Remember playing House or Doctor as a child, letting the game go wherever your mind would take you? That was improvisation. No rules, no boundaries, just the limitless potential of your imagination.

Similarly, musical improvisation is the act of "writing" (creating it as you play) a song while performing it, a technique found most often in jazz and bluegrass (but can be traced back to renowned classical improvisers like Handel and Bach). Of course, it's a little more complicated than an imaginative children's game. Thoughimprovisation is a highly creative and flexible technique, it requires great skill on the part of the musician. A musician involved in an improvisation must have a detailed knowledge of chord structure and complicated scales and modes. The musician must also have an intuitive ability to structurea song on the fly; great improvisation thrives on its ability to sound not improvised but rather wholly composed. That illusion, the ability of a song to seem anything but spontaneously made up, is part of improvisation's allure.

There are two basic forms of improvisation: structured improvisation and free improvisation. Structured improvisation, though a contradiction in terms, is the most common of the two. In this form, musicians will use a pre-determined series of chord changes, usually held down by the rhythm section, as the song's base. The lead instrument in theimprovisation (sometimes also pre-determined) then have the freedom to create new melodies and harmonies from these pre-determined chords. The flexibility of thisimprovisation form is dependent on the flexibility of the chord changes, and the musicians involved must be able to play exactly what they hear in their heads, as some complicated changes may not allow for large deviations.

If we were to improvise on a song such as "Billy Boy", for example, we would follow the chord progressions of the song, but make up a different melody for it. Some musicians choose to stay fairly close to the melody by using neighboring tones and half-step slides and so on; other musicians feel free to completely abandon the traditional melody and make up a new melody entirely.

In addition to songs, many musicians in the jazz and rhythm & blues tradition improvise endlessly on the 12-bar blues, which has a chord progression using only the I, IV and V chords (also known as the "primary chords" of a given key) of whatever key the musicians are playing in. For example, if a jazz group was playing in the key of Bb, the improvisations would be based on the I, IV and V chords in the key of Bb: namely Bb, Eb, and F.

Of course musicians also add extra notes to chords such as the 7th — especially in the blues — and sometimes also change the harmony somewhat from time to time. But the recurring theme always reverts to the I - IV - V formula.

Free improvisation, on the other hand, is far more like a game of House or Doctor — it has no rules. Instead of focusing on harmony or melody, freeimprovisation focuses on the feeling and texture of the music and the way the instruments complement each other. This form tends to be far more experimental and rarely adheres to one style or genre or music — it is, quite simply, what it is.

Lovers wouldn't have songs to romance to. There would be no such thing as "our song." Sinatra couldn't fly to the moon. Elvis couldn't complain about people stepping on his blue suede shoes. Tony Bennett would have to write a letter about how he left his heart in San Francisco. Willie might go on the road again, but without a guitar. And Ray Charles would look pretty strange up on stage without a piano telling us that Georgia is on his mind.

Then when the wedding day arrived, what would the bride march down the isle to? A poem? Silence? Applause? And when the happy couple marched out of the church together, would they do it to the bark of neighborhood dogs, or perhaps all the wedding guests talking at once?

And at the reception, what would they dance to? The Funky Chicken just isn't the same without music. Since rhythm is part of music, no drums would even be allowed.

And the honeymoon I suppose would take place with radio news on, or perhaps the educational channel accompanied by the drone of an air-conditioner.

When baby arrives, do we lull her to sleep with a reading from Shakespeare? Or perhaps random readings from the dictionary or encyclopedia? Could we bore her to sleep with words?

Nursery rhymes would have to be chanted or recited instead of sung. School music programs would of course be non-existent, as would school choirs and orchestras and bands. When the school football team plays, there would be no school fight song. Cheerleaders would have to cheer and dance minus any music.

And when those birthdays roll around, we would have to all recite together in a monotone "happy birthday to you."

And when duty calls, what would soldiers march to? What would take the place of music in parades, since there would be no marching bands? John Philip Sousa would have had to get a day job.

And on the 4th of July there would be no patriotic songs - just speeches. At Christmas time there would be no Christmas carols. No rousing gospel music at Easter, no hymns in church.

And can you imagine radio without music? Nothing but news and talk shows and bla bla bla bla….

I don't know about you, but I've had it up to here just thinking about it. I'm heading for the piano now to celebrate the fact that our Creator gave us the wonderful and inspiring and uplifting gift of music that we all take for granted.

I think I'll play a nursery rhyme or two, then the wedding march, then Silent Night, then Auld Lang Syne, then Fur Elise, then the blues, then a little jazz, then…and then…

Playing guitar jazz is also like that. It can be improvised and/or combined with other musical genres. By listening to the notes and a little practice, the people who hear it will simply love it.

