Fender Effects Pedals and Amp

Today’s guitar players have an almost infinite array of electric guitar effects pedals available, creating effects at the touch or ‘stomp’ of a button; hence they are often referred to as ‘stomp boxes’.  You’re not limited to a single pedal.  Several can be connected at once using patch cables.  Alternately, you may want to connect your effects pedals together onto a patch board.  This allows you to collect all your effects into one place to facilitate transportation and streamline the organization.

It’s worth noting that if you have too many pedals connected together, this can result in an irritating hum or buzz.  This can be corrected by the use of a noise gate pedal.

Here are a few of the more popular effects pedals available today:-

Distortion

As its name implies, it clips the signal, affording it a distorted sound which has been extensively adopted by players of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.

Chorus

A chorus medal duplicates the signal and mixes it back in with the original sound, creating a lush and fuller chorus effect.

Flanger

A flanger copies the signal like the chorus pedal but adds a delay but with a series of repeats.  These repeats are alternately longer and shorter, producing a still thicker effect.

Wah Wah

Made famous by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, the wah wah pedal modifies the signal by allowing higher and lower frequencies through as the pedal is rocked, much like the accelerator pedal of a car.  The name is onomatopoeic.

Reverb

As in ‘reverberation’, this adds an echo to the original signal.

Talk Box

A Talk Box incorporates a speaker with an air-tight plastic tube attached to it.  The end is taped to the microphone, extending far enough for the player to put it into their mouth.  By changing the shape of the mouth, it is possible to modify the sound produced.  For a good example of its use, listen to Peter Frampton’s classic ‘Show me the way’.

Boost

At the flick of a switch, this simply turns up the volume, or, alternately, takes it down.  It may be used in preparation for a guitar solo, or to let a quieter instrument through.

Overdrive

Overdrive offers a form of ‘smoother’ distortion.  It seeks to emulate the sound made by an amp pushed beyond its recommended limitations.

Distortion

This is the gear above Overdrive.  Listen to Van Halen if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

Fuzz

Dave Davies of the Kinks achieved this effect by slashing the internal walls of his speaker cabinet.  Ike Turner, reputedly, did it by simply dropping the thing.  The effect is a hard, gritty form of distortion.  Listen to the Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’ or ‘All day and All of the Night’.

Compressor

Very popular in Country and Western music, the Compressor seeks to maintain a middling volume level.  It makes the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder.

Delay

As its name implies, it copies the signal, enabling you to have a sound repeated once or several times.  Think Roy Harper or, perish the thought, U2.

There are a host of other effects available to today’s electric guitarists.  Most stores will allow you to try their electric guitar effects pedals at your leisure.  So shop around and experiment and don’t forget to look online for some of the best deals available.

Photograph by charlietphoto

Electric Guitar Effects Pedals is a post from: Fat Finger Music Electric Guitar Blog, click to read more.

Here's some peeps giving it the old college try

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiYpmx9hTlg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFgrQfgtq0c

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PEDALTRAIN 3 SC PEDALBOARD w SOFT CASE PT 3 SC $0 SH    US $139.95

Pedaltrain Mini Pedal Board with Soft Case Great Condition    US $42.00

PEDALTRAIN 2 SC PEDALBOARD w SOFT CASE PT 2 SC $0 SH    US $119.95

PEDALTRAIN JR SC PEDALBOARD w SOFT CASE PT JR SC $0SH    US $99.95

PEDALTRAIN PRO SC Pedal Board w Soft Case pedalboard    US $149.95

PEDALTRAIN JR PT JR SC Soft Case PedalBoard Voodoo    US $99.95

PEDALTRAIN 2 SC Pedalboard with soft case and mounting brackets PT 2 SC FREE SH    US $119.95

Pedaltrain PT 2 Guitar Effects Pedal Board w Soft Case    US $119.00

SKB 1SKB PS 8 PRO 8 Port Powered Pedal Board Guitar PedalBoard Soft Case    US $87.95

