There is a popular joke that goes – There is a frog driving one way on the highway, and a banjo player driving the other way – what’s the difference. Answer, the frog has a gig.

There are so many different instrument s out there that it is difficult to say which one is the best, but certainly one of the most versatile instruments out there is the guitar.

For centuries, the guitar has been around, and in that time, it has grown in stature and use because it is so easily adaptable to many different styles from jazz to heavy metal, and Spanish to classical. Learning the guitar and mastering it can be the joy of an entire lifetime. However, buying that first one can be painful sometimes.

There are so many different makes and models that suit this or that style that it is easy to get lost in all the choice. As a friend if mine who has been in the music business says, “You have to go with your gut”. Always listen to that little voice and watch that you don’t override it. Some prefer the mellow sound of the “flat top”, or acoustic, and others love to blast everything to pieces with an electric that sounds like its on steroids, but there is one common guideline that makes the best sense of all – “If you’re starting out, get something that isn’t pricey. There are many good makes out there that are ideal for starting on.

There are reasons for going with the inexpensive first. When you start out, all the instruments in the store are like candy, they all look so beautiful, and when you watch someone test playing one, it’s intoxicating, and all you know is that you want that one!

Work with the sales staff, but first check and see if the store is a good one. You will know if it’s a good one by how many professional musicians go there. In a good store, the staff doesn’t try to push you into getting the most expensive one there; they work with you to your playing level and to your budget.

Good sales staff know that starry eyed look that beginners get and will steer you in the right direction according to your needs and your budget. They know that many who start playing can lose interest quickly when they find out what it takes to get to where they can play that beautiful music they heard being played by a pro. Do not make yourself crazy just enjoy the adventure. Read the rest of this entry »

Karaoke has become a favorite amongst all age groups ,although the ones that may know the least about it are the seniors. Yet in a sense they know more about it then the younger ones. Years ago this golden age group, were in the habit of getting to together at a party or a club and singing all the old war songs and songs they grew up with. The only thing really missing was the machine.

With the birth of karaoke came the birth of a lot of self confidence. People that normally would be too shy to get up and sing before a crowd, seem to find it much easier if others are going to do it as well.

Karaoke was founded in Japan. There’s a story going around that a bar owner had hired some entertainment that didn’t show us. So out of desperation he put on some tapes and asked in anyone wanted to sing. As the story goes, the night was a great success and thus the birth of this great pass time. The people of Japan particularly enjoy doing hit songs from the Beatles and Elvis. They have adapted quite a liking for western music. This is a real bonus for foreign exchange students. In addition it is a wonderful aid for brushing up the English skills.

In the very beginning it was rather a simple system. One would simply put a tape on and someone would sing along with it. Then it moved up onto videos with graphics. Finally now the more sophisticated version is the karaoke machine that consists of a mike and a television screen to follow along the song with. Much like when we were kids and would see a song on television and sing along by following the bouncing ball.

An interesting problem that had to be worked out in Japan was the noise factor. The houses are situated very close together in that country, so an individual singing at the top of his lungs could be quite a distraction for the neighbors, no matter how good the singer was. To solve that problem they invented the karaoke box. In fact the first boxes were railway cars that manage to contain the music quite nicely.

Karaoke seems to be a real ice breaker. Where people may not normally socialize with each other. it appears an individual getting up and singing opens the way to conversation. Often a person is congratulated on how well they done when they come off stage, and a conversation may begin. Read the rest of this entry »