Orange eSports YamateH leave Orange and joining Team Zenith

Just moments before,  Orange eSports announced on their Facebook page that Wei Pong 'Yamateh' Ng will be taking his leave from the team and will instead be joining  Team Zenith as indicated from their player lineup for GosuCup Asia IV.

Zenith's  Daryl 'iceiceicei' Koh decline to comment about the player transfer buf if today's GosuCup IV matches are any indication, the move is more or less confirmed. While it was reported a few days back that  Yee Fung 'Mushi' Chai will be joining Zenith, he has neither been playing on Orange nor Zenith for the entirety of the day.

 Joel 'XtiNcT' Chan of Orange eSports also declined to comment on their new roster but made it known that they will be announcing their new roster as soon as possible.  Yean 'WangWang_' Seong from Orange eSports' HoN team have been seen playing with XtiNcT along with what looks to be three smurf accounts for GosuCup Asia IV

Source from:

http://www.joindota.com/en/news/6279-yamateh-leaves-orange

Against all odds, Yamateh joins Team Zenith. After weeks of rumors about Mushi leaving Orange e-Sports, it is Yamateh who leaves the team.

For weeks there have been rumors about Yee Fung 'Mushi' Chai and Wei Poong 'Yamateh' Ng not getting along, therefore Mushi leaving the team. Everything piled up when Mushi didn't play with the team and his name eventually turned up on Zenith's blog. The rumor was however debunked when Orange stated that Mushi is still part of Orange e-Sports.

Now the Malaysian squad announces the departure of Yamateh. He was one of the key players in the line-up and will join the Singaporean Team Zenith, that is currently down to three, now four, people.

Yamateh joined Orange Esports in December 2011 together with his long time teammate, Chee Cai 'Ice' Chua. After competing in several tournaments throughout 2012, Yamateh and Orange managed to place first in Dota 2 Malaysian Invitational, WCG Asian Championships, Gosucup Asia I, and also seventh placing in The International 2012.

With Yamateh's departure, Orange is now back to a five man roster assuming that benched player, Litt-Binn 'Winter' Chan, will be competing with the team again.

Zenith has been struggling to find a stable roster since the departure of Benedict 'hyhy' Lim and Jonathan 'Loda' Berg post-TI. The three remaining core players of Zenith were and are still looking for a fifth member to fill the gap after the addition of the Malaysian superstar.

Zenith and Orange are both currently competing in Gosucup Asia IV.

Current Roster for both team updated 20 Jan 2013

Source from :

http://gosugamers.net/dota2/news/22624-yamateh-to-join-zenith

Music Lesson - Common Chord Progressions

Writing chord progressions can be one of the trickier things about writing a music composition. It would seem that creating a harmonious chord progression is just a matter of applying a few hard-and-fast rules. It isn’t quite as simple as that—there are a lot of choices available, and the rules aren’t always hard and fast. In this guide, we’ll look at the more common chord progressions found in both popular songs and other types of compositions and the rules for using them.

Note: All examples are given in the key of C.

PROGRESSION: I-IV

Example:C-F

Comments: It doesn’t get much simpler than this, just the tonic (I) and subdominant (IV) cycled over and over.

PROGRESSION: I-V

Example: C-G

Comments: If you can cycle between the tonic and the subdominant, why not the tonic and the dominant (V)? Like the first progression, the simplicity of this one makes it somewhat common in folk music and some forms of popular music.

PROGRESSION: I-IV-V

Example: C-F-G

Comments: This is probably the most common chord progression in popular music. When people talk about “three-chord rock and roll,” these are the three chords they’re talking about.

PROGRESSION: I-IV-V7

Example: C-F-G7

Comments: Similar to the previous progression, with increased tension from the dominant seventh chord.

PROGRESSION: I-IV-I-V

Example: C-F-C-G

Comments: A variation on the I-IV-V progression, but with an extra tonic (I) chord between the subdominant (IV) and dominant (V).

PROGRESSION: I-IV-I-V7

Example: C-F-C-G7

Comments: Same as the previous progression, but with increased tension from the dominant seventh chord.

PROGRESSION: I-IV-V-IV

Example: C-F-G-F

Comments: A variation on the I-IV-V progression, in the form of a shift back to the subdominant (IV), which then forms a plagal cadence when it repeats back to the tonic. It’s a nice rolling progression without a strong ending feeling to it, which makes it a good choice for pieces that repeat the main melody line again and again.

PROGRESSION: I-V-vi-IV

Example: C-G-Am-F

Comments: This progression is another rolling one, good for repeating again and again. (That’s because of the ending plagal cadence—the IV repeating back to I.)

PROGRESSION: I-ii-IV-V

Example: C-Dm-F-G

Comments: This progression has a constant upward movement, resolved with a perfect cadence on the repeat back to I. It can also be played with a V7 instead of the standard V chord.

PROGRESSION: I-ii-IV

Example: C-Dm-F

Comments: This is a variation of the previous progression, with a soft plagal cadence at the end (the IV going directly to the I, with no V involved). As with all progressions that end with a plagal cadence, this progression has a rolling feel and sounds as if it could go on and on and on, like a giant circle.

PROGRESSION: I-vi-ii-V

Example: C-Am-Dm G

Comments: This was a very popular progression in the popular music of the 1950s, the basis of numerous doo-wop and jazz songs. It’s also the chord progression behind the Gershwin song “I’ve Got Rhythm” and sometimes is referred to (especially in jazz circles) as the “I’ve Got Rhythm” progression.

PROGRESSION: I-vi-IV-V

Example: C-Am-F-G

Comments: This is a variation on the “I’ve Got Rhythm” progression, with a stronger lead to the V chord (IV instead of ii). This progression was also popular in the doo-wop era and in the early days of rock and roll. The defining factor of this progression is the descending bass line; it drops in thirds until it moves up a step for the dominant chord, like this: C-A-F-G. You’ve heard this progression (and that descending bass line) hundreds of times; it’s a very serviceable progression. (You can also play it with a V7 at the end instead of a plain V chord.)

PROGRESSION: I-vi-ii-IV-V7

Example: C-Am-Dm-F-G7

Comments: This variation on the “I’ve Got Rhythm” progression has more of a rolling feel because of the vi-ii-IV sequence in the middle.

PROGRESSION: I-vi-ii-V7-ii

Example: C-Am-Dm-G7-Dm

Comments: This is another variation on the “I’ve Got Rhythm” progression, with an extra ii chord squeezed in between the final V and the return to I, and with the V chord played as a dominant seventh. By adding the ii chord between the V7 and the I (at the start of the following progression), almost in passing, it takes the edge off the perfect cadence and makes the progression feel a little smoother.

PROGRESSION: IV-I-IV-V

Example: F-C-F-G

Comments: As this progression shows, you don’t have to start your chord progression on the tonic. This progression has a bit of a rolling nature to it, but also a bit of an unresolved nature. You can keep repeating this progression (leading from the V back to the IV) or end the song by leading the progression home to a I chord.

PROGRESSION: ii7-V7-I

Example: Dm7-G7-C

Comments: This progression is quite popular in jazz, played either with or without the sevenths. Sometimes jazz tunes cycle through this progression in a variety of keys, often using the circle of fifths to modulate through the keys. This progression is also frequently played at the end of a phrase in many jazz tunes.

PROGRESSION: I-IV-I-V7-IV-I

Example: C-F-C-G7-F-C

Comments: This 12-bar progression is called the blues progression. The blues progression isn’t relegated solely to blues music, however; you’ll find this form used in many jazz and popular tunes as well.

PROGRESSION: I-IV-vii°-iii- vi-ii-V-I

Example: C-F-Bdim-Em-Am-Dm-G-C

Comments: This is called the “circle of fifths” progression, because each chord is a diatonic fifth above the following chord. This makes each chord function kind of as a dominant for the next chord, but in a diatonic function. The progression circles back around on itself, always coming back to the tonic chord.

Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to these common chord progressions. You can even take several of these common chord progressions and link them to create longer and more complex progressions. You shouldn’t feel constrained by length or by what sounds familiar. As the composer, you are in total control of the harmonic structure of your composition; think of chords as building blocks to create the sound you hear in your head. Happy composing!

Source from:

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/musicperformingarts/common_chord_progressions.html

Music Lesson - Composition 101: How to Modulate to a New Key

When you modulate from one key to another, your composition changes color. Even if all you do is repeat the same melodies and chords in the new key, those melodies and chords sound different in comparison to their original presentation. Not only that, a melody being played a half-step (or a whole step or a third, a fourth, or a fifth) higher triggers an emotional response from the listener. Key changes are a great tool, and very easy to do. Here’s how.