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Organ Shoes&papal Shoes

Organ shoes are special shoes worn by organists, designed to facilitate playing of an organ pedalboard and reduce the risk of receiving a marching fracture. Also, since organ shoes are worn only at the organ, the use of special footwear avoid picking up grit or grime that could scar or stain the pedals.

mp3">http://www.himfr.com/buy-mp3_sock/">mp3 sockOrgan shoes are typically as small as possible, so as to prevent accidental hitting of more than one pedal at a time. They usually have a flexible, lightweight leather upper held snugly to the foot. The material should allow the organist?? feet to glide against each other without sticking together or making noise. They are often made from a soft, flexible leather sole (suede preferably) which allows the organist to slide his/her feet easily both along and across the pedals. The sole should be thin enough to feel the pedals easily. Organ shoes always have a slight heel, of about an inch and a quarter in height (for comfort of the leg and playing double notes) and wide enough that it cannot become wedged between two pedals, covered with a soft material such as suede leather to dampen noise. In general, rubber-covered heels are not suitable because they cannot slide easily between pedals (e.g., for chromatic glissandos).

While specialized organ shoes are not widely available, many types of footwear have characteristics that make them suitable for use as organ shoes, depending on the needs and preferences of the individual organist. A lace-up ballet slipper, or capezio shoe can also double for an organ shoe for those organists who are on a budget. Like that of an organ shoe, the ballet slipper, or capezio shoe also allows the organist to "feel" the pedals, and play them without hitches because they are generally have the same characteristics of a specialized organ shoe: a leather upper and sole for flexibility.

Wearing appropriate footwear can protect organists from getting a "marching fracture", which is a type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" from some type of physical activity. This is in contrast to other types of fractures, which are usually characterized by a solitary, severe impact. Organists often keep their organ shoes in a box in a separate place from their everyday shoes, so that they will not get dirty. This reduces the risk of picking up grit or grime which could marr the pedals.

The Papal shoes are the red leather outdoor shoes worn by the Pope. They should not be confused with the indoor papal slippers or the Episcopal sandals, which are the liturgical footwear proper to all Latin Rite bishops.

As did many noblemen, the Pope wore slippers (pantofole) inside his residences and leather shoes outside. The indoor papal slippers were made of red velvet or silk and were heavily decorated in gold braid, with a gold cross in the middle.

Before 1969, the Pope, like all bishops and prelates, wore Episcopal sandals during the Mass. The color of the Episcopal sandals varied to match the liturgical color of the Mass.

The Papal outdoor shoes were made of plain red Morocco leather and had a wide cross in gold braid. The cross once extended across the shoe and down to the sole. In the eighteenth century the ends of the cross were shortened, as shown in the photo of Pius VII's shoes. This old-fashioned type of dress shoe is very thin-soled and is sometimes called "pantofola liscia" or smooth slipper model.

After 1958, Pope John XXIII added gold buckles to the outdoor papal shoes, making them similar to the red shoes worn by cardinals outside of Rome.

Pope Paul VI eliminated the gold cross and completely discontinued the custom of kissing the papal foot. Paul VI can be seen wearing red buckled shoes in photographs from his 1964 trip to Jerusalem. In 1969, Paul VI abolished buckles from all ecclesiastical shoes, which had been customarily required at the Papal Court and for prelates. He also discontinued the use of the indoor velvet papal slippers and the Paschal mozzetta and shoes. Paul VI wore plain red leather shoes throughout the rest of his pontificate. Pope John Paul I, who was pope for only 33 days, continued wearing the plain red leather shoes worn by Paul VI. Early in his pontificate Pope John Paul II wore red shoes; however he quickly adopted wearing ordinary brown shoes. Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II were buried in the red leather papal shoes.

