Monday, July 28, 2008

Viva La Vida

Coldplay release their fourth album "Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends" on Parlophone. The album comprises 10 brand new tracks, recorded in London, Barcelona and New York with producers Brian Eno and Markus Dravs. "Viva La Vida" follows the hugely successful album "X&Y", which has sold 10 million copies since its release in 2005.
Customer Review: Why did they paint on the Delacroix?
As with most all uber-hyped pop albums, this one doesn't go deep and raw enough to be fantastic (if it did, it would make too many enemies). However as chart toppers go, this one is straight from the heart, and will remain on my playlist for a long time. Chris Martin singing 'you didn't get to heaven, but you made it close/you didn't get to heaven, but you aaa.... (almost?)' is hard to forget. all songs have a crunchy revolutionary anthem feel that fits Martin like an old leather coat. One that i'll be wearing for a while.
Customer Review: If it wasn't so overhyped, I might be less critical...
Coldplay is good. They're better than most. Most rap, most country, most rock and DEFINITELY most pop. But Viva la Vida is extremely overexposed, and Coldplay have long been riding a tidal wave of mediocrity over the heads of the consumers. Regarding their most recent release, the lyrics are interesting, the melodies pretty, the songs epic in scope, but rather pedestrian when all the synthesizers are stripped away. Chris Martin has a nice voice, but not an inspiring one. But, then again, the same might be said about U2, and look what they've accomplished. At least Coldplay aren't a ripoff (well, yes, they do bear more than a passing nod to U2, but I mean ripoff in the "you've been robbed" kind of way)...at worst you might feel like you spent too much on the CD - you won't be wondering why you bought it in the first place. I probably wouldn't be so critical had I not been expecting considerably more from their new CD. The song "Viva la Vida" was stuck in my head by about the fifth time I saw the stupid iTunes commercial. It's arranged in a way to make it a depaparture from typical pop/rock drivel, and I like its bass pulse: solid without being bombastic. Nice layering of sounds, but it sounds canned overall. There are a couple of tunes that sound like they borrowed a page from Sgt. Pepper (but who HASN'T borrowed a page from Sgt. Pepper?), and a few that suggest to me a hasty trip from concept to final mix. HOWEVER, if you think I'm being overly critical, you should hear my rants about 99.9999999% of the rest of the music that I have been subjected to and tortured with over the years. Overall, I'm pleased by Coldplay's latest. I give it 7 points for every single track being worthy of repeated listens, 1 point for the single "Viva la Vida" having the incredible capacity to get stuck in your head, minus 2 points for the CD as a whole not living up to the hype, but I'm giving those 2 points back as extra credit for still being better than most of what else the recording industry attempts to shove down our throats. 80%. That's a solid B. Good effort.


Youve heard a lot about rhythm and blues, but its the bass that makes you want to dance. Its the thumpa-thumpa that gets your groove on, your head bobbing up and down and your feet a-tapping. Indeed, its all about the bass - the lower notes that give guitar music the texture and body. In a band, its the bass player that closes the gap between tempo and harmony. Thats from endless years of practice perfecting the craft, which beginners can learn from bass guitar chords.

Hearing bass?

If you have heard the songs of Metallica (who hasnt?), youve definitely heard the heavy tones that prop up all throughout, giving them that distinctive sound that only Metallica can offer. Finally, bassists have entered the front door, and are no longer asked to pass through the kitchen door. Playing bass guitar chords have given bassists the tickets to the front door.

It is easy to learn to play the bass guitar, but mind you, the bass guitar is very difficult to tame. If you are dreaming to hold a bass guitar onstage, then practice playing a note at a time. You will be surprised to discover that before you can pluck a note, you will have to master some hand exercises to speed up your guitar playing.

Whats the big deal about bass guitars and bass guitar chords?

A bass guitar is unlike a regular guitar. It has four strings and is an octave lower than the bass strings of a regular guitar. The bass guitar has a longer neck for longer scales. Most bass guitars have hollow bodies, and the sound that is bounced back has a different resonance and tone. The bass sound provides the low-pitched bus runs and bass-line typical in different music genres jazz, fusion, rock, and funk. A sturdy guitar can take all the punishment, as well as give the best bass bellow.

Chords refer to the collection of tones when played together simultaneously. This can refer to any type of fretted string instrument. There is no fuss about bass guitar chords, really. They are plainly guitar chords played on the bass.

Bass guitar chords always have 12 keys. It must show the major, minor, diminished, minor 6th, and major 7th. The suspended 4th added 7th must also be learned. Bass guitar chords also have notations - names and locations of the notes on the frets and strings, as well as the enharmonic equivalents and the positions of these notes within the bass clef. As you learn the different music styles from bass guitar chords, you will soon be going into bass runs, low pitched bass lines, and soloing.

Raring to play the bass guitar?

If you think the bass guitar is yours to tame, you have to get a good instrument to practice the bass guitar chords with. Check out the different bass guitars to suit your needs. Some of the most popular ones used by professionals are the ESP B50, Squier Standard Jazz, Yamaha RBX260, Epiphone Accu Bass, and Ibanez GSR200. If you are thinking about a good investment, get a Tobias Growler 5-string electric bass guitar. This is expensive but will withstand all that picking, plucking, and slapping. If you see yourself playing the bass long term, then this is the guitar for you.

One can say that behind the great bass guitar chord playing, is also a great bass guitar, and player. The formula also calls for dedication, determination, and enthusiasm. Without these, neither great bass guitar nor bass guitar chord can be played. Get lessons, a songbook, and download bass guitar chords from several guitar sites online. Now, lets hear some bass.

Yes, bass guitar chords can be learned online. You can also visit aboutplayingguitar.com for free guitar sheet music. Check out this site now for free guitar chords, and start playing your guitar.

latin music festival

No comments: