Archive for January, 2010

Anyone that’s learning to play the piano knows that you only become proficient at a new skill with plenty of practice. A roll up piano is something that you might find useful in helping you master the art of playing the piano. Many people that take piano lessons don’t have a piano at home due to the fact that a piano can be an expensive proposition. Owning a piano can also be difficult for some due to the space it takes up. This is where the roll up piano comes into play.

A roll up piano can fit into your purse and be played anywhere. It is battery operated and small but unrolls into a decent sized mat with regular sized keys, which can give you the practice you want with realistic sounds. These units typically run for under $100.00 and can be a great asset to someone who wants to practice in various locations or for someone who doesn’t own a piano at all and wants to practice outside their classroom.

A roll up piano can make a great gift, too. If you have someone in your life that is either a proficient player that doesn’t own one or someone interested in learning to play, this can be a thoughtful gift that’s much less expensive than buying a baby grand piano or even an electronic keyboard. Many people that have used these units rave about the quality that comes from them. They have great sound and many sound options such as organ, harpsichord, violin, trumpet, sax and more. This can be not only for the piano enthusiast but also for any music lover. A child or an adult would get a kick out of a great gift like the roll up piano.

Some other tips for learning to play piano better:

Pianists know that practice makes perfect. Here are a few tips to enhance your musical flair and be a better piano player:

· Always warm up before playing. Your fingers need to stretch and become nimble with your practice drills to help you play well. Even concert pianists know the value of a warm up.

· Play every day. If you play every day, you will become more proficient, quicker

· Learn music theory. The more time you spend learning the theory behind music such as reading music and tempos, the quicker you will be able to simply open up a music book and play whatever song you like.

· Use the Internet. The Internet has lots of free information including practice sheets, downloadable music and even online courses that can help you to become more talented at tickling the ivories.

With time and determination, just about anyone can learn a new skill. Whether you are a young child or an adult in your golden years, you can learn to master learning a new language, play a musical instrument or any other undertaking you are willing to put effort into and practice into.

Hunter Pyle

http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/beginning-steps-to-learning-and-practicing-to-be-a-pianist-99625.html

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Posted by admin on January 9, 2010 at 1:52 am under online violin lessons.
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TAB, which is short for tablature, is a good way for many people to learn to play the guitar. When learning to play the flute, piano, saxophone, violin, and other types of music, a person uses written music. However, the guitar is different in that chord diagrams are used instead. Now, some people have the ability to read chord music quite well while other people struggle. Because of this, a different method of learning was devised whereby a person can learn guitar TAB.

Tablature is simply a way in which a series of notes are written so a person can learn a riff or run on the guitar. For many individuals, the option to learn guitar TAB is a blessing, helping them learn quickly and with much less frustration. However, you need to understand that while TAB has many benefits, a few drawbacks do exist.

First, when playing the guitar, you are playing not only notes but also rhythm. With TAB, transferring information specific to an intended rhythm is difficult, if not impossible to do. For instance, if you play a musical instrument using sheet music, part of the music shows the rhythm so you know how fast or slow a song should be played. However, when you learn guitar TAB, this rhythm information is not there. For this reason, most people will choose a song they already know the rhythm to so all they have to learn are the notes.

A major difference in how a person would learn guitar with TAB is that the lines on the sheet music have lines that represent the guitar strings. In addition, the music would have dots on the lines, which is the appropriate finger placement. With this, you simple look at the fingers and place yours on the guitar string to match. Again, for many people to learn guitar TAB is the only way they can grasp this particular instrument.

Another important thing to know about TAB is that as you read the TAB, the line on the bottom is the sixth or deepest pitched string on the guitar while the top line is the first or highest string. You will also find when you learn guitar TAB that the dots may or may not be accompanied by a number, which is a reference to the fret on that particular string you need finger. For this, you would make the decision as to the finger used.

Then, as you learn guitar TAB, understand that if a song has two or more notes needing to be played simultaneously, they would show up on the TAB with one directly above the other. Additionally, when looking at a tablature, anything that shows up as an “O” means an open string or no finger placement on that particular string.

For most people who learn guitar TAB the beginning is a bit awkward and confusing but with time, it will soon become extremely easy. Many people learning to play guitar prefer this method for a number of reasons. In addition to being visually easier to learn, hundreds of TAB songs are now available online, giving them a much greater selection of songs to learn without having to pay for expensive DVDs, CDs or instructional material.

Nick seigal

http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/learn-guitar-tab-does-it-help-you-teach-yourself-guitar-420712.html

Posted by admin on January 3, 2010 at 1:56 am under violin for beginners.
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Let’s say you practice five hours a day on your guitar. What happens when you become a father with children around your feet. Can you still be a guitarist and practice?

As a father and a guitarist I have some advice. The story on how a mother can continue playing guitar has to be written by an expert on that subject.

I guess the problem is that many guitarists think that if they can’t practice the way they are used to they might as well quit.

What happens with you as a guitar player when you become a father with small children?

1. You will still have time to play guitar but not when you expect it.

I have many times wondered why people that practice a lot on their guitars as they become parents suddenly stops completely to play guitar and become desillusioned with this part of their lives.

It’s like a person who wants to train on a gym two hours a day. If this doesn’t work he quits completely. Why?

To make ten push ups a day is better than doing nothing. I takes maybe ten seconds to make this exercise and it will have positive results. The most important thing is that you are still trying to work with your body and the time will probably come when you can increase the amount of training.

Of course the same principle applies to guitar playing. Change the way you play but don’t quit. I’m sure your children don’t want that.

2. Time to play guitar will come in small portions.

As you don’t always know when you have time to play on your guitar you have to have your guitar or guitars extremely accessible. Have the guitar on your bed or somewhere else very close at hand. Maybe you have to buy a cheaper guitar in order to feel comfortable with this arrangement.

Personally I have an very expensive classical guitar but I mostly play on my less expensive guitars as I have them nearby all the time.

3. You might be interrupted in the middle of your guitar playing at any time.

I suggest that you give yourself a reasonable amount of homework to practice on your guitar. Try to learn this homework by heart as soon as possible so you don’t need pieces of paper around as you practice. I guess you know that small children like the taste of paper..

If you give yourself just one task to perform as your guitar lesson homework you will even with small amounts of time to practice spread all over the day see yourself progressing. The important thing is to focus on this task long enough to see results and long enough for the skills to become part of your playing.

4. You will have to concentrate on more things than your guitar playing.

If you have a long term goal with your playing you will always be able to look back on what you are doing as a guitar player and can see yourself progressing. I suggest that you put your long term guitar playing goals on a place out of reach for your children but within reach of your eyes.

5. You must feel that your guitar playing is of benefit for your wife and your children.

Is it selfish to play guitar when you have children? Let me give you an example from my own childhood:

My dad was a musician playing violin, cello and guitar in our home. He was working as a guitar teacher and I heard him play classical guitar pieces, cello pieces and violin pieces everyday.

I can still remember some of those melodies and they invoke a feeling of peace and memories of childhood in my heart. I have a special relation to those pieces of music and they have certainly enriched my life.

In other words, you will need to have a repertoire of nice melodies to play for your children. Focus on learning melodies to play and try to find opportunities to play them for your wife and children.

Having a family has certainly enriched my life and made me a better musician and guitar player.

Peter Edvinsson
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/guitar-lesson-congratulations-but-what-happened-to-your-guitar-playing-83844.html

Posted by admin on January 1, 2010 at 1:56 am under violin lesson.
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