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If I had any talent in the world at all, I'd be a star. But I have close to zero talent. And still, I was able to learn to play the guitar decently enough that I actually have people fooled. It's really not that hard if you take it one step at a time and follow a simple plan that won't get your discouraged from the very beginning. And no, you DON'T have to take formal lessons from some dull instructor. I didn't and I'm doing just fine. I'm going to share with you what's worked for me.

The first, and probably most important thing, is to do something that you enjoy doing right from the start. And for most people, that's not going to be learning some boring scales and finger exercises. You'll be discouraged in no time. I know I was when I first started learning when I was a kid almost 40 years ago. That's why I quit. But when I picked it up again, almost at middle age, I decided I was going to have fun with the guitar. I wasn't going to make it a chore.

So I hit the Internet and started looking up some chord charts of some of my favorite songs of years gone by. I started with easy ones so that I wouldn't get discouraged. CCR is a great group to start with. Most of their songs are three or four chords and very easy to play. So I started with those. I then gradually added some songs to my collection as I went along. Once I began to master one song, I went on to the next, but always making sure to practice the songs I had already learned so that I didn't get stale.

Then I made myself a little schedule once I hit about 70 songs because it was starting to become a little tough keeping up with all of them. So I practiced about 10 songs a day, 7 days a week. This made it so that I got through my whole collection in a week. Once I was sure that I had them down cold, I started on a few more songs, rotating my schedule as I went along. Today, I could play two hour long sets in a club with no problem at all.

In my signature you'll find a video of a song that I actually wrote myself. It's kind of a goof, but you can see how well I have progressed without having to take boring lessons. Plus, you'll also find a great resource that will make learning the guitar even more fun. I just wish I had found it when I first started out. It is really that good.

To YOUR Strumming Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to hear a middle aged rocker who never took a formal lesson a day in his life? Watch my video at http://myguitarplaying.blogspot.com/ and then check out the best home study course ever created...hands down. You'll be playing like me (or better) before you know it.

This is the time for you to learn the most popular song in the English language according to Guinness Book of World Records. You do not need to know sheet music. You only need a guitar so let's start!

We will use guitar tab notation which will show you where to put your fingers on your guitar strings as you play. We will explain how to use it later on.

Here are the lyrics:

Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday Dear_____ Happy Birthday To You

Let's learn to play the first line with guitar tab:

Happy Birthday To You

1. ----------------------

2. ---------------1--0---

3. -0--0--2--0-----------

What does the lines and numbers mean? Good question!

The three lines represent the three highest strings on your guitar. Highest in pitch that is! If you hold your guitar the usual way it will be the three strings nearest your feet.

The numbers indicate which fret you are to press down. 0 means that you play a string without pressing down a fret. This is called to play an open string.

The first notes 0 0 2 0 means that you play the third open string twice, then play the second fret on the third string and then back to the third open string.

Hopefully you are recognizing the melody by now!

We will now learn the next line with guitar tab:

Happy Birthday To You

1. ---------------------

2. ---------------3--1--

3. -0--0--2--0----------

What right hand finger should you use? Well, there are many ways to play this song. If you are a complete beginner maybe you can use your right hand thumb to pluck the notes. It should be the easiest way to play the melody, I guess.

We will now learn to play the third line with guitar tab. We will use a name. Let's take the name Peter, that is my name by the way! :

Happy Birthday Dear Peter

1. -------3--0-----------

2. -------------1--0-----

3. -0--0--------------2--

What about the left hand fingers? You can of course use your index finger to play all the notes.

This way to play guitar will work with slow easy pieces but it does not work with more complicated guitar melodies and when you start to play pieces with more than one not at a time.

If you want to learn to play guitar in a more professional way you can use your left hand index finger to play the notes on the first fret, the middle finger to play the notes on the second fret and the ring finger for the third fret.

Time to finish this guitar lesson!

We will now learn to play the last line with the following guitar tab:

Happy Birthday To You

1. --1--1--0-----------

2. -----------1--3--1--

3. --------------------

As all people have a birthday there will be many occasions to play this song! I suggest that you learn the melody by heart, one line at a time.

Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at Capotasto Music

The Sector 7 is a new model that comes under the umbrella of the DC Life Collection, which whether you know it or not, has been around for seven years now. Like its hightop brother the Admiral, this is a nice take on the ‘classic’ aesthetic – streamlined and simple – but possessing an undeniable charm that is hard to define unless you have it in your hand. We don’t really go for the ‘slimfast’ type of thing at all, so believe me, we are as surprised as anyone by the warm glow emitted by the Sector 7. Perhaps the tailored look that so many brands tried to wrangle (Callous anyone?) has finally come of age?