Pope Benedict XVI restored the use of the red papal shoes, which are provided by his personal cobbler in Rome.[1]. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI also restored the use of the white damask silk Paschal mozzetta, which was previously worn with white silk slippers.

The papal shoes, along with the camauro, papal mozzetta, and cloak (tabarro), are the only remnants of the former red color of the papal garments. St. Pope Pius V (1566 - 1572), who was a Dominican, changed the papal color to white, and it has remained so since.

About the Author

If you want to know more about apparel_fashion,please visit www.himfr.com

Pedalboard Soft is a post from: Fat Finger Music Electric Guitar Blog, click to read more.

The most popular now are the Digitech RP units. from $100 to $300. They have "user presets" so you can set up what you want and then switch between them. The POD Plus or POD XT from Line 6 sound better and have more switches but they're $300 - $400.

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Jack Deville Electronics Mod Zero Chorus Flanger Pedal    US $156.00

Dunlop MXR Stereo Chorus M134 Guitar Effect Pedal    US $85.00

Aqua Chorus ModTone Guitar Pedal    US $50.00

TC electronic SCF chorus flanger pedal    US $169.00

Visual Sound H2O V2 Chorus Echo Pedal    US $150.00

DOD FX 65 Stereo Chorus Effects Pedal FX65B    US $19.50

VINTAGE DOD FX60 Chorus Guitar Effect Pedal    US $39.00

Arion SCH Z Stereo Chorus Guitar Pedal    US $77.00

TC Electronic Corona Chorus Pedal with TonePrint    US $81.00

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Guitar Pedal Board Diy

This is a good entry level home digital piano and good value for the money too.Guitar Pedal Board Diy And speaking of good value for the money, you can find this digital piano for about $900, so it is not outrageously priced.

This 88 key digital piano has an attractive walnut cabinet finish that looks good in any home. You'll particularly appreciate the fact that it comes with a stand that has 3 pedals built into it. So you don't have to worry about a pedal sliding on the floor when playing.

Yamaha does a good job of simulating the feel of an acoustic piano. They use different types of keyboard action in their various models. For the Yamaha YDP213 they use the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) piano action. This type of piano action emulates the feel of an acoustic grand piano by making the lower notes a little heavier than the higher notes.

The feel of a digital piano's keyboard action is a subjective thing. But some players think the Yamaha GHS piano action is a little too light. Yamaha also uses Graded Hammer Effect on more expensive models, which offers a stiffer feeling piano action that more faithfully recreates the acoustic piano touch. This is one reason the Yamaha YDP213 is better for beginning and hobby piano players and not for professionals. But once again, this is a subjective thing, and you should try any keyboard out to reach your own conclusion.

Play EXISTING riffs and patterns with speed and accuracy click here

You can expect good sound quality from this Yamaha digital piano. Yamaha samples the sounds of a real Yamaha acoustic grand piano. The YDP213 uses Advanced Wave Memory tone generation technology. And stereo sound sampling makes the sound even more realistic. That's what is great about a big player in the digital piano market like Yamaha. They provide great sound quality on their digital pianos. As a beginner or advanced piano player this is very important. If sound quality is inferior the risk of not playing the digital piano is greater, and what good is the keyboard if it just collects dust?

As mentioned above, the YDP213 has 3 pedals built into its stand. It has the soft, sostenuto, and sustain pedal, just like an acoustic piano. One drawback with the pedals is that it doesn't offer half-pedaling capability. However, this may not be important to a beginner or hobbyist piano player.

What else can you expect from this digital piano? The YDP 213 has 6 different tones, 64-note polyphony, metronome, two 6-watt amplifiers that push two 4-3/4" speakers, reverb, chorus, MIDI in/out, and other features. Also, the YDP213 has a sliding key cover that will protect against dust and spills, a very important feature.

