strings and has named it Shankar Guitar. As per the rendition on Guitar, the Guitarists have evolved the style of playing Chotakhyaal instead of the age-old Razakhani Gat and is accepted well. Violinists like Prof. R.P. Shastri and his disciple Dr. (Smt.) Jayashree Roy present their recital with a blend of Tantrakaari and Gaayaki Anga.

The changes that have been adapted in the built of various instruments have changed the tonal quality, which is more pleasing than of the yester-years and these  changes brought in by the instrumentalists of Varanasi have been acclaimed all over the world and has taken instrumental music to its heights.

When you think of guitars, many people immediately think about one of two types – either the popular electric guitar used so prevalently by bands and groups that produce popular music, and the classical guitars more traditionally used for softer music, and classical music itself. The one distinctive attribute of a classical guitar is its ability to allow the musician to construct and play arrangements of music with multiple notes being played simultaneously, what is known as polyphonic music, and this is similar is in many respects to the traditional pianoforte.
This ability to play polyphonic music is the one aspect above all others that sets the classical guitar aside from other types, including the popular acoustic guitar, bass guitars and the electric guitars, which are more limited in the notes and combinations which can be played. Although often it may be suggested that classical guitars are not the only type to be capable of this polyphonic sound, and that flamenco guitars offer the same opportunity, there is still one great difference that sets the two types of guitar aside. Classical guitars, as with most guitars, are designed to be plucked or strummed, whereas flamenco guitars are far more percussive, being played almost as though in the style of a piano, with the strings being struck or hit to create the resonating note, and this difference in playing method creates a very significant difference in the type of sound or voice, and the style of music that each instrument is capable of producing.
The classical guitar that we tend to think of has a broad family, and across the whole world the classical guitar comes in many flavours, each sharing the same quality and characteristic of being able to play polyphonic musical arrangements, but each lending the music a distinctive quality which reflects the different musical traditions and patterns of the culture of each country. For example, a wide range of guitars can be found in Mexico, with the very small guitar known as the requinto, and then the much larger guitarron which is so much larger that it competes with a cello for size, and therefore produces a much more deeply resonating sound, and is tuned to the same register as a bass guitar.
A similar range of different sizes and styles can be seen in Columbia too, with the smallest guitar being known as the bandola, and is most popularly used as a travelling guitar, since its small size allows it to be packed or carried with relatively little difficulty. A slightly larger version of the classical guitar than the bandola is the tiple, and this is mid way between the bandola and the classical guitar, although he classical guitar does itself appear in the Columbian repertoire. The classical guitar, or as they are often referred to today, the classic guitar, owes its shape and traditionally agreed dimensions to a man named Antonio Torres Jurado who lived from 1817 to 1892.
Today the modern classic guitar has ten strings, which is four more than a traditional guitar with only six. These four extra strings, called resonators, are tuned in a very special way that means that they can be played, and will resonate in tune to any of the twelve notes that can be played chromatically on the higher strings. The three bass strings on a classic ten string guitar are tuned in the same way, and this extra tuning for resonance is felt to improve and complement the sonority of the sound, giving a much more distinctive, clear and full performance of the music. Modern classic guitars are available in a number of different versions which can be played within different octaves, with the soprano guitar being used to play a full octave higher than a normal guitar, and a contrabass guitar achieving notes a full octave lower.

Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to the music embedded in the traditions of every art and culture. It spans over a time length ranging from 9th century and the 21st century.
The term is often used as a synonym of Western music traditions and includes within its fold a vast range of music styles, an traditions ranging from compositional techniques to issues related to entertainment. Classical music has included within its genre also classical instruments especially the classical guitar, which has finally carved a niche for itself and has become a name to reckon within the world of music.
Guitar is perhaps one of the most alluring musical instruments whose charm has spread far and wide. Surpassing other musical instruments guitar has found a unique niche for itself. The set up of a guitar is very important. Even the most high sounding, sophisticated guitar may be hard to play.
Traversing a long interesting road guitars have emerged as the most popular musical instrument. It has become an integral part of the entire musical journey globally.
The most important aspect of the classical guitar set up is its playability factor. Touring concert artists now mostly prefer guitars, which are easy to handle. Classical guitar set up is similar to that of the steel strings or electrics. There is only a difference in tension, bridge and neck design. Only the principles differ a little in certain respects.
A good classical guitar set up should have the following elements in it
Good tension in the strings.
Good adjustability of the nut.
Capability to adjust with the nut.
Thickness in the neck.
Good pitching in the soundboard and the bridge.
Adjustability according to the player’s style.
Tone production quality.
String’s active vibrating length.
Freedom of performance it gives to its guitarists.
It should have low tension in the strings of the neck and should be made entirely of wood and not of steel struss rod.
It should have greater volume and longer sustainable capability.
There are various types of classical guitars. The most common of them are
Multi-string classical guitar
Classical electric guitar
Some of the famous classical guitarists who have dominated the musical landscape globally are as followed
Francisco Tarrega
Fernando Sor
Jose Feliciano
Christopher Parkening
John Williams
Julian Bream
Carl Volk
More Resources
Marcos Vinicius
Sharon Wayne
Maro Razi
Lynn Harting-Ware
Aniello Desiderio
Andrew York
Progetto Avanti
John McLaughlin
Sharon Isbin
David Tanenbaum
Eliot Fisk
Nigel North
Pepe Romero
Richard Alcoy
Classical guitar has always dominated the traditional musical scene for ages. Its history is almost four centuries old. Classical guitarists are capable of producing great music with excellent sound quality at one single stroke of the hand. A perfect classical guitar set up usually assists in adding that old world charm.
Therefore, having a proper classical guitar set up is absolutely essential for the beginners. Many classical guitar museums offer excellent classical guitar set ups for guitar enthusiasts. They host many a unique collection of playable instruments.