This particular model is made from what appears to be those bizarre ‘batwing’ wrinkly grey leather jackets that were all the rage for old dudes twenty years ago. DC is not primping it as such, but that’s what it looks like to us... If we are right, it’s a nice touch, which although retro, is not immediately evident. Perhaps we are wrong?

The Life Collection at DC is on offer to a small group of retailers globally... check your local store.

If there were one genre of music that's perfect for music therapy, it would have to be New Age piano! Soothing and relaxing, the piano offers many benefits to those in need of respite. The wonderful thing about this style of music is that it's also easy to learn how to play!

A few chords, a scale, and you're able to make music. And not just any kind of music, but one that's conducive to alleviating stress. Let's look at how one might go about learning how to play piano in the New Age style.

First, it's best if you learn one chord position that will give you a nice modern sound right away. The open position chord structure accomplishes this. It's easy to learn and can be used by the beginner right away to make music with. And it uses both hands as well to cover more than 2 octaves of the piano keyboard!

Once this chord structure is practiced, it's time to add in a few chords. Just a few chords is all that is necessary for the beginning adult to experience the joy of improvisation. The hands are placed on the open position chord structure and the fingers move around creating melody. Nothing more is required than an openness to explore the possibilities.

And once students get started, they find that they can't stop playing. The therapeutic aspect of this comes from the free-form improvisations students are able to play only after a few minutes of practice. They begin to unwind, relax, and forget about the problems and cares of the day. It's a music therapy that goes one step above just listening to music.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit http://www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!

Following on from the initial ‘Great White’ colorway released in April 2008, we can now reveal the stunning second version of the Sneaker Freaker X PUMA ‘Jirozame’ project. This new colorway of the PUMA Blaze of Glory flips the shoe to inky black, with a slash of vivid color that sets it off in all the right places. Highlights include sensual nubuck with turqoise sateen, silky laces, red chunks and poppin’ pink bits, all hooked up with the legendary smoke-tinted Trinomic cell unit in the sole of the shoe.

There’s also a choice of several beautifully designed insoles and multiple laces to complement the highly distinctive sneaker. “This thing looks evil!” says the editor and founder of Sneaker Freaker, Simon “Woody” Wood. “ And I love evil! It’s seriously the most comfortable shoe PUMA has ever made. Once you put this thing on you’ll never want to take it off. The Trinomic system was so far ahead of its time, you won’t believe your feet!” Be wary of its apparently docile nature, this one is lethal. And very, very black.

Here's a list of retailers below so find the one in your local area and bug them because as always, numbers are limited and you won't wanna miss out.

READ MORE ABOUT THE SNEAKER FREAKER BLAZE OF GLORY SHOE HERE.

AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS Provider (Melbourne) // Apartment (Brisbane)

NORTH AMERICA Atmos (NYC) // ARC (NYC) // Bodega (Boston) // Premium Goods (Houston)
Livestock (Vancouver) // Ubiq (Philly) // Undefeated (US) // Classic Kicks (NYC)

EUROPE Colette (Paris) // The Gloss (Zurich) // Hanon (Aberdeen, Scotland) // Shinzo (Paris)
Solebox (Berlin) // Sole Service (Oslo) // Sneakersnstuff (Stockholm) // Size (Carnaby St) // 90 SQM (Amsterdam)

ASIA Beams (Tokyo) // DMOP (Hong Kong) // Limited Edt (Singapore) Mita (Tokyo) // Sole What (Malaysia)

To see pictures of the Great White version of this shoe, go here...

Independently spirited, colourful and musically individual, Sweden's top Hip Hop export Looptroop take on the guise of the Looptroop Rockers on their fourth studio album, Good Things, drawing more heavily from their dancehall/reggae roots, with an emphasis on live instrumentation.

The upbeat single The Building characterizes the album perfectly. Amongst the careful construction of frenetic drums, funky guitar, synth and accordion, dreadlocked front-man Promoe utilizes not only his intelligent working man rap but also his sing-songy cadence, along with fellow 'Troop mic wrangler Supreme.

The white-collar theme is further explored on the next selection, Marinate. It is stripped down to a more back-to-basics Hip Hop style, without sacrificing too much of the instrumentation.

