This week we’re going to look into some tips on how to improve your technical agility. One of the main abilities a musician must have is to have command of the technical aspects of his/her instrument.

Tip #1: Play everything slowly

“Slow is the same as fast”. Maybe you’ve heard of that phrase. I’d like to interpret it as understanding that all movements that you make while playing rapid passages must have the same relaxed feeling as though you were playing slowly. What better way to do that than practicing slowly?

You’ll have to practice slowly and do NOT increase the tempo at any time! Breathe relaxed, concentrate but don’t let your muscles stressed or tight in any way. Practicing slowly give you a chance to hear the music exactly, listen intensively and therefore make your brain learn it “inside-out”.

Tip #2: Concentrate on problem areas

Learn to isolate difficult passages. Listen into them. Figure them out harmonically, mechanically and rhythmically. After your practiced the difficult passage, connect it back to the music a few measure before and after. This way you are “de-isolating” the passage back into the music.

Tip #3: Remember, it’s about making music

Once a new student came to me for lessons and played a few things for me that he’d been practicing up to that point. He commenced to play an exercise in a very technical, non-emotional fashion. I stopped him and asked why he has played like that. He answered, “Well, it’s just a technical exercise. It has nothing to do with music.”

So, I said, “OK, so throw it in the trash!” The point here is that we have to understand something. We play a musical instrument. We do it to play/perform music with it. In order to get the best performances out of ourselves on a consistent basis, we have to “practice performing”. So it is imperative that every time we practice, we should make music.

If something has NOTHING to do with music, we shouldn’t practice it. Think about it. When you practice your major scales, why do you do it? Possible answer are “To better my technique”, “To gain mastery of my instrument”, “to learn to hear the major key”, “to improve my intonation” , etc.

Such answer as “because it’s my homework” or “because my teacher said so” are weak answers and they are NOT going to inspire us to make good music. We need better answers. If an exercise is boring you, ask yourself “Why am I practicing this?”

Look for an answer that is going to motivate you! If you don’t come up with one, LOOK for one! Call a friend, ask your teacher, send ME an email! Do something! Give yourself good reasons and the HOW will take care of itself.

Tip #4: Practice with rhythmic variations

If you’re practicing even scale material, instead of repeating an exercise over and over again the same way (and possibly boring yourself), try playing it with different rhythms.

For example, I’m playing:

1. C – D – E – F – G – F – E – D – C. All eights. Play it 3 times.
2. Then play it as a dotted eighth and sixteenth rhythm. (Or swing eighths) 3 times
3. Then play it as a sixteenth and a dotted eight rhythm (reverse swing) 3 times
4. Then play one group of eight note triplets and a quarter note. 3 times
5. Then the opposite – a quarter note then a group of eighth-note triplets. 3 times
6. Then mix this set – 1 group eighth-note triplet, quarter, quarter, eighth-note triplets. 3 times
7. Then the opposite mix – quarter, eighth-note triplets, eighth-note triplets, quarter. 3 times
8. Then play the original rhythm from the beginning. 3 times.

What does this do? You’ve played the same exercise 24 times without it getting boring. You’ve learned to hear this combination of notes in different rhythms, which aids you to hear deeper into the notes. The speed of the fingers between the notes has varied, eventually strengthening your technique.

I guarantee that if you practice your technical exercises with this method, you’ll reach desired results faster than you have had in the past. You’ll accomplish a lot more in less time.

Tip #5: Learn how to take a break

Practicing 6 hours a day, 7 days a week can be great if you have time to afford yourself this luxury. If you do, my advice is DON’T DO IT! After spending so much time to learn new techniques, new repertoire, new whatever, you can destroy it all by practicing too much!

The brain can only take in some much information at a time and it does it best “piece by piece”, in small relaxed dosages. Even then, the brain needs a rest. Saxophonist Phil Woods has been said the he always plans a day NOT to practice. This day for him is Sunday. He goes fishing. He even stays away from music on this day.

It’s good advice to follow. Plan a day right now that you will NOT practice. Learn to relax. Do something else on that day.

Evan Tate is a Faculty member at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, a Julius Keilwerth saxophones endorser, podcaster and author of the book “250 Jazz Patterns” and more. You can contact Mr. Tate at EvanTateMusic.com.