Changing Keys, In Short

Changing keys is easy. Physically, all you have to do is insert a new key signature in that measure where you want the key to change. If the key change takes place at the start of a new staff, the old key signature should be cancelled out at the end of the previous staff. For example, if you move from the key of F (with one flat) to the key of G (with one sharp), you use a natural sign to cancel out the flat of the old key and a sharp to introduce the new key.

Changing key signatures—cancel out the old and introduce the new.

Harmonically, changing key signatures is a little more involved. Ideally, you want to modulate to a key that is somehow related to the previous key. You should familiarize yourself with several common types of modulation.

Modulating Up a Half-Step

This is a very simple modulation, moving your entire composition just a tad higher. This type of modulation is common in popular music and is effected simply by moving up a half-step to the new I chord—no connecting cadences necessary.

A half-step modulation—very uplifting.

Modulating Up a Whole Step

This is similar to the half-step modulation, but a little more dramatic. Again, there is no connecting cadence before the modulation; just step up to the new I chord.

A whole-step modulation—more of the same.

Modulating Down a Fifth (Up a Fourth)

Technically, this modulation is down a perfect fifth, although the melody is often transposed higher (up a fourth) rather than lower (down a fifth). This type of modulation sounds very natural because the old key functions as the dominant of the new key. For example, if you change from F to B♭, F is the dominant of B♭.

You typically make this modulation via a slight connecting cadence; all you have to do is turn the tonic chord (I) of the original key into a dominant seventh chord. This dominant seventh then cadences naturally to the tonic of the new key. For example, if you’re modulating from C to F, turn the C chord into a C7 chord, and then lead from that into the F major chord—the I of the new key.

Modulating down a perfect fifth.

Modulating via Shared Chords

Another way to determine which key to move to is to move to a key that shares one or more chords in common with the original key. That shared chord can then serve as the pivot point for the modulation.

Let’s look at an example, starting in the key of C major. The D minor (ii) chord also exists in several other keys, including the key of F major, where it serves as the vi chord. You can modulate from C to F by holding the D minor chord and then using it as the vi chord in the new key. From your chord-leading rules, you know that the vi chord easily leads to the IV chord, which, in the key of F, is a B♭ major chord. So you hold the D minor chord and then move to a B♭ major chord (and then to the next appropriate chord in the new key). Because B♭ major is definitely not a chord in the original key of C, the listener is immediately made aware of the modulation.

Modulating via a shared pivot chord.

Modulating Abruptly

There’s no rule that says you have to follow these modulation guidelines; it’s perfectly acceptable to change from any one key to any other key, with no warning or connecting cadence necessary. For example, you can modulate from the key of C to the key of A simply by moving from one tonic chord to the other. This is called an abrupt or direct modulation and has a very unsettling affect. It definitely calls a good deal of attention to itself.

An abrupt modulation.

Now that you know how to do modulate to a new key, you can insert a key change into your composition and take it to new heights! Happy composing!

Source from:

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/musicperformingarts/composition_101_how_to_modulate_to_a_new_key.html

Music Lesson - Changing the Key of a Composition for Transposing Instruments

One of the most challenging things about composing, whether for an orchestra or a chamber group, is the concept of transposition for instruments who don’t play in the concert key (clarinet, saxophone, etc.) Knowing how to write for the instruments is key for any type of composition. In this guide, we will look at the different kinds of so-called transposed instruments and learn how to transpose for them.

What Are Transposed Instruments?

As you may know, many instruments, such as clarinet and saxophone, read one note and play another, compared to what we call concert pitch (the actual notes as played on a piano). For example, when a trumpet reads a C on paper, the note that sounds is a B♭, a full step (major second) below the written note. These so-called transposing instruments need to have their music transposed to a different key to play in the same concert key as all the other instruments.

For instance, because the trumpet always sounds a major second lower than written, you need to write the trumpet part a major second higher than the pitch you actually want to hear. So if you want the trumpet to play a concert C, you have to write a D; the trumpet reads D, plays C, and everything is right with the world.

The Instrument Groups

Most transposing instruments fall into three groups and are named according to how they relate to C:

• B♭ instruments, such as the trumpet, sound a major second below concert pitch. So if they read a C, they sound a B♭.
• E♭ instruments, such as the alto sax, sound a major sixth below (or a minor third above) concert pitch. So if they read a C, they sound an E♭.
• F instruments, such as the French horn, sound a perfect fifth below concert pitch. So if they read a C, they sound an F.

