Do you want to know how to play or teach instrumental music better? The archive contains posts about teaching instruments. In addition, it contains posts with teaching tips for playing and notating music. Plus, there are posts that deal with traditional music theory and also the theory of micro tuning instruments.
“How do musicians find enough time to practice their instruments?” It can be challenging. Adults live busy lives, and kids have tons of homework, sports, and afterschool activities. However, it’s not hopeless. You just have to learn how to best structure the time you have. Keep reading to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Have you ever tuned your guitar, using the frets or an electronic tuner, only to find that it still sounds off when you start strumming? Many guitarists have noticed this problem. However, you can learn how to make your guitar sound better! Read more to find out, “Why does my guitar sound off tune?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
“What do you think of the Chord Buddy for special needs guitarists?” I first heard about using the Chord Buddy with special needs students from Sarah Fard at the 2019 Able Assembly. However, I’ve found it works better for some students than for others. Read more to find out who benefits. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Have you ever wondered what’s the difference between practicing and playing? Practicing will be a important part of your growth as a musician. According to the “New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians,” studies have found that the best pianists and violinists needed 10,000 hours of practice to master their instruments. Not that you need 10,000 hours to start playing decently, but the master musicians do show us the importance of practicing. So, do practicing and playing get the same results? Read more to learn, “What’s the difference between practice and play on an instrument?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do you need to figure out the key for a song? Whether you have sheet music or figure out a song by ear, it’ll be useful to know the key of a song. This will help when adding harmonies, improvising, memorizing, or for just generally understanding the music. Plus, you can find out if the music changes keys during the song. Keep reading to answer the question, “How do I find the key of a song with accidentals?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
What’s the best lesson you’ve had with your music teacher? The answer to this can take many forms. However, one of the most powerful and important experiences you can have in a music lesson revolves around a concept called ignition. What is ignition and how does it work? Keep reading to find out. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
How many of you want to know how to tune with guitar harmonics? Tuning using the 5th and 7th fret harmonics is the most common way to fine-tune standard tuning on the guitar. It yields better sounding chords than tuning using frets. However, it doesn’t restrict what you can use for open chord forms. Read more to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
“How long do you take to memorize a piece of piano music?” It’ll vary from person to person how long it’ll take. I’ve known musicians who can memorize a piece of music after just one listening. For most of my students, it takes a half-dozen to a dozen listenings to just start learning a piece, much less memorize it. This means that for most musicians, memorizing a piece of music will be a process. Keep reading to get tips to help you memorize your music better and more quickly. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
“Once sheet music is all digital, why not always colour-code notes?” Since most sheet music can now come in digital format, will there be any good reason not to color code the notes all the time? I’ve long advocated using color coding for helping special needs students to learn music from sheet music. However, the opening suggestion (by a person on social media) goes one step further. It proposes making a permanent change to how people read sheet music. Click to find out the arguments for and against adopting universal color coded music notation. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
“I’m having a hard time keeping a steady beat.” One of the best things you can do is get a teacher who can help you learn how to keep a steady beat. Also, I have specific strategies that you can use with or without a teacher. Keep reading to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.