Article Source: ArticleAlley.com

Whether it is singing, playing the guitar or piano, everyone has some measure of musical talent. Music is all about passion and creativity. Some people can pick up on an instrument or song quickly, while others have to practice everyday to obtain quality results.

If you have an excitement for music, you should explore your musical passion of choice to see what talent may be waiting to get out.

Guitar

If the guitar is your musical instrument of choice, begin by either purchasing or renting a guitar. Take some piano lessons online or from a local guitar teacher. There are many online sites that provide students with everything they need to learn to play the guitar. If you have never played guitar before, be patient. It will take a while before you can play your favorite song.

You will have to learn how to care for your guitar, how to tune it, learn how to play the notes…etc. You will have a number of exercises that will have to be practiced everyday. If you have talent and the dedication, it will not be long before you start seeing positive results. Make learning fun, so you don’t lose interest and toss the guitar aside.

Online guitar teaching sites will provide technique tips and teach you how to play the guitar quickly. Once you have mastered the guitar, you will have a variety of genres such as jazz, rock, classical…etc to pick from.

Voice

If you have dreamed of singing in front of a large audience and receiving thunderous applause, it may be time to put any insecurities and anxieties aside, and find out if you have singing talent. There are many online websites that offer singing lessons and tips to becoming a singer.

With the right vocal training, you may discover that you have singing talent. Singing is about more than remembering the lyrics. On must be able to covey a story in perfect rhythm, feeling the song, tempo, tone, pitch, and deliver it in stunning form to the audience.

Either online lessons or a local singing teacher will help you find out if you have singing talent. As with any other musical venture, practice makes perfect.

Piano

Knowing how to play the piano will give you a solid foundation to learn other instruments. It will also help to achieve a quality singing voice. You will need to learn basic piano techniques such as the notes on the piano, how to learn finger strength and autonomy, and how to read music. This requires instruction and practice.

The Internet has a host on online piano learning sites that will teach you everything that you need to know about learning to play the piano. They have a variety of exercises and musical genres to learn from. You will build confidence with every musical piece you learn. You will learn the correct techniques from the start so you will learn much faster.

Music is all about passion and dedication so you must love what you doing to bring out your hidden talent. It is important to always keep practicing. Overtime, you will discover you are making fewer mistakes. Whether you are learning online or from a local instructor, it is important to listen to others perform and have others listen to your performance.

Feedback will help you improve your musical skills. You should only continue to play as long as you are enjoying it. This comes about by quality learning and a positive outlook. Find your musical talent and enjoy its lifetime of rewards.

Oakville Music School offering music, voice, guitar and piano lessons Oakville, Mississauga and the GTA area. Visit our music store to find Grand Pianos Oakville, new and used pianos in Toronto.

Article Source: Music Articles – Free Article Directory – Write and Republish Articles

Most people think that singers with good voices are born with them. Yes, although some people have better singing voices than others, most, if not all good singers undergo vocal training to improve their voices.

Most of the singer’s training is done through specific vocal exercises to achieve certain effects such as singing powerfully, getting vibrato into the singing voice or even expanding your vocal range so that singing higher notes is a breeze.

Unfortunately, this article cannot do that as the exercises must be physically demonstrated and manually practised. So instead of learning how to get a good voice, this article will show you how to protect and preserve your singing voice because your voice quality can be destroyed by bad habits that you may not even know you have.

Your voice is produced by a delicate mechanism and when used correctly, it rarely gives you any problem. So take good care of your precious voice and will serve you well for your lifetime.

The first golden rule to having a good voice quality is not to take up smoking and if you are already a smoker, do quit smoking before this nasty habit destroys your singing voice further.

The thousands of irritants and chemicals in cigarettes damage your voice and will certainly shorten your singing career and even your life unless you are a rock singer and need to have a raspy and coarse voice.

Always stay hydrated and as such, you need to stay away from caffeine, alcohol and other substance that dehydrates you. The vocal folds must be hydrated at all times to stay healthy and lubricated. So drink plenty of drink as much water everyday to keep them hydrated.

If you are on medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist whether the medicine you are taking is dehydrating. As a general guide, your body should be well hydrated when your urine is clear and not cloudy.

