“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” - This tune is one of four songs on the album that Michael Jackson wrote himself. Michael Jackson wasn’t only a great singer & dancer, he was also a excellent songwriter.

“Baby Be Mine” - To get an idea of how great this album is consider this: “Baby Be Mine” is one of only two songs that wasn’t a hit single. This is a pretty catchy song to be one of just two tunes not released as a single.

“The Girl Is Mine” - The lyrics are cheesy as hell but I think that’s part of the song’s charm. I’ve really started to enjoy this song a lot lately. The back & forth between MJ & Beatles legend Paul McCartney is pretty damn adorable. Jackson wrote this song.

“Thriller” - Too many people think just about the groundbreaking music video and forget about the song itself. It’s a great song and Jackson’s performance is brilliant. Who else could have made this song work?

“Beat It” - The “rock crossover” song on the album includes a great guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. This is the kind of thing that Jackson doesn’t get enough credit for, he was really pushing the envelope of what pop music could be. MJ wrote “Beat It.”

“Billie Jean” - The perfect example of a Michael Jackson song. If you are ever questioning MJ’s talent remember that he wrote and performed this song.

“Human Nature” - This is one of the songs I enjoy most these days because it hasn’t been overplayed like many of the others on Thriller. It’s a beautiful song.

“P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” - I’m not sure any song makes me want to dance more than “PYT.” Much like “Human Nature,” this is one of my favorites partly because it hasn’t been overplayed.

“The Lady In My Life” - The worst track on the album? Most likely. Still pretty gosh darn good? Without a doubt.

Does reading about Thriller make you want to learn how to sing like Michael Jackson? Well, I will not guarantee that you will be able to sing just like MJ (who can?) but you can definitely improve your singing skill with Singorama online vocal lessons which come with a 60 day full money back refund period.

Yamaha guitars have been made for over 60 years and the company itself is more than a century old.Yamaha started out making organs, pianos, harmonicas, even furniture before they got round to making their first acoustic guitar in 1942. It was only in 1965, a year after the Beatles broke in the USA on the Ed Sullivan Show,  that Yamaha began to make solid body electric guitars with electric bass models appearing a year later.

By 1970 Yamaha was being noticed by major exponents of guitars as the lead instrument of a generation such as Carlos Santana and Bob Marley.  That same year they introduced the dovetail neck joint to their guitars which provides the best neck to body contact and helps to resonate vibrations from the neck to the body, producing the balanced tone and response that Yamaha electric guitars are famous for.

Blending different kinds of wood is also extremely important to produce a great sound where the guitar player has complete control of the note texture.  Another important factor in the construction in Yamaha guitars is the types of lacquer they use so the guitars can look great and have a chance to breathe.

Yamaha have achieved anm enviable reputation in the electro-acoustic field as well as in bass guitars. The Yamaha RBX170 for example is amazing value for money yet the quality is everything you would expect from a decent bass. The solid agathis body, sleek, wide-cutaway contours allow easy access right to the top of the 24-fret, full-scale neck.

Yamaha is the guitar of choice for many famous artists, and one of the most popular makes for session men in the recording studio. John Denver, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Brian May, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Bob Seger, Billy Sheehan, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen have all gigged with Yamaha at some time in their careers.

The replica or tribute phenomena in music can be taken either way.Some tribute bands are manned by decent musicians, in a few cases probably better than the originals they mimic.  That’s almost certainly true with the dozens of Status Quo tribute acts out there!  Replica guitars are also a burgeoning business.  Some tribute acts take things to the extreme of insisting on using their hero’s original instruments if they’re still available, or getting replicas if they’re not.

Guitars are more than just a musical instrument.They are also cultural symbols, fashion statements and emblems of personality and attitude.Replica guitars have a varied reputation and many people can’t see further than the logo stamped on the headstock.Cheap Chinese copies have flooded the market and their quality is certainly questionable.  However, very high quality replicas of vintage guitars do exist. Fender is a favourite target for these lovingly created copies, based on the 1951 Telecaster (nee Broadcaster) and the 1954 Fender Stratocaster.
In its heyday, the Stratocaster had a contour body of swamp ash, one piece maple neck and three pickups.In 1960 Fender bodies changed to alder as standard and the slab board necks were manufactured up until 1962 when a curved board was offered. In 1964 the curved board was replaced with a veneer when the CBS Corporation purchased the company leading to wjhat most agree was a decline in quality. So replica Fender guitars made today may actually be better quality than post 1964 originals!

