COOL MUSIC

8 String Guitar

2008-04-17T17:12:00.009+07:00

8-String guitar comes with eight strings. There are many variants of this musical instrument guitar, one maybe invented from Russia along with the 7-string guitar alternative in the 19th century. The musical instrument 8-string guitar has started gaining popularity very recently, notably among jazz artists such as Charlie Hunter, The Special Purpose, Richard Scott, and Terje Rypdal and other metal artists like Meshuggah, Korn guitarist James ?Munky? Shaffer also had also been appeared with 8 string guitar during occasional live shows.

There are constantly increasing the number of online musical instrument store and musical instrument store offering 8 string guitars, and a production eight stings is been released during 2007 by Ibanez. Some of the other main manufacturing companies of 8 and also 9 strings guitars are Novax Guitars launched by Ralph Novak and Conklin Guitars.

Advantages of 8 string guitars:

Full range of bass notes appears from A an octave lowers than the 5th guitar string, and up to the drop-D string.
Latest 19-century model smaller scale and thin neck facilitates access to all 8 strings, for even Barres.
It has the ability to play 10-string range of Mertz, and 7-string Coste range.
It has the ability to play Baroque transcriptions at actual pitch.
It plays Baroque 8-course lute pieces from originals.
Play drop-D pieces with contact to the usual 6-string and drop-D fingerings.
Low D and A quiver understandingly with 2 open strings.

This period balanced 8-string guitar shaped by Reis in about 1840 is a hard surviving example of the multi-bass guitars. It is designed after the well-known Viennese builder Anton Stauffer, as many Viennese builders copied the same Stauffer's design. Note that the additional 2 strings are not fretted and they are only the open string could be played. The headstock is a usual figure 8 shape, where the gathering for the 7th and 8th strings is interlocked. The musical instrument 8 string variations can also be found in classical nylon strung instruments. They are usually tuned with two additional basses, which differ in pitch depending on the piece being played. Another general variation is to add an additional bass and treble string. The additional treble is almost forever tuned to A, while the added bass string generally falls on A, B, or C.

From: Rocky

Different types of Guitar Amps

2008-04-11T15:15:00.004+07:00

Once you have selected your guitar, you require finding an amp to go with it. Today there are various options available depending on size, sound, amplifier technology and configuration. We are here to give you some useful and necessary information that would steer you through the maze.

Various types of Amplifiers

There are basically four types of guitar amplifiers: Solid-state (analog), Tube, Modeling (digital), and Hybrids.

Solid-state Amps - These guitar amps are recognized solid-state as they use transistors for their preamp and for power sections as an alternative of tubes. They are extremely trustworthy and hardly ever require repairs. They normally have a very fresh tone, even though many come with "distortion" channels also. These amps are all the rage with players looking for a strong, dependable touring amp.

Tube Am ps - Tube amps are favored by many guitarists for their tepid, fat tone and as well for the "organic" distortion. Tube amps are generally sound louder than solid-state amps of the same wattage and have an exact "feel", which you do not acquire from solid-state amps. Most tube amps have different channels, which could be switched from clean to distorted tones instantly. Tube performance could also be deteriorating over time, so tubes require changing occasionally.

Modeling Amps (Digital Amps) - Modeling amp uses digital processors to reproduce the sound of traditional and contemporary tube technology. Using software that "models" the sound of tube amplifiers (and cabinets); these amps put the sound of various amps in one box. Modeling amps are programmable, and frequently have fitted digital effects like delay, chorus, etc. Some as well comprise of digital or even for analog outputs with orator simulation for going direct in to a recording border or P A system.

Hybrid Amps - Combining the best of each kind of guitar amp into one package, these amps use a real tube in combination with the solid state power part of their amps. Marshall Valve state amps use tubes in the preamp part and solid state circuitry in the power section to make a tube tone with no necessity the use of power tubes.
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Rocky is a Copywriter of http://www.gigasonic.com/
He has written many articles in various topics.For more information visit:For more information visit:www.gigasonic.com/alesis-hd24-recorder.html

Asal Muasal Marawis

2008-04-08T11:36:00.001+07:00

Kesenian marawis berasal dari negara timur tengah terutama dari Yaman Nama marawis diambil dari nama salah satu alat musik yang dipergunakan dalam kesenian ini. Secara keseluruhan, musik ini menggunakan hajir (gendang besar) berdiameter 45 Cm dengan tinggi 60-70 Cm, marawis (gendang kecil) berdiameter 20 Cm dengan tinggi 19 Cm, rumbuk (sejenis gendang yang berbentuk seperti dandang, memiliki diameter yang berbeda pada kedua sisinya), serta dua potong kayu bulat berdiameter sepuluh sentimeter. Kadang kala perkusi dilengkapi dengan tamborin atau krecek. Lagu-lagu yang berirama gambus atau padang pasir dinyanyikan sambil diiringi jenis pukulan tertentu.

Terdapat tiga jenis pukulan atau nada, yaitu zapin, sarah, dan zahefah. Pukulan zapin mengiringi lagu-lagu gembira pada saat pentas di panggung, seperti lagu berbalas pantun. Nada zapin adalah nada yang sering digunakan untuk mengiringi lagu-lagu pujian kepada Nabi Muhammad SAW (shalawat). Tempo nada zafin lebih lambat dan tidak terlalu menghentak, sehingga banyak juga digunakan dalam mengiringi lagu-lagu Melayu.
Pukulan sarah dipakai untuk mengarak pengantin. Sedangkan zahefah mengiringi lagu di majlas. Kedua nada itu lebih banyak digunakan untuk irama yang menghentak dan membangkitkan semangat. Dalam marawis juga dikenal istilah ngepang yang artinya berbalasan memukul dan ngangkat. Selain mengiringi acara hajatan seperti sunatan dan pesta perkawinan, marawis juga kerap dipentaskan dalam acara-acara seni-budaya Islami.

Jumlah Pemain.

Musik ini dimainkan oleh minimal sepuluh orang. Setiap orang memainkan satu buah alat sambil bernyanyi. Terkadang, untuk membangkitkan semangat, beberapa orang dari kelompok tersebut bergerak sesuai dengan irama lagu. Semua pemainnya pria, dengan busana gamis dan celana panjang, serta berpeci.

Semakin Populer.

Sembilan tahun silam, seni marawis belum populer seperti saat ini. Di tanah Betawi, seni marawis awalnya hanya dimainkan oleh orang-orang keturunan Arab khususnya dari Hadramaut, Yaman. Bahkan, ada semacam anggapan bahwa marawis hanya dimainkan mereka yang masih keturunan Nabi SAW. Marawis dimainkan orang-orang keturunan Arab untuk memeriahkan acara Maulid Nabi SAW. Selain itu, juga berkembang untuk meramaikan arak-arakan pengantin.

Saat ini, hampir semua majelis taklim di Jakarta memiliki kesenian marawis. Mereka belajar seni marawis di Kampung Arab di Pasar Minggu. ''Tahun lalu saja sudah ada hampir 170 grup marawis. Sekarang mungkin lebih dari 200 grup,'' papar Hasan yang telah 15 tahun ini mengelola seni marawis.Satu grup marawis terdiri dari 10 orang. Setiap orang menabuh alat musik. Ada yang menabuh marawis, menabuh hajir, tamborin dan dumbuk. Seni marawis ini ternyata tidak selalu diisi dengan tarian. Menurut Hasan, tari-tarian dilakukan jika ada acara-acara khusus. ''Misalnya, kalau ada panggung baru,'' ucapnya.