Everyone’s voice has its own limitations. So get to know yours. Shouting, talking loudly or even singing forcefully is damaging to your vocal cords, this is sheer common sense, but many singers still abuse their voices this way. So don’t shout.

Unfortunately, some people think that to sing powerfully, they have to shout. No, they don’t have to. You can develop a powerful voice with the correct vocal exercises without having to shout.

Your vocal cords collide with each other more than a million times everyday when you produce a sound and so, any extra harsh activities like shouting puts further strain on the already overused vocal cords.

When recovering from a coarse voice like say, from a sore throat, avoid any unnecessary conversations or phone calls to let your voice fully recover. Otherwise your recovery will be slower and even then, small permanent damages may occur.

You need to know that your vocal cords are muscles and therefore like any muscles, they need a thorough warm up before it can perform at its peak when you are singing. By the same token, they need to be cooled down with vocal exercises after your performances.

Just because you get away without warming up or cooling down now does not guarantee that you will not damage your voice in the future.

Next on the list is to avoid late night eating because this may end up with your stomach acid spilling into your larynx when you lie down to sleep and causing a hoarse voice and over the long term, permanent voice damage.

These are just some of the many things that you should not do to preserve, protect and maintain your voice producing mechanism so that you can have a good singing voice permanently.

Article Source: Articopia.com
About the Author:  Chris Chew owns a music education website at Learn How To Sing Confidently On Stage and Learn How To Sing Better.

Knowing how to get your band on at venues is vital if you’re going to get your band heard and seriously market your music. But how do you go about getting someone to book your band when you don’t know where to start?

Here are 5 key tips that will show you how to get gigs. I’ve used them all personally as have other bands and musicians I’ve helped. All five have been repeatedly proven to succeed. They can help you become that most indispensable of musicians – the gig-getter.

1. AGREE ON YOUR GOALS.

Targeting yourself with the ideal number of gigs a month the band would be happy with will keep you focussed and motivated on getting venues to book your band. Agree the minimum price you’ll charge venues.

Consider building a track record by offering “Trial Price” first gigs on the understanding they will be revised (upwards) for further bookings.

2. UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU OFFER.

Find out about your local competition. Research other band’s websites. Go and watch these bands and see how they differ from you. Ask friends for an honest appraisal of your best and worst aspects.

Force yourself to answer the question:

“What’s different/unique about our band?”

3. DON’T CREATE A DEMO OF COMPLETE SONGS.

Make a 5 minute medley of snatches of numbers which best showcase all your strengths.

The demo should sell itself even before it’s been listened to. Include some statement about the covers you play or your genre, a picture of the band, your phone numbers/email address and any testimonials on the CD itself.

4. DRAW UP A LARGE LIST OF TARGET VENUES.

The more venues you approach about gigs, the less important each one will seem and so the less stress you’ll feel when you talk to any one in particular. Getting venues to book your band is a numbers game and the more targets you have the more bull’s eyes you’ll hit.

5. SET A TARGET NUMBER OF VENUES TO CALL EACH WEEK.

Before and during the phone call Concentrate on what you can do for the venue – not what it can do for you. Keep your focus on how having your band on could encourage people to go to their venue and boost their takings.

The more you practise marketing your band to venues, the more gigs you’ll get and the more you’ll get your band heard.

It may take you 20 “Thanks but no thanks” before you get a booking. But with determination you’ll soon have all the work you can handle as well as a growing reputation as an indispensable gig-getting musician.

Gareth Bird is an active semi-pro musician who gigs regularly at venues like the Hard Rock Café and writes for the music press about getting gigs. He has his own Sales & Marketing business advising a number of leading European companies and is the author of “Gig-Getter: How to get more gigs than you can play”.© Visit: Gig-Getter.co.uk.

Article Source: Articleteller – The Free Article Directory

If you’re like most people who take piano lessons, you do! Whether you’re young or old or somewhere in between, you aspire to make beautiful music and… right away!

You’ve probably heard the old joke: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall” asks the inquisitive tourist. “Practice, practice, practice!” replies the wise old responder.

But wouldn’t you much prefer to learn the secret to sounding good just for your own satisfaction and enjoyment?

That’s probably why you take piano lessons… However, most piano students forget to pay attention to the very areas that would enable them to sound great!