The following table details which instruments fall into which group:

Transposition Range	Sounds	Instruments
B♭ instruments	Major second lower	Bass clarinet (actually a major ninth lower), Bass saxophone, Clarinet (B♭), Cornet, Flugelhorn, Soprano saxophone, Tenor saxophone (actually a minor ninth lower), Trumpet
E♭ instruments	Major sixth lower	Alto clarinet, Alto saxophone, Baritone saxophone (actually a major thirteenth lower), E♭ clarinet (actually a minor third higher)
F instrument	Perfect fifth lower	English horn, French horn

With a few exceptions, instruments not listed here are nontransposing—that is, what they play sounds exactly as written, in concert pitch. The best example of a nontransposing instrument is the piano; you read middle C, you play middle C, the piano sounds middle C—no transposing necessary.

How to Write for Transposed Instruments

When you write a part for a transposing instrument, you do all the transposing up front by changing the key of the piece for that instrument’s part. That is, you don’t necessarily transpose each and every note individually; the transposition is done by shifting the key signature for the transposing instrument. For example, if a composition is in the concert key of C major, you would write the trumpet part in D major.

A passage in the concert key of C major, transposed to D major for the trumpet part.

Music Notation Programs

Fortunately, today’s music-notation programs automatically perform this transposition for you, saving you the trouble of transposing all the instruments manually. With a program like Finale or Sibelius, you can write the entire piece in concert pitch and then have the program output individual parts in the instruments’ transposed pitch.

Notation programs aside, transposition is still a valuable skill to have. You never know when you’ll need to make changes to individual parts on the fly, requiring real-time transposition. If you can transpose, you’ll also be able to communicate better with individual musicians; when the trumpet player asks you if a given note on his part is supposed to be a D, you’ll know he’s talking about concert C and can respond accordingly.

Now that you know how to change keys for transposing instruments, writing your musical composition will be much easier! Happy composing!

Source from:

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/musicperformingarts/changing_the_key_of_a_composition_for_transposing_instruments.html

Guitar Lesson - How to Do Slides and Bends on a Guitar

Slides

In short, a slide is when you go from one note to another by keeping contact with the string the whole time. After picking the string to sound the initial note, you then let your finger glide over the frets to a second, targeted note somewhere along the same string.

Successful slides are a matter of touch. When you first pick the string, fret the note as you normally do. As soon as you start your slide, ease up slightly on your fretting finger so it will glide smoothly over the frets to the next note. Too much pressure, and your finger won’t slide; too little, and you won’t create the sound of the slide.

The note you’re sliding to is actually more important than the note you started on! Think of it as trying to land your finger directly on a target. Once you reach your desired note, reapply pressure with your fingertip; otherwise, that note won’t sound.

What They Look Like

Slides are indicated by diagonal lines connecting notes in notation (or numbers in tablature), like this:

Slides and bends are probably the most deceptive of slurs on a guitar. They sound impressive and look easy enough to do, but they can initially drive you to distraction. The trick is learning how to do them right. Here’s how.

In the first measure of this example, you have a finger (try the ring finger) on the A note located at the second fret of the G string. After you pick that note, slide the ring finger up two frets so that it sits at the fourth fret of the G string.

Slides can go either up or down the neck. The second measure of the previous example has a downward slide, moving from the body of the guitar toward the headstock. Slides can also be done on more than one string at a time, as shown in the third measure.

Undefined Slides

“Undefined” slides are slides where the starting or ending point isn’t given in the music or tablature. In the fifth measure, you’ll see first an upward slide, starting from an unspecified note moving up to the tenth fret of the B string. Most guitarists tend to start an undefined slide from either two or three frets away from the target note, but usually where one starts the slide depends on what happened immediately before it, musically.

To play slides starting on specific notes and ending on an undefined one, as shown in the sixth measure, simply ease off on the pressure of the fretting finger as you slide and let the sound trail away.

Bends

Normally when you fret a note, you push it straight down on the fingerboard. When you push or pull a string up or down, you are bending the string. This causes the fretted note to go sharp. Depending on how much you bend the string, you can change the note up to a step and a half higher than the original.

Bending strings doesn’t require strong fingers as much as it does good ears. You need to be able to hear the note you want to achieve on the bend in order to successfully perform this slur. And when first learning how to bend, it’s best to have all your fingers involved.

Start with the “half-bend” or “half-step bend” in the first measure. Before you even attempt it, play the G note at the eighth fret of the B string. Then play G♯ at the ninth fret. Try to set both notes (especially the G♯) front and center in your brain. The G♯ is your target, the note you want to achieve on the bend.

