Mikes Music Blog

Playing an Instrument to Beat the Mid-Life Blues Ever since turning 35 years old I’ve had a nagging feeling that my life had somehow changed. Where once there was wonder and amazement at the simple things in life like a cloudless summer day, or the unspoilt scenery of the countryside, these things stir little inside of me. It takes a lot more to [...]

Choosing a Music Teacher Although it is quite possible to teach yourself how to play an instrument, the advances that you can make with a good music teacher and following a course of structured lessons can not be overvalued. Don’t be afraid to make that call to a teacher and discuss your needs. As adults it can be hard [...]

Mastering Blues Keyboard Riffs In popular music, blues keyboard riffs are universal. From Billy Preston jamming with the Rolling Stones to Ray Charles kicking into “What I’d Say,” blues progressions and scales serve as the basis for legendary songs and amazing keyboard solos. One of the greatest aspects of blues keyboard riffs is the musical theory behind them, which [...]

Ten Of The Most Popular Classical Pieces Of All Time For anyone studying popular classical music, it can be a daunting task to know where to begin. There are so many great pieces that a beginner can get overwhelmed. Here are 10 of the most popular classical pieces with a brief background of each. There are many others, of course, but these 10 are certainly [...]

The Popularity of Music Memorabilia Music memorabilia has always been popular for keen collectors of merchandise from famous music artists. Now, with the help of online auction sites, collecting music memorabilia is fast becoming a popular hobby for brand new collectors. If you want a piece of music history these days, just search the internet. There’s no need to check out [...]

How to Practice the Drums and Save the Neighbors Playing drums can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. The problem is that playing drums can be noisy. If you have a set, and you live with someone, or in an apartment, you as well as I know that it can be a challenge to get in the rudimentary practice [...]

How to be a Jazz Drummer If you are like me, you started out with an interest in drums, and you probably were attracted to more simple drumming like Rock. But eventually, you realize that many of the best drummers out there, including Rock, Soul, and R&B have a back ground in Jazz. Some examples I can think of [...]

A Quick History of the Drums Percussion instruments are perhaps the oldest type of musical instruments in history. The voice, of course, was probably the first instrument, with percussion coming in as a close second. When you think about the drum and percussion, in it’s rural beginnings, you may think of tribal beats from Africa, and maybe the Polynesias. The term [...]

All about Memphis Soul Music Memphis soul music is one of the most interesting forms of music around today, with an interesting and rich history that tells the tales of struggle, accomplishment and life. Memphis soul music has also influenced a wide variety of different genres, including rhythm and blues, modern jazz and rock and roll. Musicians that have been [...]

How to Play Blues Piano: Getting Started The ability to play blues piano is usually not expected of beginning pianists. There are reasons why most beginning pianists start out playing old songs written by classical composers from centuries past. Many songs written for the piano by such composers as Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky were originally intended as pieces to be used [...]

Mikes Music Blog