2008 release, the latest in this long-running series of Pop compilations. This is the most up-to-date compilation on the market, containing the absolute hottest songs on the planet including certified hits, songs currently scaling the charts and sizzling radio smashes. This, the 29th installment in the series, features 20 tracks including cuts from Pink, T.I., Lil’ Wayne, Leona Lewis, Kardinal Offishall, Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls and many others. Why listen to yesterday’s songs when (more…)

Playing lead guitar seems like the next logical step to getting some skills in rhythm playing. You might need to focus more on the quality of your playing when you switch to single note solos and lead guitar licks. To start playing lead guitar you will need to be familiar with the notes on the guitar fretboard. This might seem like a big job but it only takes a few minutes a day of finding the notes and playing them in all positions.

You will need to add sessions of alternate picking using scales to your daily guitar practice. Your picking technique is the basis of your lead guitar playing but there are other techniques like string bending and skipping as well as hammer-ons, pull-offs and string tapping.

If you are a rock or blues guitarist you will need to know the minor pentatonic and the blues scale. The blues scale is only the minor pentatonic scale with an added flattened fifth. You can also add a flattened third or seventh.

If you can make or download a twelve bar blues backing track to play in front of, just play the notes of the scale in any order, experimenting with your blue notes. You will gradually get the feel of playing solos as you start to break free from the scale structure and use licks to make your guitar speak.

Another way of practicing playing lead guitar is to focus on the notes you find in the chords. Start by making sure you have the notes firmly in your head, and play them in any order with your backing track playing.

You could devote some time each day to discovering playing lead guitar using arpeggios. This simply involves fingering chord shapes and playing them as single notes. You simply hold the chord shape and play the strings up from the sixth and down from the first, then in random order.

If you have not already learnt to read guitar tabs, you should start now. It only takes half an hour to get the basic idea, and learning tab will allow you to tap into all the lead guitar solos that other guitarists have written in tab and shared on the internet. You can find tabs on tablature archive sites, and you could also check out forums to see if the members post tabs of their work. And don’t forget that guitar magazines are still alive and well, so take a look at any regular tab features they might be running.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

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It seems that rock guitar players have always been a crowd pleaser, even going back to the days of Les Paul. He may not qualify as a rock guitarist in the sense that we understand it today, but Les Paul certainly made people sit up and take notice whenever he played. Of course, Les was in at the very beginning of the solid body electric guitar’s entry onto the stage, so at that time there were very few guitarists who were even interested enough to get the technique to become a great rock guitarist.

The foundation of the concept of the rock guitarist lay in the consolidation of the small group with drums, bass, lead and rhythm guitars, plus, maybe a keyboard. Groups like The Shadows, The Ventures and Dick Dale’s Dell Tones made young men go out and buy guitars and sit in their rooms for hours practicing. When The Beatles became the first small group to gain international attention from people of all ages, the guitar reached the height of its popularity.

The era of the great rock guitarist began in the late sixties with Eric Clapton in Cream. But as with all innovations, there was someone else working on his flamboyant guitar technique in another part of the world. Jimi Hendrix’s first appearance in England made Eric Clapton feel a little insecure on his throne, as his guitar playing and stagecraft hypnotized audiences. The extended guitar solo was born, along with its dull-witted siblings the bedroom guitar and the garage band.

If we think about who we consider to be the world’s greatest rock guitarist, names from the sixties and seventies, like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton immediately appear in our heads. Indeed, most people who vote in polls about this sort of thing seem to go for Hendrix - a guitarist who had a very short life about forty years ago.

These are guitarists who became famous when loudness was king of rock guitar and flashy technique was its gay partner, but what about the guitarists whose names are not generally known, even though they were with popular bands? Pete Ham of Badfinger springs to mind, or Jerry Miller of Moby Grape. Mick Ronson was an English guitar player who made a name for himself as David Bowie’s lead guitarist, and Mike Campbell, Tom Petty’s guitarist for about a zillion years is admired by many guitar players but unknown to the general public. There are lots of guitarists in bands now whose approach to music is very different from the rock guitarists of previous decades, even though their debt to the music of the seventies is obvious. The question of who is the greatest rock guitarist of all time will continue with more names being added to the mix as time goes on.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? http://playaguitarforfree.com/ is my blog which shows you that there are many people like you who wish to learn how to play bass, acoustic or electric guitar. You will find guitar lessons, videos, articles and reviews to answer your questions, calm your fears and help you play the guitar.

