Buying vinyl records used to be straightforward. Locate the album you’ve been pining for at a record store and choose between black vinyl and even more black vinyl. Nowadays, with colored records, artists seem to put more effort into LP design than the songs themselves. While they may look impressive, is there a tradeoff? Do…
Congratulations! You’ve gotten tickets to see your favorite artist in concert, and you’re stoked. Now comes part 2: getting to where you need to be. The question is, how early should you get to a concert? The earlier you get to your concert, the better. As a rule of thumb, arriving 2 hours before the…
Whenever you see a singer live or in a concert video, chances are they’re wearing an earpiece. There are many theories, like that the singer is trying to lip-sync. However, there are many reasons singers wear in-ear monitors that have nothing to do with “faking” the audience out. Why do singers wear earpieces while performing?…
If you’ve heard about or used music production software, you’ve probably heard about GarageBand at least one hundred times. This Apple-exclusive is arguably the most popular digital audio workstation (DAW) available. But is it a gimmicky app or a bona fide songwriting tool? Do professional musicians use GarageBand? Yes. Professional musicians have been using GarageBand…
Guitarists rarely stop at one. This truth goes for gigs, replacement band members, and especially for guitars. For ambitious musicians, seldom is their first instrument their last. So, why do guitarists have so many guitars? There are many factors at play. First, the temptation of new gear is strong in the guitar community. Furthermore, it…
If you don’t already know, GarageBand is one of the most popular apps for making tracks. Countless folks have used GarageBand to compose impressive tunes, from regular iPhone owners to professional songwriters. But what about beats? Is GarageBand good for making beats? If you’re an enthusiast, GarageBand is excellent for creating percussive elements. Furthermore, GarageBand’s…
Determining the ideal length for a song isn’t as easy of a task as it sounds. If it’s too short, you’ll leave listeners wanting more. But if it’s too long, you risk boring the audience. Let’s start with the short answer to “how long should a song be?” Most songs fall between two and five…
When artists use other artists’ music in their songs, they’re doing one of two things: interpolating or sampling. Many people mistake the terms, but they’re not interchangeable. Instead, there are distinct methods and technology behind each. What’s the difference between interpolation and sampling? Interpolation occurs when someone performs someone else’s music, while sampling occurs when…
An orchestra is a tad more complicated than a rock band, at least when it comes to their instrumental lineup. There are dozens of members in an orchestra, playing a dazzling array of various instruments. But the largest of these instruments are the cello and the double bass. What’s the difference between a cello and…
More is better, right? More horsepower means a quicker car. More money means a better life. So, is higher wattage better for amps? Sometimes it is, but the “more is better” analogy has serious flaws. Advances in technology mean modern guitar and bass amps can do more with fewer watts. Likewise, horsepower isn’t the only…