Do you do one or more of the following?

1. Ignore the timing by not counting or tapping your foot.

2. Play everything at the same volume.

3. Disregard the key signature and just start playing the piece.

4. Use too much pedal.

5. “Type” or bang the keys and disconnect one note from another.

6. Allow the accompaniment (usually the left hand part) to overpower or drown out the melody.

7. Listen to talk radio instead of spending some of your time listening to music.

If you recognized any of the above habits as things you do, congratulations! Now you know why you aren’t sounding like a pro yet.

(Parents: Have you noticed these traits in your children who take lessons?)

Obviously, you want to sound good! (And you parents want your kids to sound good, don’t you?) So instead of treating piano practice like a chore, here are seven ways to start you on the way to Carnegie Hall:

1. Pay attention to the timing: count or tap your foot.

2. Notice the dynamics (indications for differences in volume) and follow them.

3. Look at the key signature before you start to play and mark all of the sharps or flats if you need to.

4. Use the pedal with care. (Pedal changes are often marked in classical pieces, and should be made in songs with each chord change.)

5. Employ correct fingering as you work towards playing smoothly and connected (unless the music asks for staccato: detached playing).

6. Listen for the melody. Can you always hear it while you are playing?

7. Focus on spending some time listening to music every week. (With wonderful tools like iPods, MP3 players and the internet, it’s easy to find recorded versions of the pieces that you play as well as music that motivates and inspires you.)

Give these suggestions a try. Start today. You’ll be surprised at how much better you sound!

Copyright © 2007 by Ed Mascari – EdMascariPianoStudio.com About the Author: Ed Mascari has been teaching piano privately to children and adults for nearly three decades. He is a seasoned performer (pianist/ jazz organist) of show tunes, jazz and popular music as well as a published classical composer and church musician. Go to EdMascariPianoStudio.com for info.

Source: www.isnare.com

Every once in awhile a guitar student will express a desire to be in a band someday. If this is your ambition too, then read on. Whether you’re a guitar player or not doesn’t really matter.

If you are a talented singer or musician then the question is, do YOU want to be in a band? In this article you will find some helpful ideas on how to get started in that direction.

One of the first things you will need to do is gain exposure for yourself. This can be as easy as following three simple steps:

1. Tell everyone you know that you want to start a band.

(Word of mouth is one of the best advertising strategies)

2. Make a flyer to put up around town (in music stores, at schools, on bulletin boards, etc.)

3. Place a classified ad in all the local newspapers

Here is an example of something you might say in your advertising:

“Lead guitarist seeking individuals interested in starting a Christian Rock band. Looking for a lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, bass guitarist and drummer. The emphasis will be on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through music. If you have a desire to use your musical gifts in this way, please call (give your name and phone number) for an interview.”

You can make the ad as detailed or generic as you need to. The important thing is to have a clear idea in your own mind of who you want in your band. Do you need a bass player, singer, drummer…? What type of qualifications or experience will you expect? Is age a factor? Jot down a list of questions to ask and keep it by your phone. When someone does call, you will be ready to have the interview right on the spot.

Try to make your questions require a yes or no answer, or a very short reply. That way, it will be easier for you to take notes. If someone looks like a good potential band mate, get their phone number and tell them you would like to call them back after you are through holding your interviews.

Try not to keep people waiting too long (between 2-4 weeks) if possible. When you’re ready, review your notes and decide who you want to call. Set up a time that is convenient for everyone you’ve selected to meet at YOUR CHOSEN LOCATION. This is important if you want to establish yourself as the originator of the band in order to maintain an influence on its direction.

I should insert a word of caution here. You might want to “play it safe” by not inviting them to your home until after you get to know them a little better. After all, they are strangers, but it’s your call of course.

You may want to keep the first meeting with your new band members very low key. Use the time to make introductions, share past experiences, set goals, discuss ideas, etc. This will give you the opportunity to gauge whether you think each personality is going to be able to work together and get along.

Avoid egocentric people like the plague as they will just create friction with other members of the band. Assess everyone fairly, but realistically. It’s better to get rid of a bad apple right away, rather than allow them to spoil the enthusiasm for the rest of the group.

