helloooo

Song!
Ok so since the news is out about how technology is an epic fail and I can’t seem to post any video of me doing anything, I have decided just to talk about what songs I am listening to and learning. This week you are in luck because I have chosen a song that is not just beautiful but deep. It is a song that was recently shared with me by a close friend. It is called “Heartbeats” covered by Jose Gonzalez. I did not realize this but the song was originally done by a band called The Knife. It has a very different feel than the original. I will post both videos below so you can choose which song you like better. I, however, am a sucker for acoustic guitar. This is an example of a song I could play on repeat for hours and day dream, to me those are the best songs. I also am a sucker for love songs…angry or happy. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do!

Artist of the week!

This week’s artist is one that I feel exploded on to the scene and is now extremely popular. If you guessed Mumford & Sons, which I am sure you totally did, you would have guessed correctly. I remember when I first heard them many, many months ago on a show called the “Adventure Club” on a radio station. It is a show where the DJ spends an hour checking out local artists and artists from other places that are not quite as known over here yet. This particular night they played a song called “Little Lion Man” and I instantly thought it was fantastic. Since then they have dominated 102.1 and other alternative radio stations alike. They have even had a chance to play at various award shows. Their two biggest songs are “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave”. I will post both below so you can get a good feel for the band. They are very folky and there is definitely a banjo in there, but they make it work. Plus who doesn’t like a good burley Irish man?

Tip of the week!

So everyone always wants to know how to play chords so they can go off and impress the world with their playing ability, but they think playing is too hard. Well I have some good news for you my non guitar playing friend! What if I told you I could teach you like a million songs with just four chords? Well you’re in luck because what a lot of people don’t know is the songs you hear on the radio consist of the same chords. If you learned, for example, Am F C and G chords on the guitar, you would be privy to thousands of songs. “Sometime Around Midnight” by Airborn Toxic Event, “Call it off” by Tegan and Sara, “The Call” by Regina Spektor are all built around those four chords. So take that and run with it! Get out there and play!

Questions and comments below!

Song!

Ok so I feel like I have completely run out of options. I have tried multiple computers, web cams and normal cameras and nothing. I am starting to think God doesn’t want me to upload songs to this blog. I wish that I could figure it out, but my blog seems to be very uncooperative. I will continue to try and upload songs even though it seems to do nothing. So until a miracle happens with my uploading abilities it seems as though I will just have to talk about the songs I’ve learned- much less exciting I know, but sometimes you do what you have to do.
This week I did a song called “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters. It is a song that came out in the mid 90s and if you are anything like me, then you love 90s music! So raw, so grungy, so 90s! It really is a fantastic song that is great to listen to always, but especially if you might have a little crush on someone. I will post the video below so you can take a look at it. Personally I enjoy the acoustic version better because I feel there is more emotion soooo that’s what I have given you!

Artist of the Week!

This week’s artist or should I say artists of the week goes to a band called Matt and Kim. They are an indie rock band that resides in Brooklyn. There are two members, if you guessed Matt and Kim you would be correct, sir! Matt Johnson plays the keyboard and sings and Kim Schifino plays the drums and sings as well. They recently won MTV’s Push artist of the Week for their song “Daylight”, which I will of course post below!

Tip of the Week!

This week’s tip has to do with vocals! I don’t have the best voice and I would never claim to, but one thing that can help anyone improve how they sing is confidence! Sing it loud and proud! You might not be Beyonce but I promise that you will sound better if you project and sing more confidently. I have been in music for a long time and one of the hardest things to do when watching someone perform is listening to them dance around the pitch of a note. A lot of times if whoever is performing would just project the notes would be much more in tune. This tip won’t turn you into Bruno Mars, but I promise that it will help you out.

Songs!

Finally! I have uploaded some songs! I had a chance to use my roommate’s laptop and her computer seemed to do way better than my old clunker. Anyways, the song’s I chose this week are a few pretty awesome songs. Uploaded tonight was “The River” by Manchester Orchestra, “Ooh la la” by The Faces and “Sometime Around Midnight” by Airborne Toxic Event. These songs are fantastic.
“The River” and “Sometime Around Midnight” are both great songs and very emotional in different ways. They have a sound that makes you get lost within the melody. Both of those songs have a special meaning to me and I know that if you give them a listen they will mean something to you too. “Ohh la la” by The Faces is just a great feel good song. Every time I hear it makes me happy! It was written a long time ago so it makes think of simpler times and places that…well I wasn’t a part of. I can still imagine though.
Here are links to the actual songs below…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKEu3EmBCzQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--HaFAtC17U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrSBLU1YQ0I

*Disclaimer**Neither I or my roommate claim to be fantastic singers or guitar players we are just having a good time playing and sharing music with you!*

Artist of the week!
I did one their songs with my roommate this week called “The River”, but they have so many more songs than just this. They sing their songs with such emotion and I was even lucky enough to go see them in concert- they are very good live. I first really started listening to them when my uncle passed away last year, their music really helped me get through it. They are a hipster/alternative band that definitely deserves a listen.
Here is a video below so you can hear another one of their songs.


