Chords4u is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Guitar Chord Finder Pro, a guitar chord dictionary that runs on a cell phone. With 100′s of chords in its memory bank, Chord Finder Pro provides all guitarists with a reference standard chord dictionary. Displaying common chords and the more exotic, such as Augmented, Diminished, 9th and 13th (to name but a few), Guitar Finder Pro is suitable for all guitarists from learners to the more advanced.

“Being an application that runs on a mobile or cell phone means Chord finder Pro is always available in your pocket and allows you to ditch the separate chord book or other devices we have all carried in the past; now if you have a compatible cell phone then you can have a comprehensive chord dictionary,” commented Trevor Conway, CEO of chords4u.

Guitar Chord Finder shows suggested fingering for each chord and, where possible, three different versions of each chord at different positions along the fret board.

Tested on a range of mobile or cellular phones Guitar Chord Finder is also available in a free, downloadable “lite” version restricted to displaying only Major, Minor and 7th chords. The “lite” version is free to download to test compatibility with your handset.

Pricing and Availability
Guitar Chord Finder Pro is available now at a price of approx $12.50 (£6.49).

For more information, visit their web site at www.chords4u.com.

Posted in Education, Guitar

Lexicon Pro™, a Harman International Company, has announced a collaboration with Wenger Corp. in the development and release of Wenger’s new Virtual Acoustic Environment™ (VAE™), a virtual environment simulator aimed at the music education market as a rehearsal/teaching aid.

Using Lexicon’s patented technology, the VAE creates extraordinary acoustic room simulations with settings that include Baroque Room, Recital Halls, Auditoriums, Cathedral and Arena. These active acoustic simulations contribute to the sensation of being enveloped — or surrounded — by the sound, and enable musicians to hear themselves as if they were performing inside a particular space. Based on Wenger’s revolutionary V-Room® technology, the new VAE offers an integrated music learning environment with active acoustics for “audio virtual reality” simulations and features built-in recording/playback capabilities.

The VAE can record up to nine single-track sessions with a 60 minute total recording time. Audio transfer of recordings is possible through the built-in USB connection in standard stereo .wav format (44.1 kHz, 16-bit). Accompaniment music may also be transferred to the VAE via this USB connection. By selecting from the nine active-acoustic settings, musicians can learn how to optimize their performance in different environments.

Designed for installation in a Wenger sound-isolated music practice room, the VAE features easy, intuitive operation, including visual feedback from an LED display and backlit, 18-button control panel. An optional foot control provides convenient, hands-free playback and recording.

For more information, visit their web site at www.lexiconpro.com.

Posted in Education, Production

Alfred is pleased to present the album-matching folio for Neil Young’s latest CD, Living With War.

Written and recorded in three days, Living With War is Neil Young’s second album release in seven months. When announcing the release of the record, Young issued a statement on his website saying “…I think it is a metal version of Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan…Metal folk protest?”

This book provides authentic guitar TAB for all the songs on the record.

Titles are: After the Garden * Living with War * The Restless Consumer * Shock and Awe * Families * Flags of Freedom * Let’s Impeach the President * Lookin’ for a Leader * Roger and Out * America the Beautiful.

For more information, visit their web site at www.alfred.com.

Posted in Education, Guitar, Tab

Attendees will walk out with a fully functional, Egnater-modified JTM45 Marshall head from Mojo Musical Supply.

On Saturday, October 14, 2006, Egnater is offering a One Day Amp Build Seminar. The classes are held at Egnater World Headquarters in beautiful Berkley, Michigan located just North of Detroit (Rock City).

When you sign up for the class, you are also purchasing an amplifier kit. These high quality kits are supplied by Mojo Music and use the JTM45 head model. Egnater then modifies the stock kit into a “hotrodded” version for you to build.

The modifications take the stock 4-input, 2-channel amp and turn it into a JCM800 master volume model on steroids. You get more gain, smoother tone and more punch than a stock JCM800.

Each participant has his/her own work station for the day. Instuctors will walk you through the process of building your amp kit, one step at a time. Failure isn’t an option, as you will be guided by professionals each step of the way. You are guaranteed to walk out at the end of the day with a great sounding amp head that you built with your own hands.

No electronic knowledge is necessary, though it doesn’t hurt to have some. You should also be somewhat proficient at using basic hand tools (screwdrivers, nutdrivers, pliers etc).

Email begnater@aol.com for an information package on the seminar.

Amp Loung/Egnater
3833 West 12 Mile Road
Berkley, MI 48072
248-541-9100

For more information, visit their web site at www.egnater.com.

Posted in Amplification, Education, Events, Guitar, News

IPlayMusic enables students to easily incorporate active music making into their daily lives, with the ability to export lessons onto the iPod.

By combining audio, video, animation and interactive technologies, iPlayMusic’s beginner guitar lessons put the fun into learning guitar by teaching users to play actual songs by popular recording artists.

What’s more, iPlayMusic provides a less-expensive and time-sensitive alternative to traditional music study. There is no need to drive back and forth to lessons or purchase costly sheet music. There is no ramp up time as students can purchase their guitar, bring it home and immediately have fun playing songs.