The Tanglewood RVB-2  60s Beatles style violin bass is another good example of just how good replicas can be. Based on Hofner’s 500/1 ‘Beatle Bass’, The RVB-2 recreates a vintage semi-hollow tone ideal for ’60s style pop/ rock, blues and jazz, without breaking the bank! It has the same vintage features as the Hofner: rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays, maple neck, floating wooden bridge and pearloid pick guard. Of course, the pickups aren’t the Hofner stamped ‘Staple’ humbucking pickups, but the two toaster appearance mini-humbucker pickups work just as well in achieving that Beatles un-EQ’d classic pop sound.  So don’t dismiss electric guitars just because they are replicas.  Just like the tribute bands, sometimes they can be as good as, if not better than, the original.

What would you think is a fair price for a good electric guitar?You’ll get a decent Fender Telecaster for anything from £550 to just under £1,000 and you’d probably have to fork out between £3,500 to £5,000 for a Gibson Les Paul.How does £25,000 sound?You read right, twenty-five thousand pounds.That’s the asking price on what is undoubtedly a beautiful instrument – the PRS Paul’s 28.Paul Reed Smith is hand producing only 28 guitars, of which 20 are for the US and only eight will be available for the rest of the world.The only guitar in the UK is exclusively available through a company called Digital Village.

PRS electric guitars are the creation of the eponymous Paul Reed Smith, who made his first guitar at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and he continued to build guitars after he finished college.He made them one at a time, one every month.Smith would often tout his guitars backstage at concerts, and eventually got his break when Derek St. Holmes, of the Ted Nugent Band, agreed to try out #2, the second guitar Smith had ever made. Smith then contacted Ted McCarty, former president of Gibson and creator of the Explorer, ES-335 and Flying V guitars, who became his business advisor.  The result of their collaboration is reflected in the current line up of PRS guitars, which includes electric guitars utilising a vast range of exotic materials such as elaborately figured tone woods and intricate shells for inlays.

The PRS Paul’s 28 Electric Guitar is the is first guitar for almost a decade that has been hand made by Paul Reed Smith himself, hence the price tag of £25,000.It’s got one of the curliest tops PRS have ever made and a rare tiger -striped mahogany back that was hand-selected from an entire warehouse of wood.  An extremely rare Pernumbuca Neck combines with an exotic black Rosewood Fretboard, a dark Mexican Rosewood Headstock veneer, and solid-shell rippled Green Abalone, Paua Heart, and Mammoth Ivory “Celtic Cross” inlays.

Paul Reed Smith spent several years refining all of the parts and processes that went into this instrument:  the wood drying methods, the colour “Burnt Gold” (PRS has been working on this stain method for the last two years), the very special paper-thin nitrocellulose finish, the pickups (PRS proprietary 1957/2008 pickups made from PRS’s rare magnet and wire supplies), the nut, the tuning pegs, the frets, the glues…everything.He even spent two years researching the materials for the case. Paul Reed Smith personally supervised the work picking out all the woods, re-carving the body, carving the neck by hand, stained it, played and adjusted it until it was perfect.  Run of the mill (if you can use that phrase) guitars from PRS usually range from £300 - £6,000

If it is rock music you are interested in and have never played a instrument or Rock Band then it is safe to say it is well worth a try. Although in comparison is it is nothing to a real instrument it is certainly worth having a go as it is a laugh with a few friends. Let's be honest here, the whole point of the game is to have fun.

Although Rock Band can be enjoyed alone it is a lot better when you have a coulple of players bashing out some serious rock along with you. Another benefit to the game is you can choose your would be favourite instrument whether that is guitar, drums, bass as well as one of those fancy microphones being thrown in too. Of course there is also the benefit that the game can be played online with friends or if they are not online can be played with anyone in the world which is is great if you feel like rocking out at 3 in the morning.

Of course it is all fun and games but it is true that you should never rule out playing a real instrument. Although it really is not easy, quick and is almost certainly going to take lot of patience and training the outcome will be much beter than using a fake guitar to bash out a couple of songs on game. If its singing you are into then an AKG microphone or even a Akai drum sequencer could be what you are after.

There is no age limit in which you can have lessons to learn how to play an instrument. Of course Rock Band cannot be compared to the real thing and the company are not trying to say this, they just want everyone to have the chance to hammer out their favourite rock songs which of course is certainly nothing to moan about at all. Next time you’re playing Rock Band, Guitar Hero or any other of the music games have a long hard think and consider actually learning to play.

If you’ve decided that you want to take up the guitar, but prefer to live in the engine room of any band by playing the bass, then you are obviously a lover of rhythm and the groove. The bass guitar, together with the drums, forms the rhythm section of a band and so it will be important to develop a good sense of timing and beat.  Choosing the correct instrument is important, as is dedication to practicing in order to become an accomplished bassist.

