My Last Blog Post... For Now

So as the assignment for this blog comes to an end, my hope is that anyone who has read any of my posts has gotten something useful out of it such as being exposed to a new artist, has a new found inspiration to pick up a new instrument, re-learn an old instrument, or finding a desire to keep up with new music. If you want to keep reading a serious music blog, here is one. If you wish to find a new instrument, go here, or here. The gift of music is great for the holidays and I personally always love receiving itunes gift cards. If you are interested in the some of the music that I most fancy, some of my favorite artists are Incubus, Thrice, Chanticleer, Ingrid Michaelson, Reel Big Fish, William Fitzsimmons, Building Rome in a Day, B.B. King, Jaco Pastorius, Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance, Tupac, Half Past Two, The Devil Wears Prada, Ballyhoo, Iration, A Static Lullaby, and Phinehas. Music is an art and everyone has their opinion. Start listening to music that you would not on a normal basis. Start making opinions on it and treat it like the beauty that it is. I am not sure whether or not I will be blogging anymore in the future, but it was fun. For the last time for now...
Happy Listening
-Emilio

What to look for in an electric guitar part 2

Because most of a guitar is its body, most of the time made of wood, this is what affects the sound most. The density, thickness, and other factors play a role in how the wood will sound. Some major woods used on guitars are mahogany, maple, rosewood, alder, basswood, ebony, and many others. To give a few examples, basswood will have a sound that is smooth on the top end, but a little soft on the low end. In an alder body, the highs and lows are somewhat more pronounced, so the mid range is a little pulled back in the sound. Mahogany has very pronounced high and lows and has a thicker sound. For the fretboard, rosewood is most common and has a full sound. For more on guitar woods, go here. Lastly, the bridge of a guitar will affect it greatly. A fixed bridge will resonate with the body of a guitar more, where as a guitar with a tremolo will not. Basically, the more contact that the strings have with the guitar, the more the sound will resonate. Now that you know what some of the differences are, compare some of the higher end guitars with the guitars in your price range. Pick one that sounds as close as possible to you, is comfortable to play, and that you think looks good. Have fun with it and enjoy your new instrument!

 Happy Listening/ Playing
-Emilio

What to look for in an electric guitar part 1

So when I bought my first electric guitar, I didn't really know what to look for so here are some tips to help someone who is looking. If you are looking for a guitar that is less expensive than all of the guitars that cost thousands of dollars, first start trying out all of the expensive guitars. Now I understand that you probably do not know how to play guitar very well, but it is good to at least learn a few chords or how to play a few songs before you buy a guitar so you are able to test them. Now once you start picking up the very expensive guitars, always plug into the same amp so the guitars are the only variable. Notice how heavy the guitar is, the workmanship in the quality of the neck, the fretboard, the finish, what it has to offer in terms of electronics, etc. Some main components that are going to have an effect on the sound are the pickups, the bridge, and the woods that make up the guitar.  If you are not familiar with some of these terms, click here to get a better idea. Single coil pickups have a thinner sound and tend to give out a little bit of "buzz". Humbuckers cancel the buzz and have a thicker sound. P-90 pickups buzz a little and have a unique sound. These are the three main types of pickups but there are many out there. A popular guitar with singe coils is the Fender Stratocaster. A popular guitar with humbuckers is the Gibson Les Paul. These two guitars sound very different and besides the pickups, this is caused by the different bridge and woods. These components though, will have to wait until next time. To be continued...

Happy Listening

-Emilio

Music all Around You

There is music happening all around us. Just at Cal State Long Beach, there is a ton of music going on all the time. There are concerts of popular music to look for near the University Student Unions on some days. I have found that these concerts are mostly on Wednesdays and the bands are usually pretty good. In the music department, there are concerts going on almost every weekend. The Carpenter Center has events every weekend and include other forms of art other than music as well. There are student events on most weekends too; especially with that it is now recital season. This means that a lot of music majors are required to put on recitals. They are free so this is a great chance to get to know some fellow students and support your peers. This Saturday, there is a fusion concert that includes both the dance and music department which should be interesting. Lastly, this Saturday night is the vocal jazz concert which features Pacific Standard Time and Jazz n' Tonic. Both these groups are really great this year and this is not a concert to miss. Most events can be found on the bulletin boards in the music department. Along with the opera scenes, the art shows, and the dance concerts, there is so much art being showcased at your school and it's a waste to miss it. Go check some out and explore a little more of what your college has to offer. 

Happy Listening

-Emilio

Music of Today

A lot of contemporary music is a lot different than it used to be. A few hundred years ago, there were no electronic recording devices and not really any recording devices like what we have today. There were the performers and instruments, which were all acoustic. Now, there are electronics involved like electric guitars, electric basses, large speakers, and computers. It just goes to show how times have changed. Now, performers don't necessarily have to spend years perfecting a certain instrument, but can be good with a computer and recreate sounds of all sorts of instruments. I don't hate how music has changed, because there are more jobs in the music industry now, such as recording engineers, sound technicians, and producers. Recording engineers take care of jobs like setting up microphones and mixing and mastering music to sound its best on a recording. Sound technicians work more with live performances and set up microphones and monitors to represent the best sound of what is coming out of the performers. Lastly, producers help artists to make songs flow more smoothly, and help artists with their creative difficulties. The new jobs and new technology of music today compared to the past make me wonder how music will be different in the future. My one hope is that the integrity of performers isn't lost. By this I mean that I hope that those artists who put in thousands of hours into practicing and dedicating so much time to their art isn't lost.
Happy Listening
-Emilio

Funk

Maybe it is no longer the middle to late twentieth century, but that does not mean people can't be groovy. I'm not just talking about the groovy clothes or style, but the music. I mean funk and disco. Today, though, I will be focusing on funk. To me, the best part of funk is that it includes a ton of syncopated rhythms with a bunch of instruments to combine into one groove. A lot of funk is about the feel of the music, like jazz and blues, but is also aimed to allow people to move and dance. Jazz and blues, along with genres like soul and r&b somewhat made funk. Unlike those genres though, various instruments don't lay the foundation in funk. Like I said, funk focuses on the groove. This means that the drums and bass play a major role in the music. A lot of funk bands have a horn section, which might consist of instruments like trumpet, trombone, and saxophone. There are tons of funk groups out there, but some of my favorites include James Brown and Tower of Power. My dad, who lived through the funk age was the person who introduced me to funk music and it has affected how I hear music. He has taken me to various funk concerts and I always had a great time. It is a shame to let that music style die as it has taken the backseat in the music scene so have a listen and get your groove on.

Happy Listening

-Emilio

Sound Effects

The effects of sound and music are quite interesting. It is obvious that sound travels through air, liquid and even solid substances. People do not often think, though, about how sound travel through bodies as well. Music has the power to effect how we feel, our attitudes and so much more. Some sounds can put people to sleep. Some help with meditation. Others helps to jolt the nerves and alert people. It is also obvious that music can affect peoples' emotions. There are even careers that aid people by means of music. According to musictherapy.org, "Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program." It's a fun experiment to try to pay attention to what you are listening to and how it affects you. I've found that some of the hard core and metal music that I listen to gets me easily angry or in an on edge mood, and that some of the soft acoustic music can help settle me down. A fire siren puts my body on alert and birds chirping is calming to wake up to. There have even been studies done as to how the tempo and key affect certain parts of one's body. It just amazes me that there is so much depth to sound and that it can have such an effect on people.
Happy Listening
-Emilio