After your first band meeting, you can aim for the next one to be an informal “jam” session. At this time you will be able to get a feel for whether the group is going to gel or not. But don’t be too hasty in your decisions! I remember one time “auditioning” for a band and being so self-conscious that I just couldn’t relax and enjoy the experience.

It was a local band that I had known of for some years and often desired to be a part of. Even though I had already acquired quite a bit of experience performing on my own, this was different. It was someone else’s “thing.” Nothing seemed to go right!

After I got home that evening, I was sure they would never call me back. The surprise was, they did! However, the second time wasn’t much better, but they decided to give me another chance and invited me to come back one more time. It’s a good thing for me, because the third time was the charm.

Our voices and music blended so perfectly that I just knew I was in. I share this story so that you might give your new fledgling band some time to get off the ground. If nothing seems to ignite a spark after giving it a fair amount of time, then you might want to reconsider your options. That’s something only you will be able to determine.

Well, that’s about all there is to it really. Once you’ve got your band members picked, you’re ready to start making music! If you have some original tunes, be sure to share them with the others. See if anyone else in the group has written any songs too.

Be open, honest and ready for almost anything. If you establish your own priorities first, it will help you to stay focused through whatever ups and downs may come along. And always remember, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

FREE Reprint Rights – You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:

Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: ABCLearnGuitar.com

If you’ve performed live on stage or even a casual jam with your friends at band practice — one of the most annoying things guitarists have is a thing called FEEDBACK!

If you don’t know what feedback is — it’s that terrible high pitched sound that comes from speakers.

It usually happens when you place your microphone too close to the speaker or play your guitar directly in front of the amplifier.

Not only does this damage your ears, but it puts your audience off when they come to hear you play!
Now I’m not an expert on the dynamics of feedback. But I have performed on stage many times and have learnt a few tricks to avoid feedback from occurring…

The first step is to turn down your treble on your amplifier. Too much treble invites feedback so don’t have too much treble in your amplifier settings.

The second step is to turn the volume on your guitar up only 3/4. Don’t turn your volume up full as this is invites huge feedback! Always leave a little room on your volume, so don’t turn it up all the way. Only 3/4 and I guarantee you will reduce feedback at least 80% with this trick.

One other trick is to turn down the gain or distortion on your amp. When you play softly, you can turn your gain or distortion full. But when you start playing with some serious volume, turn your gain only 50%.

You will still get the same sound and distortion, but this is the trick to avoiding feedback from occurring when you play loudly.

Finally, if you’re using an effects pedal, only turn it up 3/4 the way. Like your guitar — always leave a bit of leeway as it offers more control over the sound and keeps your playing tight!

Remember this — if you keep control of your volumes, you reduce the level of feedback and have a much tighter sound as an over all band. If you turn everything up full and try to rule the world — you’ll sound a mess and out of control.

Learn more at abcLearnGuitar.com

This can be difficult for several reasons:

• The sound on the stage is very different from the sound throughout the rest of the club.
• The person mixing generally has to stop playing momentarily to adjust the levels.
• Different band members may prefer different mixes; for example the keyboard player may feel that the keyboards need to be higher in the mix.
• The on-stage mixer may have little control over the level of individual instrument amplifiers or drummers.
• In very small venues, or restaurants, the on-stage level may need to be too high (for the band’s comfort and hearing) for the audience, particularly when they are close to the stage.

While these, and other, difficulties may pop up from time to time, many of the problems can be overcome by cooperation between the band members, and by trying these techniques.

When possible, recruit a friend or fan to listen to the house mix and let you know how it sounds. Have them check for you during the sound check, and again latter during the performance.

Let them know that once your mix and level are set to your satisfaction that you won’t need any more reports unless something is very wrong. Otherwise, they may continually interupt you just as you get into the music.

For this to work well, you should have a certain amount of confidence in their opinion. Generally, if the friend is a fellow musician, they will have a better idea of what to listen for and how to tell you what the problems are. For a non-musician fan or audience member, you may only be able to rely on them for a general volume level check.

If you have time before the gig, do a sound check and set your relative levels and tone settings. These will very likely change once there is a mass of bodies in the room, but you will now have a reference level that you can revert to if the mix starts getting out of hand. Make note of the various settings, particularly if you are going to play the same venue again.