Now place your ring finger on the eighth fret of the B string, just as you would to play the note normally. Then place your middle and index fingers on the seventh and sixth frets, respectively, of the same string. Your ring finger is going to bend the note, and the other fingers are helping provide support.

Your wrist actually provides the “muscle” when it comes to bending. You want to use a motion like turning the key in the ignition of a car. As you make that motion, your fingers will push the B string along the fingerboard toward the center of the neck, raising the pitch of the note from G upward. When you hear yourself hit the G♯ note, you’ve achieved your target and can stay put for the rhythmic duration of the target note.

Full Bend

In the second measure of the previous example, you perform a “full bend,” meaning that the note achieved by the bend will be one full step higher than the starting note. Do yourself a favor and play the A note at the tenth fret of the B string, and fix your ears on your new target. Then repeat the steps you just took to get that note.

In some styles of music, especially in blues, Celtic, and rock, you will run into “quarter bends,” shown in the third measure of the previous example. Here your target note technically doesn’t have a name. It’s kind of halfway between G and G♯. All you need to do is give the string a little nudge to knock the note slightly sharp.

Quarter bends are used to give the guitar a bit of a personal quality, allowing it to be slightly out of tune for a brief moment before righting itself, much like a singer or an unfretted instrument such as a violin. The effect is both haunting and arresting when done well.

Practice, Practice

Even though they may seem easy, you want to put in a lot of time practicing slurs, paying particular attention to adding them to your strums. You can practice slides almost anywhere and anytime, but you have to do three things:

1. Work on the mechanics of the slide, making sure you’re sliding smoothly and evenly over the string and not getting snagged in the frets because of too much pressure by the finger.

     2. Work on the accuracy of your slide to ensure that you land on the right note.

     3. Work on getting the notes on either end of the slide to sound clean and true.

Bending involves developing both your ear, to hear that you’ve achieved the correct note in your bend, and your mechanical technique, to perfect hitting the note on time. When you pick the note you’re going to bend, see if you can sing the target note if it’s a half-step or whole step higher. Try matching the note you’re singing to the note at the next fret (if you’re targeting a half-step bend) or two frets away (for a whole-step bend) and see how on or off you are. Try to start hearing the note you want in your head before you even make the bend.

Slides and bends require some practice and finesse. But with repetition and confidence, you’ll soon find that your fingers will develop the strength and coordination to play them like a pro. Happy strumming!

Source from:

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/musicperformingarts/how_to_do_slides_and_bends_on_a_guitar.html

How to Tune Your Guitar

You can change the note of any given string by how you tune it.

The Basics

The principles of tuning a guitar is easy—turn the tuning button tightens the string which raises the pitch of the string. Turning it in the other direction loosens the string, which lowers the pitch.

As a beginner, you want to have your guitar in standard tuning. That means that the notes you want to tune to, from the lowest (the sixth or thickest) string to the highest (the first or thinnest) one, are E, A, D, G, B, and E. Notice that the first and sixth strings share note names. When you strike them together (after they are properly tuned!) they sound somewhat similar, although the first string sounds higher than the sixth.

Notes of your guitar strings in standard tuning.

Using a Guitar Tuner

If you have a guitar tuner, getting in tune is very easy. When you play each string, the tuner will indicate whether its pitch is sharp (higher) or flat (lower) using a virtual meter (where you normally want the pitch indicator—the meter’s needle—to line up in the middle of the range on the screen) or by colored lights or a beep to show when your string is in tune.

A typical chromatic guitar tuner.

Place the tuner close to the guitar (on your knee works nicely), turn it on, and then strike the sixth, or low-E, string (the thick string closest to you) with either a pick or your thumb. Be sure to strike just the one target string.

Many tuners are chromatic tuners, meaning that when you strike a string, the display screen shows you the name of the note you’re playing and then you adjust accordingly. So if you’re trying to tune the sixth string to E and the screen says you’re on D♯ or E♭, then you are flat, or too low, and you should turn the tuning peg so that you’re tightening the string and raising the note. If your tuner reads “F,” “F♯,” or even “G,” then your string is sharp, or too high, and you want to loosen the string.

Turning the tuning pegs.

Tip: It’s best to tune your strings up to the proper note. If you tune down to get a note, the natural tendency of the string is to continue to loosen—not a lot, but enough to put you out of tune eventually. So if you find that a string is higher than it should be, loosen the string to below the note and then tighten it to the proper note. This helps the string stay in tune.