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In August 1945, a baby was born in Belfast Ireland who would grow to be one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century.  Named George Ivan Morrison by his parents, “Van the Man” by his fans, and more commonly Van Morrison by music lovers throughout the world, the “baby” is now into his sixties and both he, and his music are still going strong.

Playing a variety of instruments including keyboard, saxophone and harmonica he played in various groups until he found stardom knocking on his door when his Irish rhythm and blues band “Them” released in 1964 (ironically released as the B side of “Baby, Please Don’t Go!”).   Three years later, it would be “Brown Eyed Girl” that would bring him to an even higher level, only this time as a solo performer.  “Brown Eyed Girl”, a song that is considered synonymous with Van Morrison, has been listed in many top 100 best song lists – and in 2007 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  Despite this, Van Morrison remains adamant that because of a contract he signed without professional advice, he has never earned any royalties for this song.  Another of Morrison’s songs that has achieved greatness is the title track from his 1970 “Moondance” album.  Although released as a single 7 years after the release of the album, the sophisticated sound of “Moondance” has made it an ideal choice for singers like Michael Buble.  Many of Van Morrison’s songs have also appeared on movie soundtracks over the years.

Despite his public appeal, and the way his music reaches out to his fans, Van Morrison himself is not one of the music world’s more flamboyant celebrities.  In fact, at one time he suffered from serious stage fright which kept him from performing live for a time in the 1970s.  Since regaining his stage confidence he has played in front of such notable people as then US President Bill Clinton, as well as concert venues worldwide packed with thousands of fans.  He’s also no stranger to TV appearances and appeared as one of Jay Leno’s final guests before his show was moved to primetime in May 2009.

One of the things that makes Van Morrison so popular is his ability to mix musical genre.  Most performers stick within a particular genre and that’s the foundation of their fan base.  Van Morrison however reaches across genres, blending his native Celtic tones with blues, folk, rock and roll, and even pop.  Consequently his music reaches a wide audience that spans generations.

Although Van Morrison doesn’t tour, he does continue to perform live, so if you haven’t seen him yet, make sure you get a ticket next time he’s in your area!

Van Morrison has More than 150 songs featured in major motion pictures. Please visit the following pages for <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”“Van”>http://www.vanmorrison.com/new/tickets.php””>Van Morrison tickets and <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”“van”>http://www.vanmorrison.com””>van Morrison concert schedule.

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He was equally adored and ridiculed like no one else. He made society respectful to the African-American people, but he passed away as a white guy. Controversy and unconventional lifestyle characterized more than half of his lifetime, but his extraordinary dance skills and singing talent elevated him to heights undreamt of. He was humiliated and shattered by the tabloids because of his alleged relationships with children, but he sold over 750 millions copies worldwide. Michael Jackson passed away shockingly at the age of 50, on June 25, 2009, but his legacy goes beyond ordinary obituaries, exceeding the limits of human perception.

Jacko, as his fans loved to call him, started his fascinating career in 1969, at the age of 11 with The Jackson Five. Although he was the youngest of the five Jackson brothers, he stood out for his incredible dance moves and his high-pitched voice. In 1979, he released his first solo album, ‘Off The Wall’ that sold 20 million copies worldwide and went 7x Platinum in the U.S. However, Jacko’s career soared to the sky with ‘Thriller’, released in 1982, the album with the highest record sales in the history of music. ‘Thriller’ sold nearly 107 million copies worldwide, stayed #1 for 37 weeks and went 28x Platinum. Because of its enormous success, ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Beat It’ were the first video clips ever aired on MTV by an African-American artist, which, in effect, opened the way for the Black community to gain mainstream acknowledgment. It also enabled the promotion and development of R&B, hip-hop and pop music.

After ‘Thriller’, Jacko released another four albums, ‘Bad’ in 1987, ‘Dangerous’ in 1991, ‘History’ in 1995 and ‘Invincible’ in 2001. However, none had the huge success and insight of ‘Thriller’ although many singles hit #1 of the UK and U.S. Billboard 200 Charts as well as #1 of U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

But Michael Jackson was so much more than that.