In conclusion, the YDP213 is a good entry level digital piano for a beginner player or a non-professional piano player. The keyboard action emulates the feel of an acoustic piano, which is important if you're an accomplished pianist or just a beginner. But more expensive Yamaha models use different keyboard action technology that most players would say better recreates the acoustic feel. The YDP213 is definitely a good quality digital piano at a very affordable price.

CREATE patterns and riffs anytime of the day or night Click here

About the Author

Play with that star guitarist that you

always admired. Click here

Chorus Pedal is a post from: Fat Finger Music Electric Guitar Blog, click to read more.

Hi,

You can check your sound card type with dxdiag application.
(Start > Run > (type) dxdiag and Sound label)

I hope to have helped you.

	Tech 21 BSDR SansAmp Bass Driver DI List Price: $250.00 Sale Price: $199.00
	Pre-amp, stomp box and DI all in one. Dial up big vintage tube tones, bright modern slap sounds, gnarly distortions, and all in between.

	Tech 21 BSDR-DLX SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe List Price: $350.00 Sale Price: $269.00
	6-channel, dual input pre-amp, stomp box and DI all in one. Dial up big vintage tube tones, bright modern slap sounds, gnarly distortions, and all in between.

	Tech 21 PBDR SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI List Price: $275.00 Sale Price: $209.00 Used From: $200.00
	3-channel pre-amp, stomp box and DI all in one. Dial up big vintage tube tones, bright modern slap sounds, gnarly distortions, and all in between.

	Digitech XBD Bass Driver Bass Overdrive/Distortion Pedal List Price: $119.95 Sale Price: $79.95 Used From: $59.99
	The Bass Driver™ features three different bass overdrive distortion pedal models to select from. Go from a light overdrive to all out Stonerrock Fuzz or morph in between.

	Eminence Legend BP102-4 10 Bass Guitar Driver 4 Ohm List Price: $89.99 Sale Price: $70.84
	The Legend BP102 has been a staple product for many bass guitar wonders over the past 10 years. Now available in 4 ohms!

	Jim Dunlop MC401 MXR Boost/ Line Driver List Price: $169.74 Sale Price: Too low to display
	MXR and Custom Audio Electronics founder Bob Bradshaw - two names that have shaped the tones of the world's greatest guitarists - join forces to bring you a dynamic new line of pedals. The Boost/Overdrive and Boost pedals are the first offerings in the series produced by MXR, featuring the unique sonic stamp of legendary designer Bob Bradshaw...

	Boss BD-2 Blues Driver List Price: $160.50 Sale Price: $72.99 Used From: $69.99
	The BD-2 delivers the creamy, slightly crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion usually reserved for 30-year-old tube amps.

	Tech 21 SansAmp 3-Channel Programmable Bass Driver DI List Price: $275.00 Sale Price: $199.00
	Sans Amp Programmable Bass Driver DI Much more than just a direct box, the SansAmp Bass Driver DI is capable of dialing up big vintage tube tones, bright modern slap sounds, gnarly distortions, and all in between...

	Behringer BDI21 V-Tone Bass Amp Modeler List Price: $75.99 Sale Price: $37.99 Used From: $29.99
	There are DI boxes... and then there's the V-TONE BASS BDI21, a feature-packed analog DI box built especially for bass. A feature-packed analog DI box built especially for bass. Ground lift switch that eliminates typical ground loop hum problems...

	Audio-Technica ATHM40FS Precision Studio Headphones List Price: $150.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $43.44
	Audio-Technica's premium professional studiophones offer a flat, extended frequency response for professional studio monitoring. Superior components provide very high SPL capabilities while maintaining exceptional clarity of sound...

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Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal    US $122.50

Sansamp Bass Driver    US $135.50

DIGITECH XBD BASS DRIVER    US $38.00

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI    US $132.50

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Bass Guitar Stompbox Pedal OPEN BOX DEMO    US $185.00

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lessons for guitar PRESENTS Bass Guitar Tabs

Bass guitar tab is an extremely popular way of writing bass guitar music. If you are interested in becoming a bass guitarist you need to get familiar with bass guitar music by playing the bass lines of some of your favorite songs before you let your inner bass player off the chain. Utilizing this handy tool you can learn how to be the bass player in a band quickly without getting too much into boring theory.