If you are a guitarist with a long, long cord (or wireless), or have material where you don’t play much, go into the audience area during the sound check, listen, then go back to the mixer and make adjustments. Repeat this until you are confortable with the balance.

Once you are in the actual performance, you will find that certain instruments or vocals may be too loud or don’t stand out enough. Make minimal adjustments and listen again.

Be careful that you don’t keep raising everybody’s level when they can’t be heard. Sometimes when the lead singer is motioning for more volume, you’ll find that perhaps the overall level needs to drop, with the vocal mike staying the same. This will take some experimentation and experience. Like everything else, it will get easier and more intuitive with practice.

Another common problem, particularly in small clubs, is gradually increasing the volume level until you are too loud for the room. Sometimes you will actually need to reduce the level to sound louder and clearer.

Once you have a good performing mix, make note of your control settings, as well as the “no crowd” settings you already have. As conditions change, you will likely need to make adjustment again. If you are repeatedly playing the same club, these settings will save you time in finding the perfect mix for the situation.

However, you must always remember that YOU are not the primary purpose of the restaurant or bar. The primary purpose, as for any business, is to make money.

As a performer, you should be able to relate to this, since you need to make money as well. (If you are just doing it for the music, while a great noble and artistic attitude, you’re better off just jamming at home.)

Your purpose, as far as the club is concerned, is to bring in customers – and keep them there. Remember that at all times, even though it can mean swallowing your pride.

You do need to have artistic integrity, but you also need to recognize where your needs conflict with the needs of the paycheck writer.

There is probably no musician alive who can hear the words “you’re too loud” without jumping into a defensive attitude. It doesn’t help that it always seems to happen just when you’ve hit that “sweet spot” where you feel like everything is working together perfectly. Bam! “Turn it down!”

There are two areas to this problem that you will have to deal with: Mental Solutions and Physical Solutions.

Mental Solutions

First of all, remember again that one of the reasons you have been hired to play is to keep customers from leaving. If you really are too loud, turn it down. Don’t let your ego sour your attitude.

Still, you always need to be aware that someone may ask you to turn it down at any time, and don’t take it personally. (I know, this is easier to say than to do.)

The fact is, no matter where you play, you can’t please everyone. There will always be those who think you are too loud and those that want you to crank it up. You can’t play to the extremes. You need to find the level that is right for the majority of the customers, even when that seems too low for you.

Physical Solutions

Sometimes it just isn’t physically possible to crank it up to the sound level that will make you happy and still keep the customers happy. When that’s the case, you need to get creative.

If your volume is so low you can’t hear yourself over the chatter, you’ll never play your best. So you need to find ways to play louder for yourself and quieter for the audience.

Here are a few solutions that work in difficult situations:

• Run everything direct to the mixer so that instrument amplifiers don’t overpower the room. (Good luck if you have drums!)
• Use small monitors as close to you as possible, for instance on a mike stand.
• Use no house speakers (or minimal, for clarity). Let the stage mix be the house sound as well.
• Use no stage monitors at all, using in-ear monitor systems or headphones. Then the house speakers can be adjusted to the level that is comfortable for audience.

Every situation is different, so these solutions are not the definitive answer. Look at the problem from both the club’s perspective and from yours, then use your head to find a workable approach.

You just may well may remain sane enough to play your heart out!

If you think that you can just play in whatever manner you feel like playing, and the sound engineer’s job is to make everyone sound good in the mix, you’ll fall short of your optimal sound. The mix can’t fix busy keyboards or guitar fills that walk all over the vocals.

While thinking about these things may seem distracting at first, but it becomes second nature after a while. Once you can do this unconsciously, you’ll get into your own part naturally.

You’ll hear where your part fits in the overall sound, and will pick up on the other band member’s cues. Then you’ll be be really playing as a band.

Practice being aware of these things until they are part of you and your playing:

• Don’t overplay. More notes don’t equal more music.
• Be aware of your stage volume. Can the other players hear themselves clearly?
• Are you leaving space for the rest of the band to play?
• Is your playing appropriate for the meaning of the song?
• Do your solos and backup contribute to the overall feeling and mood of the song?
• How are your tones meshing with the rest of the band? Is the texture of the song improved? All highs or lows, or is there a good balance?