Even with the mostly solid execution, there are instances where the three-piece overindulge in their musical exploration. The ill-advised Living On A Prayer (yes, they are covering Bon Jovi) is certainly a blemish on an otherwise enjoyable album. The same goes for Nave, a techno/electro number which would sound more comfortable on a Ministry of Sound release.

Despite a couple of lapses in judgment, efforts like the media-criticizing Trance Fat, where they are joined by Dilated Peoples member Rakaa, as well as the chaotic Rome, more than make up for it. Possibly Looptroop's most polished album, Good Things, finds their bridging of genres and styles meeting its logical conclusion. While it is a party record, it definitely bears fruit for the mind.

Cop some very well-rounded global stylings.

Available through David vs. Goliath Records

By Andrew Hickey (Contributor and Content Manager) http://www.planeturban.com.au

Since last summer a posse of Trinidadian teenagers, calling themselves Legal Intentionz, living on the dreary outskirts of Queens have been putting their DIY skills to work rebuilding old bmx bikes into enormous homemade pa-systems on wheels. These bad-boys pump out over 5000 watts each in a tight mix of everything from Shabba Ranks to Zapp & Roger, and are even more powerful than some competition-level car audio systems. It would be enough to stop traffic on Liberty Avenue if it weren’t gridlocked already. Even the subway running overhead has been rendered inaudible.
 
It was all peachy until April when the Legal Intentionz garage was broken into and nearly all the group’s equipment was stolen. Word on Liberty Avenue is that it was an inside job. The gear (worth over $10K) had allegedly been stolen by a jealous up-and-comer in the crew.

Legal Intentionz crew members had been keeping mum about the identity of the alleged perpetrator until the documentary crew who has been shooting the film Made In Queens chronicling them had their cameras rolling. Like something out of Shakespeare, the ex-member had stolen the gear in order to defect and create a new, rival stereo bike crew - with him as it’s leader. Meanwhile somewhere underneath the Van Wyck Expressway somebody was getting a sweet deal out the back of a van.
 
Was this to be the end of the original Legal Intentionz crew? Turns out audio manufacturers were hip to the crew and loved what they were doing. Eager to encourage the birth of a lucrative market, boxes and boxes of donated new gear arrived from the likes of Pioneer, JL Audio and Kinetik. The Legal Intentionz crew is ready to protect their turf. Prepare for a showdown of tinnitus-inducing proportions. It’s about to go down.
 
The location is Liberty Avenue. The film is MADE IN QUEENS.

Recently I have been trying to search for free mp3 music to download from a website; it was really frustrating by the amount of useless links or lists produced from the search engine. Honestly I can't say all the websites I went through were useless or not exactly free mp3 music download websites, only a few rarely provide free mp3 music for download.

Seriously, if any one is really interested in searching for free mp3 music download websites, don't bother to search through the search engine. Whatever is the outcome of the results from the search engine, you can be sure that the top of the lists will not be absolutely free. Most listed websites will require people to register as a member before you can begin to download free mp3 music from their website. Registering as a member from these web sites will not be completely free and they will need you to subscribe in a monthly, annually or lifetime membership. Membership websites will look affordable ranging from a few dollars, on a monthly basis or range from $10 to $100 for annually or lifetime membership.

Well, it is not completely a hopeless thing to find some absolutely free mp3 music to download from a website. We have to go around the problem to search for free mp3 music to download.

I seriously recommend anyone to try out using "Bit Torrent" to search and download free mp3 music from a website. Go to bittorrent and download the latest bit torrent software. The software is free for download and it does not require anyone to pay or subscribe to anything for money so it won't cost you a cent. The reason why you need to download the software is because whatever music you are going to download, it will be in bit torrent format and it will automatically convert it to .mp3 format when the whole mp3 music file have been downloaded.

Once you have downloaded and installed the bit torrent software, use the search engine to search for bit torrent website. It is a lot easierto search for bit torrent website than searching for mp3 music websites. From the above bit torrent websites, use the search engine from within the website to search for your favorite mp3 music to download.

Marcus Rolland is an MP3 enthusiast, For more information on Free Mp3 Download Song check out http://unlimitedmp3music.blogspot.com Where you can get informative articles and see many of the latest MP3 players and accessories.