Relative Tuning

If you know that one of your strings is in tune, you can tune the others by means of relative tuning. You can find each note of your guitar in multiple places on the neck, except for some of the highest notes on your first (thinnest) string and those played on the first four frets of the lowest (thickest) one.

Check out this chart of all 12 notes:

C             C♯/         D             D♯/        E              F              F♯/         G             G♯/        A             A♯/      

               D♭                         E♭                                        G♭                       A♭                        B♭
                    

Each of these notes is a musical half-step away from its neighbor, and each fret of your guitar is a half-step. So when you place a finger on the first fret of your low-E (sixth or thickest) string, you change the note from E to F. The note at the second fret is F♯ (or G♭, if you prefer), and so on. Here is a fretboard map to show you all the notes along the neck of your guitar, from the open strings to the fifth fret.

Notes up to the fifth fret.

This means that the note at the fifth fret of your low-E string is A, which is the note of your open fifth string—the A string.

Once you’ve gotten your sixth string in tune, match the tone of the A note at the fifth fret to that of the open string and adjust it accordingly. Likewise, the note at the fifth fret of the A string is D, and the note at the fifth fret of the D string is G.

B, however, is just four half-steps higher than G, so you match the open B string to the note at the fourth fret of the G string. Finally, match the open high-E (first) string to the note at the fifth fret of the B string to finish getting your guitar in tune.

Source from

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/musicperformingarts/how_to_tune_your_guitar.html

Drum lesson - How to Play an Open Roll

One of the key tools in a drummer’s toolbox is the roll. A roll is the way to get a long note out of an instrument that can play only short notes, and you produce a roll by playing lots of short notes really fast, all in a row. Here’s how you do it.

Open Roll Basics

Open rolls are typically used in rudimental drumming, although you’ll often use variations of open rolls when you play fills around the drumset. Think of an open roll as starting with a group of sixteenth notes. When you play each hand twice in the same space (instead of RLRL, you play RRLLRRLL), you’re playing double-stroke thirty-second notes—which is all an open roll really is.

One way to think of a roll is to think of the individual sixteenth notes, but play two strokes (on the same hand) for each sixteenth note. For example, where you’d play two sixteenths and an eighth (RLR), you’d double up on the sixteenths to play four thirty-seconds and an eighth (RRLLR), like this:

Turn sixteenth notes into a roll by playing each sixteenth note “two for one” with the same hand.

Although some instructors will say you should bounce your double strokes (called a “bounce roll”), this is not really an open roll. A true open roll is created by playing each stroke separately, in a controlled fashion. So when you play RRLL, you actually play two rights, followed by two lefts. This will produce a very clean, very distinct, very controlled sound.

To be fair, the faster you play an open roll, the more tempting it is to bounce your sticks to keep up. At very fast tempos, this is acceptable—and perhaps the only way to play the roll. However, you should always practice your rolls from slow to fast, and at the slower tempos, take care to play each note without bouncing.

Open rolls are designated by the number of strokes in the rolls. The name is always an odd number because the final single stroke at the end of the roll is counted as part of the roll. Thus, a roll with four thirty-second notes and a final tap is called a five-stroke roll. The figure that follows shows the different open rolls—how they’re commonly written and how they’re actually played.

Open-stroke rolls

The Five-Stroke Roll

The five-stroke roll is one of the most common open rolls. A five-stroke roll fits in the space of a single eighth note and can start on the downbeat, on the upbeat, or (for a syncopated effect) on either the “e” or “ah” between the beat. Sticking is either RRLLR or LLRRL, and the final tap is often accented.

The Seven-Stroke Roll

The seven-stroke roll is a sixteenth note longer than the five-stroke roll. It typically starts on the “e” after the beat, although this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. More often than not, sticking is LLRRLLR, although you’ll sometimes see the alternate RRLLRRL sticking.

The Nine-Stroke Roll

The nine-stroke roll takes up an entire beat. It usually starts on one beat and ends on the next, although it can also be syncopated to start on the “and” after the beat and carry through to the next “and.” Either RRLLRRLLR or LLRRLLRRL is acceptable.

The Eleven-Stroke Roll

The 11-stroke roll is a sixteenth note longer than the nine-stroke roll and typically starts on the “ah” after the beat, carrying through to the second downbeat. Sticking is normally LLRRLLRRLLR, although the reverse sticking is also acceptable.

