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Playing Percussion Instruments
Learning a new musical instrument is tough and percussion instruments require you to use several skills at once. For this reason alone it is best to...Read more on Music
Bluegrass Music Alive and well in the Appalachians
One of the Appalachian Mountain region's greatest contributions to the world is Bluegrass music. Born in hills and hollows, Bluegrass is simply...Read more on Music
So You Want To Play Bass Guitar
The bass guitar is both the pivot and the drive of many
pop, rock and jazz groups. Most times the bass is what
holds it all together, but then...Read more on Music
Percussion Instruments for Those with Good Rhythm
Sometimes it is hard to pay for football and musical instruments. But is the trade-off worth it? All but the very few will stop playing football...Read more on Music
Surf Waves With Jack Johnson
Like a laid back, relaxed beach vibe? Surf waves in reality, musically, and on the Net with Jack Johnson. Lately I’ve been listening to some...Read more on Music
Suzuki Violin Vs Traditional Violin
The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way violin is taught in America and throughout much of the world. Mention the Suzuki violin method...Read more on Music
Sheet music violin and other string instruments
The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the highest pitched member of the violin family. It sits along side its cousins – the other members...Read more on Music
Guitars Are The Heart And Soul Of Music Lovers and Musicians Alike
Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Carlos Santana, Slash - what do they have in common? In the often wild but never dull world of music, these four are...Read more on Music
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Rock musicians make it look so easy. Surely anyone could learn the basics of drums or the guitar and get into a rock band, right?
Playing a musical instrument in a rock band is not as easy as some people would like you to think. It takes years of learning, practicing, and working hard at your instrument to make it into a rock band. It takes all that and a little luck to be successful.
Ever wondered what it would be like to play a musical instrument in a rock band? I know I have. The one thing I don't always think about when daydreaming about being the next rocker sensation is all the time, effort, and energy that goes into learning to play a musical instrument to the degree it would require in order to make the band. It's not all rock concerts and parties. And we can't forget the importance of truly loving the musical instrument you play.
Society often looks on the guys in the band as kids who never grew up and got a "real job" often overlooking the years of dedication and study these guys have put in with the musical instrument of their choice. Think about, doctors spend how many years in school and medical school before they are allowed to pick up the instrument of their craft. Musicians must know and love their musical instruments in order to play with the passion and precision required to play in a rock band.
Something that I find amazing is that people considered rock and roll obscene when it came about. Accepting the idea that musical instruments could be used for anything other than what they had been used for in the past was a rather revolutionary idea - much like the music that Mozart created in his day was. The rebels, it seems, make history and rock music is full of rebels. These rebels however voice their dissention with musical instruments rather than bombs and guns.
Today there are rock bands all over the place and competition is fierce between the bands, no one makes it into a rock band without having great skill with the musical instrument they are playing. And though many consider this a glamorous lifestyle, life on the road isn't all it's cracked up to be.
If you want to stay in a rock band you have to spend long hours, weeks, and sometimes months away from your friends and family. While the members of your band may be as close as family it isn't the same. Living in such close quarters for extended periods of time will also strain your friendship with other members of the band. Then, there's learning to adjust to the possible fame and potential failure that plague all musicians, yet you must continue to play your musical instrument and never miss a beat. No sacrifice is too great right'
Playing a musical instrument in a rock band isn't nearly as glamorous as you would think it is. It requires hours of work each and every day, long tours away from friends and family in addition to a serious lack of respect among other musicians and musical scholars.
Written by:
Gail Metcalf
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