Photo: Lukas

How good of a guitarist is Ed Sheeran?

uberchord.com - The 10 Most Underrated Rhythm Guitarists #3: Ed Sheeran - Uberchord

How long does Yamaha piano last?

With regular proper maintenance, tuning, and storage, a quality piano can give up to 50 years of adequate service. Mar 1, 2016

Last updated Jul 17, 2019

Which is the darkest chord?

The diminished chord is the darkest chord in music. This is because it's constructed with stacked minor third intervals. The D diminished chord and...

Last updated Mar 19, 2018

Promotion

Look up and you may just see Ed Sheeran adrift in the stratosphere, cackling loudly and violently fist-pumping in triumph. After being pulled into Taylor Swift’s orbit in 2013, he’s attained an absurd level of success leaving almost nowhere to go. What do you do after packing out Wembley Stadium three nights in a row? This, understandably, makes him an odd choice for a list whose operative word is ‘underrated’. Detractors of pop unfairly lump him in with other, lesser ‘musicians’ with whom he shares the same circles. While I can’t profess to be fanatical about his entire catalog, in large part because I’m not a 13-year-old girl, what I can say with conviction is that Ed Sheeran dwarfs any of his pop contemporaries in terms of talent. Ed Sheeran remains at heart, a veteran street musician. An example of making one’s own luck, his tenacity and raw skill have seen him clamber up the ladder to the point where a big break of Swiftian proportions was inevitable. Having lived a short while in destitution, he emerged out of the London busking circuit, a ruthlessly competitive scene which breeds musicians of a very high caliber. Nowadays he can found on the biggest stages in the world where he manages to entertain hundreds of thousands of fans at a time using only his voice, his guitar, and his loop unit. Think about that for just one second. No backing vocals, nothing to mask or distract from mistakes or imperfections. Ed Sheeran instead builds and layers his own tracks from scratch using a loop pedal, his mastery of which got him noticed in the first place. Compare this to any other lip-synching ‘artists’ in the pop-sphere and the chasmic difference in talent becomes apparent. For a solo musician, loop pedals demand nothing less than metronomic timing. Come in even slightly early or late on a beat and that error will be looped over and over again into eternity. Imagine this at the level of a stadium concert. Each mistake ricocheting around the concert grounds, gaining momentum and malice until eventually, the song collapses upon its own discord. The potential for disaster is enormous, yet Ed Sheeran pulls off each show rapturously.

Rhythm

Ed Sheeran is an accomplished, and occasionally even virtuosic guitarist. He combines elements of fingerpicking, nail raking and strumming into one fluid expression of self. The sad and somewhat telling fact is that his legions of young fans probably don’t harbor the faintest interest as to why his music sounds good. Upon inspection, as musicians, we can notice that integrates all kinds of complex rhythms into otherwise fairly predictable chord movements.

Exercise 1

Let’s start off with the arpeggiated intro to ‘Bloodstream’, featuring a capo on the 3rd fret. Although not the most complex fingerpicking pattern in the world, this intro requires a degree of right-hand coordination. As always, start slowly and with a metronome. If you’ve never attempted fingerpicking yet, set the BPM to 50 and work your way up to speed by increments of 5. You can sometimes get away with sloppiness on an electric guitar buried under distortion. There’s nothing to hide behind on an acoustic guitar! Despite the rhythm of the notes never changing, do remember that the note sequence underneath the first chord (the X chord) is slightly different from the next chords in the progression.

1-3-2-1-3-2-1-3

What are 7 keys to heaven?

The seven essential tools of the Holy Spirit are: forgiveness, Christ's vision, the holy instant, the holy relationship, the quiet time of...

Last updated May 11, 2019

Why does my baby make a sad face when I sing?

According to Psychology Today, the baby's reaction to Mom's singing might be the result of something called “emotional contagion.” Essentially,...

Last updated Oct 2, 2019

Promotion

What music do 60 year olds listen to?

Top hits for 60+ year olds Pure 60's: The #1 Hits. Aretha Franklin. The Beatles. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The Rolling Stones. Roy Orbison. Simon & Garfunkel.

carelinx.com - Music Seniors Love: Top Songs from Every Generation - CareLinx

Music varies greatly from individual to individual, but some songs, musical groups, and music genres are special to different generations. Ask your senior for their favorite songs from their youth. Help them start their own "play list" by looking at their record/DVD collection or by searching music streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music or Internet Radio such as Pandora.‍

Music benefits seniors

‍Music is an amazing drug-free way to improve quality of life for older adults. Many studies show the benefits of music.

It reduces stress, anxiety, and pain.

It also improves immune function, helps memory, and encourages exercise.

Music reaches those with Alzheimer’s or dementia

‍Another benefit is that music helps people reminisce and go back and relate to emotions and experiences. That’s why it’s often recommended for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It reduces anxiety and agitation and boosts happiness and engagement. The documentary Alive Inside is a great example of how music can reach people with even very advanced dementia.

‍Top songs for every generation

‍In order to get the benefits, it’s important to play music that your senior enjoys and connects with. To help you find music seniors love, we’ve rounded up dozens of top hits. There’s something for every generation, starting with the 1930s for those who are 90 years old and going all the way to the songs 60 year olds will remember from their youth. Here are some of the top artists and highly rated “best of” albums from each decade. Click the links to see the albums we suggest.

‍Top hits for 90+ year olds

Top hits for 80+ year olds

Top hits for 70+ year olds

Top hits for 60+ year olds

Top hits: Jazz

Do left handed pianists have an advantage?

Researchers who studied handedness in professional pianists and string players found no difference between a left-hander's performance whether they...

Last updated Oct 17, 2019