Music from Memphis has a Soul All Its Own (sales exercises)

September 27th, 2008 admin Posted in music |

By Phoenix Delray

The music from Memphis has made such a profound impact in the music world that it has been the reason that the city of Memphis has earned such nicknames as Home of the Blues The Birthplace of Soul, The Home of Rock and Roll, and Soulsville, USA. The musical influence in Memphis has always been thick, rich, heart felt, and varied. Beginning with jug bands and Bluegrass, music from Memphis would become a permanent presence in the music world.

When WWII had come to an end, music from Memphis began to see the use of electronic instruments. Many musicians from all over the country came to Memphis with these electric instruments, changing the sound of Memphis blues. The musicians would gather on Beale Street, where there were recording studios up and down. These early musicians would record some of the first music from Memphis that was classic blues, rhythm and blues, and rock & roll records. Once of the most famous of these studios was Sun Records, who would record the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley, among many others.

It began in the early 1900s when jug bands played on the streets of the city, the center being once again Beale Street. Using homemade, simple instruments like the banjo, guitar, and a jug of course for the bass, music from Memphis erupted on the streets and branched into what we know today as the Blues. The Blues is music that is full of catchy rhythms and lyrics about life, work, and faith.

The music from Memphis known as Soul began in the little neighborhoods around Memphis. These neighborhoods became known as Soulsville, USA. In the late 1950s the genre of music was born that was to become Memphis Soul music. Soul is a style of music that combines R&B music with Gospel music. It has been said that Memphis Soul Music is similar to Gospel in almost every way except one. The only difference between the two is the substitution of the word Lord in Gospel to the word Baby in Soul.

The catchy, new, unique blend of R&B and Gospel quickly spread through the African American communities in Chicago, Philadelphia, Memphis, and Detroit. Memphis Soul music was most heavily influenced by gospel, however, more so than in the other cities. The unique sound of Memphis Soul music that resulted from such a thick Gospel influence was described as unpolished and raw. Up North, the sound had been more polished and smooth. Music from Memphis was gritty and raspy, which is what has made music from Memphis the most loved and time honored music in the country.

To know more about Music from Memphis please visit our website.

The One That You Love, A Classic Ballad From Air Supply
By Martin Sejas

The reason why I am starting with this song is because I can’t get it out of my head at the moment. It’s a classic ballad written by one of the best and most successful soft rock duos of all time, Air Supply.

Charts-wise, it was their most successful song, reaching number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart for 1 week in 1981. I’m not aware of its performance in other charts so if you can shed some light on that, please let me know.

The song itself has 2 distinct melodies, one for the verses and one for the chorus. The first time I heard this song, I feel in love with the beautiful melody in the verse, and then when the chorus came around, it was a bit unexpected and it kind of ruined the beautiful tune it had had up until the chorus. That’s not to say the chorus melody is not bad, it is very nice as well. However, they are a bit too different.

Nevertheless, I heard it a second time, fully expecting the change in melody and I completely adored it. The 2 melodies may be very different but this difference enriches this song and gives a powerful and memorable ending at the end. In fact, it is the chorus melody that I remember more now than the verse melody.

Lyrics-wise, the song expresses one’s love and gratitude for what their partner means to them. The singer wants his partner to know that he is always there for her, for all time and that he loves her in so many ways.

It is highly recommended that if you want to show your gratitude to your woman, that you learn this song and sing it to her because it will blow her away.

Some quick facts about Air Supply:

They formed in 1975 in Melbourne, Australia and are made up of British guitarist and vocalist Graham Russell and lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock. Their meeting was by chance as they were both performing in the Australian production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Despite some early success in Australia, they did not achieve prominent success until their big break in 1980 when “Lost In Love” reached number 3 in the US. They then went on to have 9 Top 5 US hits throughout the 1980s. More recently, they have been touring to celebrate 30 years of Air Supply, enthralling audiences just like they did all those years ago.

Martin Sejas is the chief writer of www.AllTimeClassicSongs.com, a website showcasing some of the all time classic songs in music history. Covering all genres and eras, Martin shares his enormous enthusiasm for music with videos, lyrics and chords of every classic as well as encouraging debate from everyone.

A Working Knowledge of Chords
By Kevin Sinclair

Are you interested in learning how to play the piano, but you just don’t want to wait for years to be able to play? Well, you’re not alone. There are many people out there that want to find a quicker way to learn to play music, and although you may think that learning to play is a long and difficult task, there are actually some learning methods that will enable you to learn quickly. Let’s take a closer look at learning to play with chords, since a working knowledge of chords makes playing the piano so much easier for you.

More Easily Learn to Play with Chords

One of the main reasons that learning the chords in the beginning is so important is because you can more easily learn to play with chords. If you know the chords, you won’t have to have piano tabs and you’ll be ready to start creating music. This is an even faster way to learn than learning to read music. So, instead of struggling along with another method of learning, try learning the chords first and then focusing on other aspects of learning to play the piano.

Explore the Piano in a New Way

Not only will you find that learning to play the piano with chords is so much easier for you, but you’ll also find that knowing the chords allows you to explore the instrument in a whole new way. You may not think that you have the talent that is needed to play the piano or to even improvise at the piano; however, with good chord knowledge behind you, you really can.

More than Years of Lessons

Although many people go through years of piano lessons trying to learn how to play the piano, you don’t have to do this. It does not have to be so hard for you to learn how to play. When you are able to learn a few chords, and then you go on and start using those chords to experiment with, you can really learn to play quickly without having to pay for many years of piano lessons.

Reading Music is Important Too

Of course while learning the chords is important to playing the piano, it’s important to note that reading music is important too. After all, if you plan to go on to play classical music, then you’ll need to be able to read music. However, learning the chords first before you begin learning music can be extremely helpful and can making learning to read music and play difficult forms of music, such as classical music, much easier for you.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com - an information site for beginning through to advanced musicians. He has a growing number of learn piano reviews available.

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