Michael Perlowin breaks new ground with innovative and enjoyable music performed primarily and surprisingly on the pedal steel guitar.As with his forays into the world of Debussy, Stravinsky and Broadway with his Firebird Suite and West Side Story albums, Michael Perlowin is again shattering the stereotype of the pedal steel guitar as a country-and-western-only instrument. In his new album, Spanish Steel, he presents 20 tracks from or about Spain, featuring works by Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz, Joaquín Rodrigo, Julio Martinez Oyanguren, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.This new album sees Perlowin continuing to alternate between the use of the pedal steel as both a featured and ensemble instrument. However, this CD features Perlowin’s guitar work more than his previous outings, as the guitar is such an integral part of Spanish music. It is fair to say that this is not so much a “pedal steel guitar album” as it is an album of music in which the steel is predominantly featured for its unique expressive sound.Perlowin, a veteran guitarist of the folk and rock music scene around L.A., became enamored of the pedal steel guitar after unexpectedly finding himself working on a country and western band during the mid-70s. His infatuation blossomed into an all-consuming love affair, an intensely passionate obsession that continues to this day. Perlowin jokingly calls himself a “steel-aholic,” and adds that the intricacies and mysteries of the instrument cause most other players to feel the same way.As a working guitarist, Perlowin had played just about every type of popular music, from standards, to folk, rock, country, blues, reggae and even disco. Playing pedal steel guitar, however, Perlowin found he was unhappy when confined to country and western music. He began playing the steel with musicians from various genres, including an all instrumental experimental music band, and a blues rock band ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkSnoeTWR4I ).Eventually, it was the world of classical music that attracted Perlowin’s interest. A recording of Debussy’s “The Maid With the Flaxen Hair” by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith introduced him to the world of literate music. Perlowin explains, “As soon as I heard this piece, I realized that this was what I wanted to play.” Perlowin’s own recording of the piece, which clearly shows Smith’s influence, can be heard on his first classical pedal steel album Firebird Suite.”Everyone who plays classical music should be required to listen to this recording,” said Mark Laycock, Music Director, Orchestra London, The Princeton Chamber Symphony and Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony. “Mike Perlowin is a musical genius who I am proud to know and learn from, and honored to have for a friend. I love this instrument, and this music and the beauty of these sounds delights my soul.”Perlowin had been marginally exposed to classical music when he was young, and has no formal musical or production training. Perlowin’s second album, West Side Story, shows his growth not as a player, since he had already mastered the instrument, but as a producer, arranger, and recording engineer.However, it is with this third album that his mastery of the recording studio blossomed to match his talents as a virtuoso musician. On Spanish Steel, Dave Beyer played drums and percussion, while Bill Watkins contributed timpani samples to complement Perlowin on pedal and lap steel guitars, electric and acoustic guitars, fretted and fretless basses, sitar, mandolin, mandocello, 5-string banjo, autoharp and additional percussion.Spanish Steel is a totally unique and original album fulfilling Perlowin’s goal of showing the beauty and expressiveness of the pedal steel guitar. Replete with fascinating liner notes, it is the best example to date of the depths of Perlowin’s enormous talent. Find it along with his other albums at CDBaby.com, SteelGuitarMusic.com, Amazon.com; for reviews and images visit his artist website at http://www.mikeperlowin.comTRACK LIST:Michael Perlowin, SPANISH STEEL: Music from Spain by Manuel de Falla, Joaquín Rodrigo, Isaac Albéniz and others.El Amour Brujo (Manuel de Falla)1. Introduccion Y Escena (0:30)2. En La Cueva (1:46)3. Cancion Del Amor Dolido (1:25)4. Danze Del Terror (2:03)5. El Circulo Magico (2:45)6. Danza Ritual Del Fuego (3:52)7. Escena (1:00)8. Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo (1:21)9. Pantmima (4:14)10. Danza Del Juego De Amor (2:23)11. Las Campanas Del Amanecer (1:18)Asturias (Isaak Albéniz)12. Asturias (Leyenda) (5:43)Conceirto Andeluz for 4 guitars (Joaquín Rodrigo).13. Conceirto Andeluz for 4 guitars- Third Movement ( 7:05)Fantasia Inca (Julio Martinez Oyanguren)14. Fantasia Inca (3:12)Capriccio Espagnol (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)15. Alborada (1:15)16. Variazioni (4:20)17. Alborada (1:17)18. Scena (2:16)19. Canto Gatano (2:22)20. Fandango Asturiano (3:38)