The bass player\'s job is simply to keep time. Nothing could be easier. Until you try to do it. So what is actually involved? The bass guitar player keeps time by playing a \'bassline\' which is usually a rhythmic\' sequence of notes. The bass player brings together the rhythmic playing of the drummer with the melodies and chords played by the lead guitarist. Do you need to be a talented musician to do this? Yes you do. The bass guitar player is the guy who switches off his brain and becomes one with the flow of the music. He then switches his brain back on and become the designated driver for the rest of the band.

A novice bass guitarist may not immediately be able to follow (or lead) the rest of the band right from the start. You might need some material to work with while you ease into the job. Bass guitar tab gives the guitar player written directions on what to play to give the bass line to a song. Tablature is a written representation of the strings of the guitar using numbers to show the frets. If you want to learn the bass guitar quickly tab will help you. It is easy to pick up and to remember, and it enables you to learn the riffs and phrases you need to give structure to your band\'s music.

A bass guitar tab is a picture of the fret board which can be drawn using Notepad on your computer or, if you like, by hand. The frets are numbered on lines representing the guitar strings. If you have a four string bass, the upper string is the G string, next the D string, the A string, and the E string. The numbers below the lines are the frets where the notes are played. If there is zero below the line it means the open string is played. A chord is represented in bass guitar tabs by two numbers, one above the other. Most bass guitar tabs contain a legend which explains any unfamiliar terms.

With the history of rock music going back for generations tabs are available for any song you can think of. The internet is by far the best source for bass guitar tabs. Just do a Google search and you will have more material than you will ever need. All you have to do is learn and practice. Learn and practice your favorite songs first. Bass guitar is not a musical instrument you can approach without passion. Bass guitar riffs can be learnt from tab books but should be played from the heart.
About the Author

Bass Driver is a post from: Fat Finger Music Electric Guitar Blog, click to read more.

Don't own one, but after reading these reviews, I'd buy one (if my Ibanez Chorus dies).

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/product/Danelectro/D-4+Fab+Chorus/10/1

Kabum

	Danelectro D-5 Fab Chorus Effects Pedal List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: Too low to display
	Rich, vintage tone.

	Danelectro D-4 Fab Slap Echo Effects Pedal List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: Too low to display
	The Slap Echo of Yesteryear.

	Danelectro D-6 Fab Flange Effects Pedal List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: Too low to display
	A Knockout.

	Danelectro D-5 FAB Chorus Pedal Sale Price: $13.99
	The Danelectro D-5 FAB Chorus pedal is highly versatile and delivers rich, vintage tone. It can add a sweet colorful effect to your leads. It features mix, speed, and depth controls, as well as the on/off foot button...

	Danelectro FAB Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal List Price: $49.95 Sale Price: $20.00 Used From: $27.00
	Airy, complex guitar tone for next to nothing.The Danelectro FAB Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal is a great way to fatten your rhythms and add character to your leads. Dano does it on a shoestring with the Danelectro FAB chorus...

	Danelectro FAB Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal List Price: $139.99 Sale Price: $79.00
	This pedal should make it easier to choose your next chorus. It's flush with sleek, multi-voiced chorus, rich in depth and riotous in intensity. The Deep Blue is road rugged in a tough extruded-aluminum chassis and uses a cool super-bright blue LED to tell you when the pedal is on...

	Electro-Harmonix Nano Clone Chorus Pedal List Price: $63.20 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $39.38
	The heritage of classic Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus comes full circle in an economy version. Chorusing is an effect that bends the frequency of the input signal and blends it with the original sound, creating a shimmering doubling effect.