Iconic bass guitars like the Fender Precision not only drove many a jazz, rock and surf band but became as recognisable as the screaming lead instruments.  Unlike lead guitars, where most novices are advised to start out with an acoustic, prospective bass players will probably go straight to a four sting electric bass guitar. Great brands for starters include Washburn, Squier and Epiphone. These companies produce guitars that look good and play great for the price. Fretless, acoustic and five-string basses each have their own type of sounds and can be very powerful and sonorous, but they are very hard to learn compared with the four string electric bass. Most tutorial books or tuition CDs for beginners are written with the four-string fretted bass in mind.

You can buy a cheap, second hand bass guitar.Most used equipment drops in price over the years and can offer better quality and sound for the same price as a new bass.Many other used instruments have poor sound quality and setup with unreasonably high action, or simply do not hold tune correctly.  Always check a used instrument for damage, and play it (or have someone else play it) before buying it.   The time and effort you would have to put into carefully selecting a used bass guitar is substantial, and it’s probably safer to look at some of the quite reasonably priced electric guitars and bass starter packages from well known brand names.

The Behringer bass guitar pack for example includes the guitar and a bass guitar amplifier, padded gig bag, cable, an adjustable strap and picks. The Ibanez GSR190J 4-String Bass Guitar Pack also includes a 10 watt amplifier and accessories at a very affordable price.Or you could move straight to Squier Precision bass guitars.They are the worlds best-selling bass guitar because of excellent value. They feel good, sound good and fit the needs of any starting-out bass player on a budget.

Whichever route you take, always try before you buy.Most guitar shops will let you plug in and play around with any instrument so you can check how it sounds, looks, and feels in your hands. Do not buy something used without playing it first unless it comes from a reputable source you trust and has some sort of return policy. There are very reputable and well established Internet-based music stores that can generally offer better deals than high street retail but be very cautious about buying instruments on Internet sites such as eBay.  Bring someone along who is an experienced bassist and let them play any instruments you are considering buying.

It is true to say that nearly everyone loves a bit of a sing song every now and again. It doesn’t matter if you can sing or not, singing is a great way to boost a mood.

Singing has been raised through the roof over the past five years or so through television shows such as Britain/America’s got talent as well as American Idol and the X-Factor. These shows have encouraged many to go in and audition with the chance of becoming a huge star themselves. The most successful of all of these seems to have been Kelly Clarkson but it is also true to say that without these shows these singers would almost certainly still be unheard of today.

Of course many people will enjoy having a sing along with just themselves but many also love to sing with their friends too. So if you think you are actually half decent at singing why not buy one of those microphones, start singing and get ready to do something about it! There are many brands out there like Shure and AKG that are perfect for experienced or inexperienced singers and with the right sound system you could really get started.

{Trying out for one of these shows could actually put you where you want to be}? It’s tough to get a break if you can actually sing but if you really can chances are you will at least get through to the first round which is very useful as record companies will have front row seats to your performance. It never hurts to give it a go and if you really beliee you have the skills to become a professional singer then there should be no reason at all why you cannot do something about it,.

Of course the alternative is simply buying Lips for the Xbox 360 or Sony’s equivalent of Singstar if you would rather simply enjoy a sing along to your favourite songs.

There is a confusing variety of acoustic guitars as well as an array of electric guitars to choose from.A novice is hard pressed to know where to start.The only advice they get may come from a shop assistant who’s desperate to shift the guitar that’s been sitting in the corner for months.So, as a beginner, where do you start when choosing a guitar?

You may ultimately dream of becoming a guitar hero and rock god, but electric guitars are probably not the best choice to start out with.   There are some neat   electric guitar packages available, like the Fender Starcaster Strat and Amp set, which contains everything you need to start playing in one box.  The Fender Starcaster electric guitar and the Fender SP-10 practice amplifier are excellent value and well made, but for the out and out novice it’s probably best at first to look at an acoustic, steel strung guitar.

Why suggest acoustic?  Steel-strung acoustic guitars are excellent to learn on, are Ideal for solo or group work, and appropriate for a wide range of styles.They are very portable and of course don’t require amplification, so should be less expensive than an electric guitar package.  But less expensive doesn’t mean cheap.

Cheap acoustics tend to sound terrible, and that will discourage practising.  With budget acoustic guitars, the ‘action’ (how high the strings are above the fretboard) may well be too high, making it difficult to hold down strings, or it may be too low, causing notes to consistently buzz.They often have cheap ‘machine heads’ (the bit you attach the strings to and tune the guitar with) that wear out quite quickly.There are some really good value starter packages available.