The same thing can happen when playing the guitar. A person can start by learning a certain song the way is it commonly played; then when he understands the rhythm he can determine where slight changes can be made, how it can be refined and/or turned into a jazz rendition.

Jazz music is made up of 4 beats to a measure. This is called syncopation which is very different from classical music that is made up of half beats. By learning how to play each of these notes and with a lot of practice, you will be able to get used to the rhythm.

Jazz guitars are different from traditional guitars because the wood used is a lighter material and the strings are set much lower making it faster to play. For the person to play like other guitarists, it is advisable to buy the right guitar for the part.

Another way of learning how to play jazz is by listening to some of the greatest jazz musicians. Some of the best are Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and David Benoit. By buying the albums and listening to how each of these people play and sing, you will get into the rhythm and beplaying like the experts in a short time.

Since the music is quite different, practicing the various notes will help. One can start with a C note. This should be done repeatedly while the left hand is moving on the chromatic scale. For a better feel, the E flat can be added until one has reached the blue scale.

Learning how to play jazz music will take some time. The important thing to make it successful is being able to hear each part of the song. Ifa person is serious about switching genre's, then he must devote a lot of time and effort to get it right.

There are different types of jazz music, each with their own origin and style. Jazz music is distinctly different from any other types of music and can be recognized world wide as having a uniquely American flair to it. Jazz had its beginnings in the United States but is now considered to have a fine mixture of African culture thrown in with it.

There are four distinct parts to jazz music that include rhythm, harmony, melody, and tonal qualities. No matter what type of jazz that you enjoy you'll be able to find a club that caters to your tastes. There are many experimental jazz venues that are popping up all over the place, including many European cities where all types of music are welcomed and appreciated.

One jazz style is called the Work Song. It is upbeat and rhythmically fast because it was used to make the work day go by faster. The Work Song is repeated over and over and isn't considered a modern form. This jazz tends to be associated with African American music. It's probably the rhythmic beat that makes it the least popular jazz style today.

New Orleans Jazz is another style that had its beginnings in the early 1890's American history. It began marching songs and gospel songs used in brass band performances. One of the foremost leaders in this style is the famous bandleader, William Basie, otherwise known for his band, the Count Basie Orchestra. This style of jazz is still popular today.

The Chicago Style of jazz started in the late 1917's. Chicago, known as one of the premiere jazz locations in the country, drew many musicians from southern states as the prohibition forced people to move north looking for new jobs and places where they could play this new type of jazz. During this period, piano was added to the background of jazz music, creating an entirely new sound known as Chicago Style jazz.

World War II came and went transforming jazz yet again. This era is when Bebop was born. Bebop fuses fast tempo with changing rhythmic patterns and makes a softer, lighter sound. Bebop will often focus on a solo performer instead of the whole band.

As you can see, jazz is always changing, yet retains part of its original formation at it roots. Jazz is a musical style that changes with the times and the various outlooks of its listeners. One reason that jazz remains popular and alive is its ability to adapt to the world it lives in.

Source: Free Articles

Can Foreclosure Be Mediated?

July 20, 2009

The Center for American Progress argues that mandatory
mediation is the U.S.’s best bet for heading off the foreclosure crisis. An
overwhelming majority of distressed homeowners never even seek help from their
lenders, and the court system certainly is not equipped to dole out solutions
while hammering through foreclosure dockets. The article details several
actions that (if required) could assist troubled homebuyers.

Kentucky Takeaway: Kentucky is like the majority of the
states in that it has minimal mandatory mediation on its books. If foreclosure
worsens, though, local support could grow, and one would expect Louisville to
be out front on that campaign.

Source: http://www.inman.com/news/2009/07/20/mediation-proposed-foreclosure-fix

Q. How big of water changes should I do?  Water changes are one of the cheapest and best ways to get awesome aquarium plant growth. You’re fish will love you too.  A good way to explain the value of water changes is this. Say you are in a room full of people who are smoking. The room is full of cigarette smoke and you’re gagging. You could rely on a big air filter in the room. I’d rather open up the windows and doors and replace half the air with fresh air. Same deal with planted tanks.  You can make water changes fun too. When I change the water in my planted tanks it’s a very Zen time. I unplug the filter and drain the tank down with my siphon tube. (get a 50 footer and water your plants outside)  While my tank is draining it’s quiet and I look at all of the plants closely. I remove any leaves with spots or that just look bad. I also top some plants and replant them lower. While you are refilling notice how any new growth almost instantly shoots up.