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DANELECTRO D 5 FAB CHORUS GUITAR EFFECTS PEDAL D5 NEW    US $14.95

Danelectro Fab Chorus Demo Model Full Warranty    US $5.00

Danelectro FAB Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal Barely Used but Works Great    US $9.89

Danelectro FAB Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal    US $14.99

DANELECTRO FAB CHORUS guitar effects pedal    US $10.00

DANELECTRO D 5 FAB CHORUS GUITAR EFFECTS PEDAL D5 NEW    US $14.89

DANELECTRO FAB CHORUS D 5 GUITAR EFFECTS PEDAL NIB    US $16.39

Danelectro D5 Fab Chorus Effect Pedal    US $14.99

ELECTRIC GUITAR FAB CHORUS SOUND EFFECTS PEDAL NEW    US $28.00

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The Beatles Are the Most Creative Band of All Time

BACKGROUND HISTORY: The first musical bands originated in New Orleans among black musicians who have traditionally been the innovators. The first jazz record ever recorded was by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917, and of course they were white because racism always rears its ugly head to hold black people back. But during the Roaring 20's, young white people couldn't resist the dance beat laid down by the black jazz bands. Fletcher Henderson, a black man, became the first band leader to achieve national fame possibly because he featured Louis Armstrong on trumpet. Duke Ellington, a classically trained musician, brought a level of style and sophistication to jazz that hadn't been seen before. But it wasn't until 1935 that jazz bands with a "swing beat" achieved national attention due to Benny Goodman who I think was the best clarinet player ever to blow air into that instrument. Benny also had the good sense and taste to bring the first great drummer, Gene Krupa, into his band.

When rock and roll exploded into human consciousness during the early 1950's, black musicians like Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Smokey Robinson pioneered the way, but a white DJ named Alan Freed is believed to have coined the term "rock and roll". The first real rock and roll record was "Shake, Rattle and Roll", written by Jesse Stone who was black and recorded by Big Joe Turner who was also black but it wasn't a hit. The first big hit rock and roll record was "Rock Around the Clock" written by James Meyers and Max Freeman of obvious ancestry, and that one catapulted Bill Haley and his Caucasian Comets to stardom. During the 1950's and early 60's, there were countless "do wop" groups, rock groups, singers and songwriters but until The Beatles hit the charts, there had been very few bands which contained talented songwriters. The vast majority of jazz and rock bands recorded songs written by songwriters who were not performers, with occasional exceptions like Duke Ellington and Buddy Holly. As time goes on, it's increasingly clear that Lennon/McCartney songs are brilliant classics which will never be forgotten. Now here's why The Beatles are the most creative band of all time:

1. BEST EXAMPLE OF FORM = CONTENT

As I sit here writing this at the keyboard of my computer facing the unique and colorful Beatles poster in my bedroom, I'm aware that I have been directly and indirectly inspired by John Lennon's music as well as by the way he lived his life offstage. Squarely in front of me is a full color poster of all four Beatles standing in a heavenly-like flower garden at about the time of the Abbey Road album. Paul is angelic in his pink suit with a white laced shirt. John is enigmatic peering out from the background. George is charismatic staring directly into the camera from the lower right. Ringo is on the left with a stylish blue suit and his pink ruffled shirt. I always wished I could dress like those guys but obviously there's a bit of a problem with a money differential there. Surrounding this gorgeous poster which I have never seen elsewhere are my 45 speed original Beatles hit records, including I Want to Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Please Please Me, Twist and Shout, Can't Buy Me Love, She's A Woman, Yesterday, and of course, Hey Jude. And surrounding all that is a chain of 1-1/2" long orange flicker flame lights which are the most beautiful and unique Christmas lights I've ever seen. I chose to decorate the wall directly in front of my work station this way because, as I've written elsewhere on this site several times, The Beatles were my major musical influence and having them on the wall in front of me inspires me to write web pages like this one. I was also among the millions of people who were inspired by how The Beatles were actually living their off stage lives. The Beatles' music creatively stimulated millions of people to change the way they were living, and The Beatles behavior encouraged people to have fun by trying new life style experiences. That's what I call a perfect example of FORM = CONTENT. In this case it means that the creatively and masterfully varied music The Beatles were producing (form) embodied the real life styles which each of the four Beatles were living (content), together as a band as well as separately as unique individuals.