With his moves, his unparalleled choreography and his plastic body, Jacko captured the mood of pop culture. Moving like he had no bones as he was moonwalking under the white glare of the concert lights, adorned in his gold-plate military style jacket and his single sparkling glove, his white shirt or his gold uniform, looking invincible as the air was blowing on his curly hair and whitish face, while the special effects were playing games with the audience behind him, Jacko’s live performances were an unforgettable experience that was lighting up the stage.

Apart from his revolutionary dancing style and stage presence, Jacko featured a completely innovative way the video clips would be used from his time onwards. Featuring complex dance routines, special effects and many super-competent dancers and always narrating the story of his song in image clips, Jackson transformed video clips into an art form that could promote his musical talent and his future influence on pop music.

However, controversy came ahead of time in the glow of Michael Jackson. Since the times of The Jackson Five, his father and manager of the group would beat him with a belt to improve his dance routines. Later on, Jacko suffered numerous plastic surgeries that made his skin incredibly thinner causing him an overall bad health condition. On the top of everything, he was accused of molesting young boys and having an alleged encounter with actor, Macaulay Culkin. Jacko was found non-guilty as charged, but his assets declined severely, dividing public opinion.

Having won 197 awards during his 40-year career, Michael Jackson was ready to return on stage. Unfortunately, he never made it to London. His sudden death was as shocking as his success. His American fans in Los Angeles gathered outside UCLA Medical Center to express their support and anger for the loss of a dear friend, of a dearest icon. Many of them were doing his famous moonwalking and were singing his smash hits with tears in their eyes. Japanese fans were lighting candles to honor his memory, while all European channels had tributes to Michael Jackson, the phenomenon, the ‘King of Pop’.

Jacko will be soon forgotten for his legal woes and he will be remembered for his unprecedented contribution to global pop culture and humanitarian work. It’s true that he has been mocked for his plastic surgeries, his skin color changing and his cheekbone and nose thinning. Many people were laughing at him saying he would break in pieces on stage in his forthcoming concerts, on July 2010. Media was harsh on him, maybe harsher than what they have been on really ‘bad’ guys, although Jacko had always been a sweet-talking person, genuinely wonderful and compassionate. Besides, having supported 39 charity organizations through sponsorships or donation, and having cared so genially for the children of our world, Jacko’s humanitarian work was great. But, media always choose to show the dark side of the moon because this is what sells so much more. And if he hadn’t passed away so abruptly, we wouldn’t have known so many glorious details of his troubled life and what a great person he was after all.

His fans always stood next to him, supporting him, never believing a word about him being a molester, swearing he suffered from vitiligo, lupus, anorexia nervosa, and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

His enemies stood against him, attacking him, disregarding his talent and judging him only for his eccentric acts and alleged accusations.

Only Michael Jackson knows the truth about him. All of us, whether we stand for or against him, we have a common truth: If it wasn’t for him, African-American artists would need another twenty years to see their video clips aired on MTV or their work promoted on radio and TV shows. If it wasn’t for him, money would have never been raised for AIDS like it happened in 1986 with his ‘We Are the World’ campaign and Africa would have to wait way too long for money to be raised for starving children.

If it wasn’t for him, for his explosive dance grooves, his unmatched voice, his unequalled passion on stage, his constant influence on music and fashion, his contribution to the social equality and demolition of racial barriers, pop culture would never be the same. It would perhaps have the philosophy to progress, but the skills were instilled by a boy born on Gary, Indiana, on August 29, 1958.

The ‘King of Pop’ keeps on moonwalking; only we cannot see him anymore.

Rest in peace, Michael Jackson. We are so grateful for all you taught us.

I work as a financial and investment advisor but my passion is writing, music and photography. Writing mostly about finance, business and music, being an amateur photographer and a professional dj, I am inspired from life.

Being a strong advocate of simplicity in life, I love my family, my partner and all the people that have stood by me with or without knowing. And I hope that someday, human nature will cease to be greedy and demanding realizing that the more we have the more we want and the more we satisfy our needs the more needs we create. And this is so needless after all.

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