The Thirteen-Stroke Roll

In terms of length, you can think of a 13-stroke roll as kind of like a five-plus-nine. It almost always starts on the downbeat or the “and,” carrying forward for one and a half beats. Sticking can be either RRLLRRLLRRLLR or LLRRLLRRLLRRL.

The Fifteen-Stroke Roll

If the 13-stroke roll is like a five-plus-nine, then the 15-stroke roll is like a seven-plus-nine. You’ll typically start this puppy on the “e” after the beat and carry forward to the second downbeat. More often than not, sticking is LLRRLLRRLLRRLLR, although the reverse sticking is acceptable.

The Seventeen-Stroke Roll

This is a two-beat roll, notated by a half note connected to a final note. It’s typically started and ended on a downbeat, with either RRLLRRLLRRLLRRLLR or LLRRLLRRLLRRLLRRL sticking.

It takes time and practice, but once you get the open roll down, your playing will really start to take off!

Source from

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/musicperformingarts/drums_101_how_to_play_an_open_roll.html

How to Hold the Drum Sticks

It’s time to pick up your drum sticks and start playing. Sound simple? It is—if you do it right. If you don’t learn the right way to hold your sticks, you can end up expending a lot of excess energy and possibly damaging your hands or wrists. Here’s the right way to hold them.

The Matched Grip

Matched grip is the most commonly used grip today, especially among rock drummers. Since both your hands use an identical grip, it’s easier to learn; this grip also makes it easier to reach over and play the right side of your drumset with your left hand.

Another advantage to matched grip is that it’s pretty much how you’d grab the sticks instinctively. Reach out with your hand and grab the stick about a third of the way from the butt end. Grab it with your thumb and the first joint of your index finger, then close your other fingers loosely around the stick. Now turn your wrist so that the back of your hand is facing upward and the stick is angled inward at about a 45-degree angle.

Repeat this procedure with your other hand, and you’ve mastered the matched grip!

This is how you hold stick

Positioning you hands with matched grip

The Traditional Grip

With traditional grip, your right hand grips the stick in a matched grip, while your left hand uses a different grip. Some drummers claim more sensitivity, especially on their snare drum, when using traditional grip. For this reason, you’ll find more jazz drummers than rock drummers using this grip—although even the most traditional jazz drummers throughout history have been known to use matched grip on occasion.

In reality, traditional grip is no better or worse than matched grip. It’s all a matter of what kind of music you’re playing at any moment; many drummers use both grips—sometimes mixing it up within the same song!

To use traditional grip, remember that it’s only your left hand that’s different; use the grip described previously for your right hand. Turn your left hand so that your palm is facing up, and then slip the stick between your second and third fingers, and on through the pocket between your thumb and first finger. There should be about a third of the stick sticking out from the left side of your hand. The stick should rest on your third finger, held in place by your second finger.

Holding the left stick in a traditional grip

When you play traditional grip, your sticks should form a 90-degree angle on your drumhead. As you can see, your right hand is positioned palm down, while your left hand is palm up.

Positioning your hands with traditional grip.

Now that you know how to hold your drum sticks, it’s time to learn how to use them!

 Source from 

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/musicperformingarts/drums_101_how_to_hold_the_sticks.html

Rude Hand Gestures of the World

Rude Hand Gestures of the World by Romana Lefevre is a photographic guide to the many ways of using hand gestures to offend people in different parts of the world. The book’s photography is by Daniel Castro, and published by Chronicle Books of San Francisco.

A hand gesture is arguably the most effective form of expression, whether you’re defaming a friend’s mother or telling a perfect stranger to get lost. Learn how to go beyond just flipping the bird with this illustrated guide to rude hand gestures all around the world, from asking for sex in the Middle East to calling someone crazy in Italy. Detailed photographs of hand models and subtle tips for proper usage make Rude Hand Gestures of the World the perfect companion for globe-trotters looking to offend.

Chin Flick

Meaning: Get lost

Used in: Belgium, France, Northern Italy, Tunisia

In France, this gesture is known as la barbe, or “the beard", the idea being that the gesturer is flashing his masculinity in much the same way that a buck will brandish his horns or a cock his comb. Simply brush the hand under the chin in a forward flicking motion. While not as aggressive as flashing one’s actual genitalia, this gesture is legal and remains effective as a mildly insulting brush-off.

Note: In Italy, this gesture simply means “No.”

Idiota

Meaning: Are you an idiot?