2. BEST SONGWRITERS

This should be self-evident, but just because Paul McCartney has the title of the most popular songwriter in history doesn't necessarily make him the best songwriter in history. The qualities which do make both Paul and John the best songwriters in history go beyond writing the greatest number of catchy classic songs. "Catchy" means that their melodies and lyrics are instantly memorable. "Classic" means that they stand the test of time. But both Paul and John wrote very sophisticated melodies that moved beyond the simple groups of 2, 4 and 8 patterned phrases used by almost all other songwriters. John and Paul's melodies soared, floated, cascaded, dived and peaked with true dynamics, naturally following the syllabic lyric patterns - but not always. Sometimes the melodic and lyric patterns were independent of each other, almost counterpoint in nature, and as a songwriter, they never ceased to astonish me with their brilliance and originality. In the beginning, their lyrics were simple and their songs were simple love songs. But they soon began exploring new territory by writing about subjects that hadn't been covered before. Inspired by Bob Dylan, they wrote true poetry with feeling and depth, using evocative and unusual words. Rubber Soul marked the beginning of their evolution as mature songwriters, Revolver was a break-out album, and Sergeant Pepper was an historic landmark album in terms of new and innovative songwriting as well as production. Every song they wrote was significantly different from the last one even though each song had their unmistakable sound.

Most songwriters are only average players on their instruments, but John and Paul are both sophisticated guitarists who were able to integrate their playing into their songs and even into their song structure so that the "licks" they played became as catchy a part of their songs as the choruses and verses. Blackbird and Dear Prudence are only two examples of songs which couldn't possibly be written by any other songwriter because of the guitar playing which forms an integral part of the song structure. In similar fashion, Lady Madonna is the best example of a great song which derives from the unique and beautiful bass part which only Paul could possibly have created.

Average songwriters achieve the catchy quality by repeating a phrase endlessly or by beating a chorus to death. John and Paul found countless ways to be memorable without ever overly repeating something. The only time they repeated something over and over again for a long time was in Hey Jude, and what they chose to repeat is so gorgeous that one can only wish they had never ended the song. The Beatles were my biggest musical influence and I used to think, "If I could write just one song that's as good as John and Paul's worst song, I'd be happy." People tell me I accomplished that goal and they say one good example is John is Alive which is my sincere tribute to Sir Lennon.

3. BEST SINGERS

Even Ringo could sing when he got a little help from his friends who lived in the yellow submarine. But to say that Paul and John are two of the best singers in rock and roll is to state the obvious. Combining John, Paul and George created the best harmony vocals the world has ever experienced. Even their two part harmonies were unusual, catching us all by surprise on their first hit record with the fast harmony melisma in the chorus of I Want to Hold Your Hand. John had a knack of placing a unique low harmony line underneath Paul's high melody line so as to form a second melody which created unusual harmony effects. He did that right from the beginning in the verses of She Loves You. Both Paul and John could blast out screaming rock and roll (i.e. Long Tall Sally and Twist and Shout), and both could break our hearts with touching, deep feeling ballads (i.e. Yesterday and Julia). There seems to be no end to their emotional vocal range, and John even explored the heights of vocal psychedelia in songs like She Said (Revolver) and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.

4. MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS

Paul brought a new style of melodic playing to the bass guitar, reaching a new high of creativity on Sergeant Pepper with a level of sophistication never heard before. Many other musicians besides me recognize Paul as being one of the best bass guitar players ever. George is underrated as a lead guitarist by people with average or below average musical knowledge or ability, but most guitarists (including Eric Clapton) know better. George's strength is in melody, pure and simple. It would be difficult to find a George Harrison lead which is not melodic, and each of his leads has a strong beginning, a stronger middle and a well defined ending. In fact, that's Eric's definition of what makes a good guitar lead. George continually developed new guitar sounds for each Beatles song. John and Paul are also excellent guitarists and both recorded great leads as well as innovative rhythm tracks. All three of the Beatles guitarists may lack showy technical fireworks but they make that definition of guitar mastery irrelevant by overwhelming the senses with creativity, style, and pure melody. The exact same thing can be said about John and Paul's keyboard playing. Ringo may be underrated as a drummer by the public but he is not underrated by other professional drummers. Ringo mastered the art of drum sounds. No drummer has ever recorded so many different sounds on so many different sounding records. Ringo invented a new style of slow drum playing, epitomized on A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever. John said many times, "Ringo has the best back beat in the business" and the successful studio drummers understand why John was correct.

5. TOTAL CHARISMA

A good definition of charisma needs to include "an unusual ability to influence people and arouse devotion" and "a personal attractiveness which enables a person to influence others". No musical group prior to or after The Beatles features true charisma emanating strongly from the entire group as well as separately from each member. The Beatles stunned the world with their photogenic quality, their charm, their bubbling and lovable personalities, their cuteness and their unique style. Even before The Beatles achieved fame, people in Liverpool were imitating their haircuts, the way they dressed, the way they behaved, and the way they lived. Such a simple subliminal message about smoking marijuana got communicated to all the hippies who were waiting to happen without actual words ever being spoken. The Beatles had a lot to lose by being explicit on that subject, but they successfully avoided trouble by keeping it very subtle while at the same time clear enough so that we all got it. The Fab Four kept changing their styles rapidly, almost with each album cover, and soon the message became one of explicit spiritualism. After visiting India, The Beatles introduced eastern mysticism and meditation to the Western world for the first time through the mass media. John's long saga with internal angst, drugs, spiritualism, politics, personal battles, and ultimately his marriage to Yoko played out like a movie the whole world got to watch in fascination. Paul's happy life with Linda, George's great focus on meditation, and Ringo's equanimity throughout were all perfect examples of the power, the truth, and the effectiveness of true charisma.

6. SEXUAL AURA

Need I say it? Ask the millions of girls who were screaming and fainting at the very sight of them. "The Boys" didn't move like Elvis or dance like Mick, they just stood there shaking their "mop top" heads around, smiling, laughing, and looking gorgeous as they performed great music and that was it. On their first visit to America, some enterprising weirdo from New York City managed to cut up the hotel bed sheets The Beatles had slept on into 1" square pieces, and these things were actually sold to girls over the public airwaves by adult DJ's on the AM radio stations who should have known better. The Beatles phenomenon went way beyond the rock and roll sex star status that had been seen before. Teenage girls in uncountable numbers fell in love, their hearts to be trapped, their heart strings to be continually plucked, and ultimately, their hearts to be broken by the unobtainable object of their love. Worshiping a star from afar? Infatuation? Obsession? Not real love? For many of them, it was their first experience feeling love for a man/boy. Whatever it was, it was very real to all of them, and we all soon understood that The Beatles were The Real Thing.

That's why I call The Beatles the Most Creative Band of All Time. They were The Real Thing. The Creative Zenith. The high point on the bell curve of musical history.

About the Author

Peter Cross is a Web Master who was among the first to put music on the Internet in a downloadable format in 1996. His web site may be the largest music artist web site on the Internet. You can find this article at: The Beatles are the Most Creative Band of All Time and his home page at: Rock and Roll with an Immortal Soul where his copyright is displayed at the bottom of the page.

Fab Chorus is a post from: Fat Finger Music Electric Guitar Blog, click to read more.