The Fender CD60 for example has features you’d expect in much more expensive acoustic instruments, including a spruce top, mahogany back and sides and die-cast tuners.The pack includes a tuition DVD, Electronic Tuner, Acoustic Guitar Strings and a selection of Guitar Picks. The Ibanez V50NJP Jampack acoustic guitar package is another well priced and made starter set that includes a gig bag, electronic tuner, guitar strap and picks.  How well you know the brand will give some reassurance of quality – Fender guitars, Ibanez, Epiphone and Ashton are all respected makes.Try to avoid really cheap packages with brand names you don’t know.  Ideally, if you are buying new, make sure the guitar is checked out by someone knowledgeable and if you’re buying second hand take a seasoned player with you.

It is of course true that you can buy DJ software for use in the home nowadays. There are various things for beginners like EJ as well as things for the more experienced DJ as well.

The only real problem with this is that they tend to be pretty expensive so the question is, are the expensive price tags worth it? But of course if you have always wanted to be a DJ then it comes without saying that the technology is worth the money.

Native Instruments TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO is one of the major brands to look at. What comes with this package is a comprehensive library of ready to scratch sounds so the limits are endless. Over 700 MB of sounds recorded in 24 bit / 96 kHz audio quality as well as including lots of sounds for solo scratching as well as sound FX, tunes for juggling, loops and more. The pricing for this is quite steep at around £500 but you do get a lot for the money.

Of course if you cannot afford this or are not that interested in being a DJ but always wanted to have a go at it then Activision are releasing a gaming equivalent of DJ equipment this fall. With the success of World Tour they have taken the art of being a DJ into their hands and by the looks of it so far it is shaping up very nicely indeed. It is set to include all the major artists around at the moment and of course the most famous from the past. Another benefit to this is that the current guitar controller is going to be compatible.

So if you are interested in being a DJ whether it is real serious Disco Jockeying you are into or even the gaming partner there is something out there for you, of course there is always the M-audio out there as well to help with those drum beats.

It can be incredibly rewarding if you get it right, and it’s a great buzz being able to write music on the instrument that you love. For a guitar player of any level, meeting the challenge to compose your own music is a very intriguing one.

When you play the guitar, if you are reading from a book, then sometimes you can feel like a robot – you are simply obeying the instructions of another. Writing your own music, however, gives you more freedom and creativity when it comes to playing. Whatever you have in mind, whether it’s a gentle instrumental piece or even writing your own music, it’s a wonderfully creative process that will encourage your ability to understand the rhythms and sounds that you hear every day.

Music, by definition, is meant to be free-flowing and creative – not just in the notes themselves but in creating emotional responses from the listener. There is no magic formula for songwriting, and that is one of the reasons why it is such an exciting process.

Despite the absence of the magic formula, there are a number of tips and techniques that you can learn in order to create your own music on the guitar:

·    Think of a word such as, for example, ‘snow’. Now think of how you would represent snow musically on your guitar. Think of all the things that the word ‘snow’ means to you, and play that. You may start out with just a few notes and mistimed chords, but keep at it.
·    Try some other words – ‘rain’ or ‘sadness’, for example – and try to create something which best represents those words in your own way. It doesn’t have to signify the same word to other people – music is best when it is objective. You’ll find that you will fuss around with the notes a bit, but eventually you will find a finger-picking motion that you like.
·    If you are writing lyrics to go with your music, then there are two ways you can approach this: you can start out with the words and apply the music, or do the opposite: start with the music and fit the lyrics around that. What works for one person may not work for another, so experiment, try both and see one best fits your individual songwriting style.

If you’re still struggling, take a look at these more simplified steps:

·    Find a chord that you are familiar playing (for example G or D) and experiment with it. Change some of the notes around and see what happens.
·    Whilst you are doing this, leave one finger in the same place as you move others around to different strings.
·    Now listen to the sound when you strum. Listen to the sound when you play individual notes.
·    Now try the same again, but this time with a different chord, or even different notes.
·    As soon as you hear something that you like, make sure you play it over and over again. This will commit it to memory.
·    When you have this first series of notes in your head, you have the starting point for your song, and can build around it.

It’s all part of the creative process when you sing complete nonsense or the first things that come into your mind. Relaxing and enjoying it are probably the most important things to remember when it comes to songwriting on your guitar. Keep going – you’ll find that you will stumble upon a chord (or a variation) that you really like, or a lyric that fits perfectly. As soon as you do, make sure you write it down and build on it.

Another good tip is to get a friend to aid you. A friend who is particularly musically minded can give you some great impartial feedback on how you are doing. Some of the most beautiful and emotive songs in history were written as collaborations between two or more musicians.
A great tip when it comes to composing your own guitar music is to get a friend to help you.

Copyright 2009 Liam Gibson (Stage Guitarist)