Tip of the week
Can’t quite sing that octave in that one song you love? Not quite good enough to transpose the song to another key? Want your guitar to sort of sound like a ukulele? Well have I got a solution for you! There is an invention out there for all you novice guitar players out there and it is called a capo. Putting a capo on the guitar allows you to change keys without changing the chords. I have used the capo in a couple of my videos, one being the Tegan and Sara song “Call it off”. It’s a great invention so use it. There is no need to strain your voice so! Hope that helps!
Well that’s all for this week, Please leave me a song request to cover or write a song either in my comments below or at my email zinsbrit@hotmail.com
Have a fantastic week!

Songs!
Ok I know I have been lacking on my song postage…I don’t know what it is I am doing wrong. I don’t have a web cam on my computer (my dad thought web cams were a bad thing when I got this computer four years ago) so I have been trying to upload via a camera I got for Christmas. It’s supposed to be easy right? Well it hasn’t been a cake walk, let me tell you! I even tried to be proactive and use a more up-to-date computer that has a webcam, hoping it would make things easier. I have been waiting for hours just for one video to load. Not cool. I have the songs I need recorded I am just having no luck getting them where I need them to be. Maybe I need to find a techie person to help me out. I mean this isn’t rocket science! At any rate I have a ton of songs for you including “Ooh la la” by the Faces, Northshore by Tegan and Sara, my own original song and of course whatever is chosen next week. I am going to get a hold of someone who is good at this stuff during the week to help me out. I am sorry this is being such a fail thus far! Well… as they say even the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

Artist of the week!
Just because I am seemingly failing terribly with my songs right now it doesn’t mean others are! This week’s artist of the week goes to no other than…can you guess? Lady Gaga! Her brand new single “Born This Way” just came out over the past couple of days. As per Lady Gaga’s style she came busting through itunes with her new single and became the fastest number one in itunes history. Personally I feel the song sounds a heck of a lot like Madonna’s “Express Yourself”, which was produced in the early 90s. I don’t know maybe it is just me. I will post both videos below and you can decide. Leave your comments and tell me what you think.

Tip of the week!
For this week’s tip I will help you on what to look for when you are buying your first acoustic guitar! If this is your first guitar and you have decided to go acoustic my biggest tip is to go with a good name with a low price. My first guitar was an acoustic Yamaha. I know it was part of a starter kit and was probably around one hundred dollars, but it has served me well for the time I have had it. The starter kits are great because they offer a lot for a great price. Here is a link to a great starter kit. As you can see it comes with picks, instructional dvd, gig bag, tuner and more for about $160.00. This is the way to go because Yamaha is a great brand with a good reputation, but if guitar doesn’t pan out for you at least you didn’t break the bank.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-GigMaker-Acoustic-Guitar-Pack?sku=519040

Once again have a great week! Keep playing!

Send your requests to zinsbrit@hotmail.com or leave a comment below!

Week four and I know you want more!

Good evening to you bloggers!
I hope everyone has enjoyed watching the Super Bowl this evening, I was lucky enough to get to perform during the pregame! There were so many celebrities like Christina Aguilera, Lea Michele (from Glee), Hugh Jackman and of course Ryan Seacrest! If you were thinking I played my guitar for the Super Bowl, you would be wrong- I am definitely not that good haha. In addition to playing the guitar, I also play the Alto Saxophone for the TCU marching band, as well as the bassoon for their concert band. I definitely enjoy the music scene and what it has to offer- I mean it got me to the Super Bowl, right?? So the reason for me telling you this is I do not have a song for this week! Well, correction I have a song I just forgot to upload it before I left with the band this morning on to my computer and for some reason that takes like a million hours. Eventually I will be a pro at this whole technology thing and everything will happen the way it is supposed to. The good news is I will have the song from last week posted, because silly me saved it as an mp4, which is just the sound. At any rate, here is the song I wrote for last week and next week I definitely owe you guy’s two songs!