Where to buy Hannah Montana Concert tickets is the raging question. Word on the street is theyre Sold Out. Believe it or not that problem is easily solved. Tickets are relatively easy to acquire but are they authentic? Those hot demand tickets are as close as a few swift clicks via Secondary Event Ticket sites (for my personal picks see link below). Basically they offer the service of ticket resale.

These ticket brokers have gotten their hands on tickets that cant be used by season ticket holders, contest winners, ticket holders of extra tickets, etc. Thats great news for you! Their inability to use the ticket frees it up for eager buyers like you.

These sites have large inventories of premium event tickets to the hottest concerts (i.e. Hannah Montana, Bruce Springsteen), sporting events (i.e. World Series, Super Bowl), entertainment events (i.e. Broadway plays, High School Musical The Ice Tour) and more.

A word of caution -- Not all ticket sales sites are created equal. Check out the tips below to insure that youll be happy with your ticket purchases.

5 Tips to Insure Your Ticket Purchase is a Pleasant Experience:

1. Make sure the tickets youre bidding on/purchasing are for the town, date and time you want. Most purchases are final and multiple listings can differ only slightly by any of these critical points so read the listing carefully.

2. Confirm the delivery method and speed meet your needs (tickets received too late to be used wont do much good for your attitude or your wallet).

3. Confirm that the tickets are guaranteed authentic (bootleg tickets that get you busted at the gate not a memory you want to make)

4. Confirm that the payment method is secure (who needs identity theft, a maxed out credit card or a wiped out checking account).

5. Comparison shop between the ticket sites (my favorites are below) to get what best suits your needs.

For My Favorite Ticket sources for Hot Demand Events like Hannah Montana Concerts visit http://www.hottesttickets.blogspot.com

What do you remember about being in your twenties? Chances are you were fresh out of school, struggling to make ends meet and looking desperately towards a time when you wouldn't have to work seventy hour weeks just to prove yourself.

Now that you are in your thirties, five or more years removed from that barely controlled chaos, you may be shocked to find yourself considering a career change!

Many people in their thirties will balk at a career change, as it might remind them too much of the frantic job shuffling and multitude of job changes that they went through. But the truth is, there is a chance that in midst of changing careers, you might have ended up in a job you don't really like and really don't intend to stay with.

Many people are surprised when they find themselves considering a midlife career change, but truthfully, this is not so odd. Think about the person you were in your twenties.

After gaining a decade's worth of knowledge and experience, you'll find that you are in a significantly better place to think about what you want out of life and to really think about what you can do in order to get it. Chances are, especially if you are in a job you don't really feel passionate about, you'll find that a new career plan will emerge with some thought.

Of course, as with many things, there is a right and a wrong way to go about a midlife career change. Remember to look at the intangible benefits your job brings you and to figure out how you can deal without those. Will the health insurance be a problem for you? Will you miss having an office environment? How does your family feel about your chasing you changing careers?

You'll find that all of these things need to be addressed, and the more thought you put into it, the better you will be prepared. Keep in mind that keeping the goodwill of the company that you are presently employed with is also integral to launching yourself into a career change.

When you are considering making a career change in your 30's, you'll find that you have several advantages. You are in a more stable place in your life general, and you have amassed a fair amount of experience when it comes to the working world. You'll have plenty to offer in terms of experience, and you'll find that if you have had a certain amount of job stability that this is quite attractive to new employers.

If you are in a situation where you feel dull and dreary about every day in front of you, take some time to really evaluate what you are freeing. How many of your complaints and issues have to do with your job? What can you do to fix this? Think about what a career change can do for you, and get yourself started!

Paul Sarwanawadya offers career change advice to help career changers pursue their ideal careers. He runs an informational website that provides tips on making a midlife career change. Get more career change tips and advice at http://www.career-tests-guide.com/.

Most disc jockeys forge ahead into the DJ world full of enthusiasm, and make their top priority the purchase of their equipment. Visions of mixers, speakers, cd decks, turntables, and effects flow through their minds. That's all fine and expected, but when such a focus is put on the DJ's gear; it makes no sense not to protect that investment.

Protecting the equipment with proper casing for transport is recommended and a smart practice, but that is not the focus of this article.

Strange as it may seem, many Djs operate without an insurance policy to protect them from a lawsuit. Mobile Djs operate on location and are required to carry a liability policy so that they will not be personally responsible should they be faced with a lawsuit. A liability policy - which can many times be purchased from standard car insurance companies - will ensure that the Dj's personal assets are not attacked in a lawsuit.

