Entries Tagged 'Music' ↓

For all the advice that I got about buying a guitar for my friends, I learned very little about guitar strings. I had always assumed that the guitar alone determines the sound you get out of it. With an acoustic guitar, the main thing is how the body is constructed and what materials are used. If you had good tone woods, solid construction, and a large enough body to resonate, you would get a brilliant warm tone. With electric guitars, it had to do with what pickups you used. Different pickups would give sharp tones, mellow tones, or hot distorted sounds.

Most guitar players need a way to keep their guitars right where they need them. Though some play acoustic, and they may not need guitar straps, you can bet most will love them. Whether you are buying them for yourself or someone else, there are some things to keep in mind as you shop. Most of them are fine for most players, but some have preferences and even needs that may render some of them as fun, but not very useful. Keep style and preference in mind while you stop, as well as the style of music that someone might play.

With musical audition pieces, You have a lot more leeway in some ways. You don’t really need to preserve the emotional tone of what you are auditioning for. A musical audition piece should show your range and your expressive abilities. It doesn’t really have to show that you are able to take on the role of the dramatic lovelorn protagonist, for example, or whatever other dramatic character you’re taking on. Pick a song you like and one that exhibits your full range.

The 12 string acoustic guitar is a great instrument. In technique, it is basically exactly the same as a normal 6 string guitar, yet there is more depth to it. Because it has double strings, it has an added poignancy that is hard to characterize. The sustain is longer, the notes are deeper, and the tone is richer. Even an entry-level 12 string acoustic guitar will have a power and vibrancy that can capture a whole room. Still, they aren’t for everyone.

When I was a kid, I had no interest in classical guitar music. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t even aware that it existed. My parents loved classical music, but I hadn’t gotten into it that much. I would listen to it when it was on in the background, but what I really liked was rock ‘n roll. I dreamed of becoming a rock guitarist, shredding in front of crowds of thousands and making millions of dollars at it. Needless to say, classical guitar didn’t fit into that.

The variety of MP3 player accessories available these days is huge—and growing every day. In fact, for just about any situation you can think of where you might use your MP3 player, someone has come up with a unique piece of equipment that will help you get the most from your MP3 files, whether they are music or video. Let’s take a look at some of the creative MP3 player accessories that are available, both online and at your favorite local electronics source.

Cases and other Carriers for your MP 3

What’s one of the best things about MP3 players? Portability, of course! One of the most-used MP3 player accessories for many people is a good, sturdy, great-looking case. Or, if you’re a jogger, biker, or skateboarder, maybe what you’re looking for is an armband, so you can take your tunes with you while you’re on the go. Clips for belts and backpack straps are another popular option. You can expect to pay from $9.99 for some of the least expensive cases, up to $29.99 or more for the higher-end sport armbands or other carriers.

Speakers

But enjoying your MP3 player isn’t always about portability, right? There are lots of great speaker solutions that allow you to get that concert-hall sound right in your living room. Often, these speaker docks will have built-in chargers for your player, and some feature built-in FM radios receivers and other features as well. Many of the most respected names in sound equipment offer speakers for your MP3 player that allow you to listen to your music with impressive depth and volume of sound. Prices can run from the high $20s to $250 and more, depending on the features you need.

Car connections

One of the most creative MP3 player accessories on the market today is a device that allows you to listen to your MP3 files through your car’s stereo system. In fact, some auto manufacturers have begun installing MP3 inputs at the factory. But even if your ride didn’t come with a built-in MP3 jack, don’t despair—plenty of vendors have what you need to hear your favorite music (or watch your video files with sound from your car’s audio system) while you’re cruising down the road. Many of the most popular MP3 player accessories for the car use the FM receiver in your car system to play files through the stereo. Many of these devices, in fact, are wireless—just plug them into the appropriate input on your MP3 player, tune them to the proper FM band, and you’re all set!

Other Cool Stuff

The above list is nowhere near exhaustive. Other MP3 player accessories that can enhance your enjoyment of your system include headphones and ear buds, FM-capture devices that allow you to convert FM radio to MP3 files, universal docks, headphone splitters to permit multiple users to connect headphones to the same MP3 player… and lots more!

If you want to blast music from your iPod Nano, you’ll need speakers. Fortunately, you can get speakers made for iPod Nanos specifically, or just go with a standard set of mini speakers. This article takes a look at some speakers for the iPod Nano. If you don’t have a home stereo system to plug your iPod Nano into, mini speakers by various companies like Sony, Coby, or even Koss work just fine. They’re readily pretty affordable too, and all you have to do is plug the speakers into the iPod Nano’s headphone jack to start enjoying music. Depending on the model, some speakers may or may not require batteries, or they may come with a power adapter or USB cable. An average set of mini speakers will run you about $10, like the Sony SRS-P7 Passive Speaker System with Stereo Mini-Plug Input, which was listed for $9.99 at amazon.com. You won’t get the same quality you would with a nice set of Bose speakers or other home system, but it should be adequate for personal use as long as you don’t expect CD quality sound. Although mini speakers work fine with iPod Nanos, stylistically they don’t really match up that well. If you require speakers designed for iPod Nanos, you can try the iPod Nano Portable Aluminum Speakers with USB Power Cord. These speakers cost $9.99 at handhelditems.com, which also has the iPod Foldable Multimedia Speaker – HiSound for $39.99 (check the website for current prices and availability).

Other Features

Both of these units work with most iPods, not just Nanos, as well. They have a remotely iPod look to them and come in white. Still, they’re definitely not the most exciting looking speakers ever. If you require unique looking ones, try visiting The Sharper Image online at sharperimage.com or flip through one of their catalogs. If nothing else, they have some unique looking speakers and accessories for Nanos and iPods. For example, they have the “organic looking orb” (as described in the catalog) Magic Wave Speakers, which includes an FM transmitter that works via a motion sensor and a light show! You can plug it right into your iPod via the headset jack.

The Magic Wave costs $39.95, and there are other fun products like the miFlower. You can plug this flower-like speaker/toy into your iPod, and it will bop along to your music by moving and flashing its lights. It also has an LCD face and includes a clock. The miFlower costs $24.95. There are also other fun speakers/toys like the i-Dog or i-Cat as well, so check them out if you’re looking for something varied.