Artist of the week!
This week’s artist of the week goes to TCU’s very own Tim Halperin! If you have not been watching American Idol this season, you should be proud to hear that recent graduate/singer/songwriter Tim Halperin has advanced to Hollywood. Tim plays the piano and writes his own music. He is comparable to John Mayer and Jack’s Mannequin. So here’s to you Tim Halperin, you are this week’s artist of the week!



Tip of the week!
I get a lot of questions about the tuning of guitars. One of the biggest ones is, “If I don’t have a tuner with me, how do I keep the guitar in tune?”. Well that is actually pretty easy. The strings on the guitar, in order from top to bottom, or thickest to thinnest, are E A D G B E. The two E’s are the same note, just in different octaves. Of course it is easiest with a tuner, but it is also not that big a deal of you do not have one. If you are playing by yourself just tune the guitar to the lowest “E”. Later you might notice that the pitch is too high or too low, but honestly if you just make sure to tune down at least your guitar will be in tune with itself.

*Bonus tip: The way you tune your guitar to itself is through the fifth fret. The neck of the guitar is divided by bars, those bars are called frets.

I hope some of that stuff is helpful to you on your musical journey! Want me to write you a song? Want me to cover one of your favorites? Email me at zinsbrit@hotmail.com to send a request, or just leave a comment below!

Week three how sweet

Hello bloggers and non bloggers alike! It is week three of this fantastic blog and do I have a treat for you! This week I had a request to write a song about feeling alone and misunderstood. I don’t know about you but I have definitely been there before and it is no bueno. I will go ahead and post the lyrics as well in case you would like to follow along.

Lyrics:
I’ve had it up to here with you
There's nothing that points to me and you, so choose
Cause, darling I’ve been feelin’ all alone with you so
Help me, help me through
You tell me I’m not alone, oh please
Who are you trying to fool, not me
If this is happiness for me,
Then darling I think I’m gonna leave
Cause, darlin’ I’ve been feelin’ all alone with you so
Help me, help me through
I’ve been down this road before
I don’t need it and I don’t want it and
All I need is my autonomy and someone to understand
And get all my plans
Cause darlin’ I’ve been feelin’ all alone with you,
But I will, I will make it through
I will, I will make it through
Well that is the song for the week and I say congratulations for being picked miss Curly Sue! I hope this song helps you feel like someone out there gets it. I promise you are not the only one who has ever felt this way before. Remember that you are strong and you can get through any situation and whenever you feel the lowest know that it won’t be that way for ever. Do you know why? Because nothing is forever! Not happiness not sadness…nothing! So keep your chin up!

Oops my bad!
Ok so last week I was supposed to post the Tegan and Sara song, but I couldn’t work my own technology! So I got some help from a friend and here it is one week later…. “Call it off” by Tegan and Sara.

Artist of the Week!
Ok so this artist is not really in the lime light right now but he wrote my favorite song of all time. It is called “In the Sun” by Joseph Arthur. I love this song. I think the lyrics are beautiful and I could listen to it every day. If you enjoy acoustic songs you might enjoy this. I will post a link below so you can check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zGavNdWWKU

T-t-t-t-i-p of the week!
Are you having trouble reading music? Well here is a little something that might help you out. It is a little elementary, but it helps none-the-less. Whether you are in treble or bass clef these word tricks should help you out. The first one is called FACE. FACE corresponds to the notes in the spaces between the lines, starting from the bottom. The second is EGBDF which stands for “Every Good Boy Does Fine”. This acronym corresponds with the lines starting from the bottom. Here is a graphic below to help you understand what I am talking about more. I got this graphic from www.ocmusic.com .
  

Remember to please, please, please email me your song suggestions at zinsbrit@hotmail.com or leave a comment! I will either cover or write a song next week but I need suggestions to so that. Happy playing! 

Post Two: And We're rollin'

Sing it!