The profession of Djing has gone through radical changes in the last decade. Equipment has grown in all arenas. Speakers have gotten a major overhaul. They are lighter, cleaner in sound, and more powerful. Many are even self powered, where a separate amplifier is not required.

Advances in computer technology has allowed for today's Djs to operate with a laptop computer and proper software. In an industry where it's practitioners had to carry heavy turntables and crates of records, modern day Djs may never touch a cd. One can only hope that the new wave of thinking will carry on into the arena of proper business practice where insurance is concerned.

It makes no sense to invest so much into equipment and then have a flagrant disregard for protecting a business and it's assets.

Insurance companies have become aware of the mobile DJ profession and many car insurance providers have responded by offering discounted plans for thaose Djs that choose to combine their car and liability insurance with the same carrier. It's as simple as going online to a few car insurance providers and filling out quote request forms to find the best rate.

All prospective Djs would be well advised to find adequate insurance before forging ahead into the entertainment world. As has been said about insurance: "It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it."

Ray Mardo serves as a consultant and training director for the top DJ Entertainment companies on the East Coast. He is the author of the top selling DJ training course "Making Money As A Mobile Entertainer." More information on DJing can be found at http://raymardo.com/dj-insurance.html

Most disc jockeys forge ahead into the DJ world full of enthusiasm, and make their top priority the purchase of their equipment. Visions of mixers, speakers, cd decks, turntables, and effects flow through their minds. That's all fine and expected, but when such a focus is put on the DJ's gear; it makes no sense not to protect that investment.

Protecting the equipment with proper casing for transport is recommended and a smart practice, but that is not the focus of this article.

Strange as it may seem, many Djs operate without an insurance policy to protect them from a lawsuit. Mobile Djs operate on location and are required to carry a liability policy so that they will not be personally responsible should they be faced with a lawsuit. A liability policy - which can many times be purchased from standard car insurance companies - will ensure that the Dj's personal assets are not attacked in a lawsuit.

The profession of Djing has gone through radical changes in the last decade. Equipment has grown in all arenas. Speakers have gotten a major overhaul. They are lighter, cleaner in sound, and more powerful. Many are even self powered, where a separate amplifier is not required.

Advances in computer technology has allowed for today's Djs to operate with a laptop computer and proper software. In an industry where it's practitioners had to carry heavy turntables and crates of records, modern day Djs may never touch a cd. One can only hope that the new wave of thinking will carry on into the arena of proper business practice where insurance is concerned.

It makes no sense to invest so much into equipment and then have a flagrant disregard for protecting a business and it's assets.

Insurance companies have become aware of the mobile DJ profession and many car insurance providers have responded by offering discounted plans for thaose Djs that choose to combine their car and liability insurance with the same carrier. It's as simple as going online to a few car insurance providers and filling out quote request forms to find the best rate.

All prospective Djs would be well advised to find adequate insurance before forging ahead into the entertainment world. As has been said about insurance: "It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it."

Ray Mardo serves as a consultant and training director for the top DJ Entertainment companies on the East Coast. He is the author of the top selling DJ training course "Making Money As A Mobile Entertainer." More information on DJing can be found at http://raymardo.com/dj-insurance.html

So you're ready to take lessons for acoustic guitar. But where do you start? Here are a few tips on what to look for when searching for the best beginner acoustic guitar lessons.

1. The lessons for acoustic guitar should be easy! Seriously, lessons don't have to be consuming or difficult to understand, There are certain basic lessons for acoustic guitar that a beginner needs to know to be able to begin playing with some accuracy as soon as possible. So remember easy is in reality a good thing!

2. Find lessons that will instruct you to play songs that you like. That's why you're taking lessons for acoustic guitar in the first place, correct? So you can start playing many of your favorite songs. There's nothing more tedious than learning songs you have no interest in.

3. Learning to play the guitar should be a fun and relaxing experience so don't settle on any lessons for acoustic guitar that don't do just that! The lessons should be easy to understand and should produce some results (that is.....a song by you!) in a short period of time.

4.When deciding on lessons for acoustic guitar , make sure you feel good about the instructor that is teaching you. Is he/she easy to understand and clear about what they are teaching. Is their style compatible with what you enjoy listening to and ultimately playing?

5. If possible, take your lessons online where you have access to a website that provides everything you need to get started.

Did you know that you can actually learn how to easily play the acoustic guitar in just one weekend?

Check out Jered Creb's Lessons For Acoustic Guitar and see how!