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.
“Is the Suzuki music methodology bad for learning piano?” Well, it really depends on what you want out of lessons. Like with many things, Suzuki music does some things well, and others poorly. Keep reading to learn the pros and cons of the Suzuki methodology when teaching children music. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
“What is the point of different alternate guitar tunings?” Alternate tunings change both how the instrument sounds and how it feels as you play it. They say that cloths make the man. Likewise, how the guitar gets tuned can make the guitarist. Read more to find out some of the advantages of alternate tunings. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
“How do I avoid tension in my wrists when playing piano arpeggios?” Piano teachers can yell “Relax!” at you until they turn blue in the face, and it won’t do any good. Tension leads to sore muscles, fatigue, and possibly injury. So, how do you reduce the tension in your wrists? There’s an easy trick that’ll help you learn how to relax on your own. Read more to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
“Can I learn to play piano with a mini key keyboard?” Electronic keyboards come in all sizes, including keyboards that have different sized keys. If your keyboard has keys that are smaller than an adult finger, it has mini keys. Will mini key keyboards be a good choice for practicing for your piano lessons? Read more to find out. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
“How do I make any progress and have fun in music lessons again?” Both consistent forward progress and having fun will be important aspects of your musical journey. Without them, you can lose interest and quit. Keep reading to find out how to reinvent the fun while making forward progress. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
“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.