Alright so here we are at week two of “The Song”. This week I have chosen a song from the requests that have received and the winner is “Call it off” by Tegan and Sara. To me this song is about being in a relationship when one person decides to call it off before ever really getting a chance to see if the relationship would have worked out. The song also deals with possible regrets of breaking up to soon. I feel that no matter which side of the relationship you are on, the break up-er or the break up-ee, the bottom line is that relationships are hard, bro! I think this song does a great job in putting those emotions out there. So props to you Drea Bolt and here is your song of the week “Call it off” by Tegan and Sara. (Hopefully I do not butcher it too much, if it sounds bad it is one hundred percent the camera’s fault. Right? Can I get an Amen?? No? Whatever.) ;)

ARTIST OF THE WEEK!
Ok so this one seems like a no brainer to me! I’m thinkin’ artist of the week goes to our crazy pop princess, Britney Spears! She just recently dropped her newest single, “Hold it Against Me” and true to her form it is already on its way to the top of the charts. I can’t necessarily decide how awesome the song is, it is catchy don’t get me wrong, or if we love it just because it is Britney Spears. Either way I think only someone with Britney Spears’ status could use a pick up line as the hook to her song. I will be open to admitting that I am pro Britney so I am thoroughly enjoying her comeback, what can I say I’m a sucker for great comebacks! I know a lot of people think they are too cool to like someone like Britney Spears because she is too main stream or she is talentless, but seriously though if you look at all she has been through and she is still around, you have to give her some credit. So hat’s off to you this week Britney Spears! I have officially named her artist of the week!
Here is the link to her new single just in case you haven’t turned on a radio recently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJSm_QMO6zA&ob=av2nm

Musical Tip of the Week!
This is such a broad topic so I decided for next week why don’t you send me some questions to my email at zinsbrit@hotmail.com? Don’t worry though I still have a tip for you! I would never just leave you high and dry with nothing to ponder for a week!

A lot of people wonder how I can perform things without getting overly nervous. I know that nerves are a big thing when performing in front of people and I will be honest it never really goes away, but there are things that you can do to ease your stress. First off make sure you are prepared. I have played solos in concerts, played in groups, gotten up in front of people on a whim to play guitar and I can promise nothing ruins your performance faster than not being prepared. Whether you sing, play an instrument or anything else being prepared is key because if you aren’t then a horrible snow ball effect happens and you are on stage embarrassing yourself. If you are prepared, the next thing I like to do is close my eyes while I am singing, or playing a solo or whatever is happens to be. Doing this relaxes me for some reason. When my eyes are closed I am not think of everyone watching me, but instead my song. Maybe this will help you, maybe not. It is just a tip you don’t have to take it.

Well music seekers that is all I have for you this week. Don’t forget to send me your song requests at zinsbrit@hotmail.com or just leave a comment below!
Now get out there and sing it for the world! 

Post 1: Music and Me

First thing’s first, my name is Brittany Zins and I will be your own personal musical guru and entertainer for the next ten weeks. Over a course of ten weeks I plan on doing three things, writing and performing a song on my guitar over subjects chosen by you, giving you a heads up on artists I think you should know about and of course a helpful musical tidbit to help you out if you are in need.

Why are you qualified for this?

Good question friend! Well, I was a music major at TCU for a year and then decided to keep it as a current minor because I changed my major to strategic communications due to the fact I didn’t want to be a band director or spend five hours a day in a practice room (not that there is anything wrong with that it just isn’t for me). I am not the most musically talented person in the world, nor will I ever claim to be, but I would say I know a thing or two for sure. I can read music, I am grounded in music theory and history and I also play three instruments including the bassoon, guitar and saxophone.

Well now we know the boring stuff about you, so what’s this blog really supposed to be about?

I have a lot of people tell me they wish they could write songs or play the guitar, but really it is not as difficult as it seems. I pretty much taught myself how to play guitar and write songs, so really with a little practice anything is possible. I am no Jimi Hendrix by any means though, so don’t start putting me on a pedestal or anything… just incase you were. What I would like to have happen in this blog is for every week you all email me something you want me to write about, like a broken heart or maybe you are in love, maybe you want to see if I can write about politics or me to cover a song that you really like and I will try not to butcher it- no promises though =P I want to forewarn you- I am no singer so please no rude comments about how I suck. This blog is for a project as well as for fun so no need to be a jerk. After I write a song and post it I will tell you my process, I might even teach you a chord or two on guitar! ;)

What else?

Ok bargain shoppers! Well how about I throw in an artist of the week section? This section will be about a musical artist that I think you should know about or maybe they are just having a good week and deserve some props.

And?

Ok, ok, ok! And how about I give you a tip every week to help you along in your musical journey?

Deal? Deal!

Ok so let’s get started!

Send your song requests to my email address as listed below

zinsbrit@hotmail.com


HAPPY LISTENINGS!

This is me btw. Nice? Duh.