Used in: Brazil

A South American gesture indicating stupidity, this requires improv skills and an actorly flair. To perform, put your fist to your forehead while making a comical overbite. The gesture is most effective when accented with multiple grunts. When executed correctly, you will be rewarded with appreciative laughs, though not, perhaps, from your subject.

Moutza

Meaning: To hell with you!/I rub **** in your face!/I'm going to violate your sister!

Used in: Greece, Africa, Pakistan

The Moutza is among the most complex of hand gestures, as elaborate and ancient as a Japanese tea ceremony. Perhaps the oldest offensive hand signal still in use, the Moutza originated in ancient Byzantium, where it was the custom for criminals to be chained to a donkey and displayed on the street. There, local townsfolk might add to their humiliation by rubbing dirt, feces, and ashes ("moutzos" in medieval Greek) into their faces.

Now that the advent of modern sewage systems and anti- smoking laws means that these materials are no longer readily available, the Moutza is a symbolic stand-in. In Greece, it is often accompanied by commands including par’ta (“take these”) or órse (“there you go”). Over the years, the versatile Moutza has acquired more connotations, including a sexual one, in which the five extended fingers suggest the five sexual acts the gesturer would like to perform with the subject’s willing sister.

Five fathers

Meaning: You have five fathers, i.e., your mother is a whore

Used in: Arab countries, Caribbean

If you are looking to get yourself deported from Saudi Arabia – possibly amid a riot – you can do no better than the Five Fathers gesture. The most inflammatory hand gesture in the Arab world, this sign accuses the subject’s mother of having so many suitors that paternity is impossible to determine. To execute, point your left index finger at your right hand, while pursing all fingers of the right hand together. The insult is extreme and almost certain to provoke violence.

Pepper mill

Meaning: crazy

Used in: Southern Italy

In southern Italy, craziness is indicated by this gesture, in which one mimics the grinding of a pepper mill. The implication is that the subject’s addled brain is whirring as fast as the mill's blades.

Corna

Meaning: Your wife is unfaithful

Used in: The Baltics, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Portugal, Spain

Informing a friend that his wife has been unfaithful is an unhappy and delicate task. Fortunately, in many countries, it is simple to do: one simply gives him the Corna. A very old sign, the Corna dates back at least 2,500 years and represents a bull’s horns (bulls were commonly castrated to make them calmer).

Be warned that while the gesture is used throughout the world, its meaning varies greatly from country to country.Should you be on the receiving end of the gesture, before you cast out your wife, remember that your pal may simply be saying she is a fan of American college football or heavy metal bands.

Note: In Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Lebanon, one makes a similar gesture with an identical meaning by fanning out the fingers and placing the hands by the ears to mimic a stag.

Write-off

Meaning: I am ignoring you

Used in: Greece

The literal translation of st’arxidia mou, the phrase that accompanies this gesture, is “I write it on my testicles.” And while there may well be people who, out of a strange psychological compulsion or simply boredom, actually write on their testicles, here the threat is simply metaphorical and tells the subject you’re ignoring him. One needn’t possess testicles to use the gesture, which is employed by men and women alike.

Cutis

Meaning: Screw you and your whole family

Used in: India, Pakistan

Should you find yourself in India or Pakistan, wishing to insult not just your host but your host’s entire family, look no further than the Cutis gesture. Its origins are unknown, but its effect is swift and severe. Simply make a fist then flick the thumb off the front teeth while exclaiming "cutta!" (“Screw you!”). In short order, you will find himself ejected from the premises, your mission to offend thoroughly accomplished.

Tacaño

Meaning: You're stingy

Used in: Mexico, South America

Just as the heart is associated with love, so, in many Latin American countries, is the elbow with stinginess. In Mexico the two are so closely linked that a miser is described as "muy codo" (very elbow), the idea being that he rarely straightens it to pay the check. If your compadre makes a habit of failing to pick up the check, you may wish to correct his behaviour with this sharp gesture. For extra emphasis, bang your elbow on the table.

Note: In Austria and Germany the same gesture means “You’re an idiot,” suggesting that the elbow is where the subject keeps his brain.

Fishy smell

Meaning: I find you untrustworthy

Used in: Southern Italy

In business, it is important to let your associates know you can’t be taken advantage of. This gesture informs them you are on to their attempts to deceive. To perform, move your nose side to side with the index and middle finger. The movement suggests that something stinks, and you are trying to rid yourself of the odor.

Source from http://www.amusingplanet.com/2011/10/rude-hand-gestures-of-world.html