For a sneak peak of iPlayMusic’s suite of music leaning products, visit the site at www.iplaymusic.com for free demos. The following products are currently available for children and adults:

Beginner Guitar Lessons Interactive DVD; Levels 1 and 2
Each lesson presents four on-screen panels that demonstrate a basic guitar skill or technique from different angles. To help beginners master a song or to enable a “karaoke-style” sing-along, a guitar, vocal or scrolling text sections can be easily added or removed.

Beginner Guitar Lessons Level 1 introduces the musician to guitar basics and musical styles. Guitar anatomy, chords, strumming patterns and transitions are demonstrated, as is an introduction to various musical styles, including rock, blues, country and more.

Level 2 presents the next step in content for players interested in mastering the guitar. They are introduced to riffs, licks and tricks that expand on the rock, blues and country styles initiated in Level 1. In addition, musicians are introduced to new styles like reggae and 12 bar-blues.

Beginning Guitar Lessons, Level 1 and 2 are available on www.iplaymusic.com, eBay and Amazon. Each is available for $24.95 as a DVD or for download.

Beginner Guitar Lessons Mac Software
iPlayMusic Beginner Guitar Lessons for the Mac takes advantage of iLife applications including GarageBand, iTunes and iWeb. Aspiring musicians have everything they need to learn guitar, play and sing popular songs and easily create their own performances, which can then be downloaded to iTunes to share with friends.

The software includes more than four hours of video, presented in 140 individual lessons featuring iPlayMusic’s multi-angle video learning method. Users can learn to play more than 25 popular songs made famous by artists like The Beatles and Eric Clapton. Song lessons include guitar chord videos, scrolling lyrics for sing-along, and tips on riffs, transitions, strumming and more.

Beginner Guitar Lessons for the Mac is available for $49.95 at www.iplaymusic.com and carried in select retail stores. A PC version of the product will be available this September.

Play Music Together Interactive DVD Video and Mac Software
Play Music Together, a new Mac software and DVD video product, help preschoolers develop their musical skills and encourages families to learn to play the guitar together.

The interactive learning product features scrolling chords and lyrics, close-ups of the left and right hands and looping features that enables children to learn songs by playing or singing along at their own pace. Capo the puppet models fun songs and activities, so youngsters develop an understanding and appreciation of musical elements including rhythm, tempo and pattern, while parents, teachers or caregivers play along and join in the fun. After just a few basic lessons, children can play and sing-along with six popular family songs including If You’re Happy and You Know It and The Wheels on the Bus.

Play Music Together for the Macintosh is available for $39.95. The video-only DVD version is sold separately for $24.95. The PC version of Play Music Together will be available in September.

For more information, visit their web site at www.iplaymusic.com.

Posted in Computer, Education, Music

Sheets of Sound introduces Sheets of Sound for Guitar II. Sheets of Sound for Guitar II revolutionizes guitar technique while focusing on a radical new way to approach the instrument.

Sheets of Sound for Guitar Vol II is a natural evolution of Sheets of Sound Vol I. It continues along much of the same harmonic and rhythmic path while putting more emphasis on real world examples and delving into asymetrical, odd-meter groupings and artist studies. The artist studies are inspired by Pat Metheny, George Benson, Frank Gambale, Rusty Cooley, Pat Martino and John Coltrane and are very exciting to learn and perform.

Traditional guitar methods focus on playing the instrument horizontally across the fingerboard. By contrast, Sheets of Sound for Guitar focuses on playing the instrument in a more natural vertical orientation. In doing so, a more straightforward and horn-like voice is attained.

The book is a compendium of melodic and harmonic devices featuring the following:

• Tab and standard notation
• Amazing Chops (works for Fusion, Metal, Jazz, etc)
• Arpeggio Scales
• Waterfalls
• Sweep Picking to die for
• Studies inspired by George Benson, John Coltrane, Frank Gambale, Pat Martino, Shawn Lane, Mike Brecker, Rusty Cooley, McCoy Tyner, Rudolphe Kreutzer
• Forward Motion Pentatonics
• Long form swept Pentatonics
• 4ths patterns
• Odd Meter meters/rhythms

For more information, visit their web site at www.sheetsofsound.net.

Posted in Education, Guitar, Sheet Music

Alfred is pleased to release the authentic guitar TAB version of the album-matching folio for Hoobastank’s hit record, Every Man for Himself.

The latest release from pop-rock giants Hoobastank, Every Man for Himself has already reached the No. 12 spot on Billboard’s Top 200 chart (Billboard.com, 2006). This book provides authentic guitar TAB for all the songs on the record.

Titles are: The Rules * Born to Lead * Moving Forward * Inside of You * The First of Me * Good Enough * If I Were You * Without a Fight * Don’t Tell Me * Look Where We Are * Say the Same * If Only * More Than a Memory.

For more information, visit their web site at www.alfred.com.

Posted in Education, Guitar, Tab