So, who wouldn't want to be a drummer? It's a basic, primal urge, to grab a piece of wood, and whack something isn't it? Combine that instinct with the creative outlet that music provides, and you've got a powerful combination. I was a competitive drummer for 10 years, as a young man, and I know what that feels like.
While the biggest factor, in deciding your success in learning to drum is your own desire, there's still something to be said for accessible learning tools. When I started to learn, I was lucky it was my father teaching me, and he was readily available for a lesson whenever I wanted. Not everyone was that lucky though back then. With the internet today, things have changed.
Drums, in one form or another are the foundation for most bands. While orchestra drumming (or percussion), is a little different, most other bands can't really get buy, without a guy or gal behind the kit. Rest assured, any decent drummer that knows his stuff shouldn't have a problem find a band to jam with.
While, a good teacher is important to learning, that teacher can be either a real live person, or someone in a video. The truly important contributing factor to your drumming success, is how much time you put into the learning.
Using Computers To Learn Drumming From Is Easy
All my drumming instruction as a kid, was from a real person, on a very specific schedule. But my time was a little more flexible back then. For most adults with jobs, families, and mortgages to pay, it can be hard to find time to learn something extra curricular like drumming. DVD or computer / internet based training is a perfect solution.
I learned to play drums, because it was kind of the family business. My Dad ran a drum corp, so all the kids participated. I knew other kids, that learned to play drums just from a pure passion for the music. While, for others it was an escape from an other wise unhappy home and school life.
Learning drums, can make significant changes to your life, as you will meet, influence and interact with new people who share your passion..
Drum Lessons Don't Have To Be Difficult
The hardest part to learning anything new, is to take the first step. Once you get the ball rolling, the rest is easy.
Beginning Drum Lessons are easy to find, if you look around a bit. Visit Beginner Drum Lessons, to get started today.
Learning the guitar isn't too difficult to start with and the learner can be playing accompaniment to loads of popular tunes within no time at all. The only thing that is required to get you started is the mastery of a selection of simple chords along with a basic strumming technique.
The difficult step however comes in advancing to the more intermediate and advanced levels of playing. For this reason the guitar is such a popular instrument because it permits the complete beginner to start playing without too much fuss which always helps one to keep interested and not give it up.
When it comes to moving on to the intermediate levels of playing you will need to find some sort of instruction or teacher. You could look for a qualified guitar teacher for individual lessons but it is important to be sure you pick the appropriate one. First you need to decide on which type of playing you would like to learn. It is now that you need to decide between electric, classical or acoustic. For you to move on to even higher levels you will have to find a teacher that specializes in a particular style such as, rock guitar or jazz guitar or rhythm and blues etc.
There are also quite a few home study guides which are great for all levels of learning. These days with multimedia being accessible everywhere it is possible to download a guitar course with a book, sound and video files and it is like having your personal tutor right there in your home showing you just how and what to play. These courses will work out much less expensive than attending one to one lessons with a tutor and you can work through them in your own time at your own pace. See the link below to discover one of the best home study courses for download.
Another really good way to advance is to play with other musicians. Accompanying singers or groups or better still joining a band is always a fantastic way to become proficient fast. It can push you to learn more quickly and can be very rewarding. If you can you should try to join or form a band with musicians who are at a higher level than you forcing you to push yourself a bit. In the beginning you might suffer a little but it can be a fantastic way to get you moving and will in the long run make you a much better guitar player.
Andy G Dyson is a Guitar Player who spreads his tips, tricks and insider info at his Learn Electric Guitar blog
During the first phase of learning and mastering the guitar you'll want to get familiar with your guitar by getting down the basics of scales, chords and rhythm and learn how to play cords like E, C and A which are called "major" cords. Some free resources online to help you would be YouTube, about.com and ehow.com just to name a few.
It's important to learn gradually and keep it fun by putting down the guitar and taking breaks when you feel frustrated. Giving yourself a hard time and saying negative things to yourself like "GOD I SUCK!" is not the way to master anything let alone a guitar.
Sound quality is always important to learn and master in the beginning as in tuning your guitar and learning to do it by ear is one of the first accomplishments you'll make. But starting with an electric guitar tuner is the easiest and best way for a beginner. Also, as you grow as a guitar player you should notice that songs become easier to learn and old ones more fun to play. It's also important to keep up on your finger dexterity on both hands.
To make practicing less of a chore sometimes it's easier to break your sessions up into segments like warming up your fingers and practicing your chords for a short time. Then working on a previous song or a new song you've been wanting to learn for a little while then take time after to play around with tabs or do something fun with it. Each one of these can be done in 10-20 minute intervals and then you're done!
That's a condensed version of what it takes to go from learning to mastering the guitar but there are lots of other resources and reviews out there on the internet.
Check out this one for more information and to get started with free lessons of your own.
Don't forget to keep it fun. It's not a job!
For many people, being able to play the piano is a dream come true because not only does playing on the piano in a social gathering look elegant, it is a difficult art to master and is regarded as a great accomplishment, especially for the fairer sex. In fact, in the 18th and 19th centuries, young ladies were forced to learn the piano to impress prospective bridegrooms and their families.
However in case of formal piano instruction, where a student has to rely on piano instruction books, the introduction to various types of confusing finger exercises, drills, limitless scales, notations through dry endless boring instructions can turn out to be killjoy and spoilsport. The reason why traditional books on piano instructions have lost their charm is because they concentrate only on finger exercises of a technical variety that can make your fingers dance to the tune of your mind's instructions and how to read music from score that is printed.
All these are true even in case of piano lessons beginners. It is because of these mindless hard exercises that many people lose their enthusiasm for learning piano very soon and give up learning altogether. These are the greatest limitations of conventional piano instruction books. That is why it is necessary for adult piano lessons beginners' courses to be simple, easy, fun and enjoyable and the exercises should include popular music pieces and interactive quizzes as well.
A piano lessons beginner's course should also concentrate on play from chord symbols and play by ear and other such similar techniques. This is where online piano lessons aimed at beginners score over their traditional counterparts.
The components described above are all included in online piano lessons' beginners courses while the structured patterns of conventional piano instruction have been retained, thus making online piano lessons a blend of the best of both worlds.
On top of this, many websites offer their piano lessons beginners' courses at a very reasonable cost to promote their site.
About The Author
Mike has worked for many years as a professional keyboard player and in between gigs has taught hundreds of students to play the piano, organ and keyboard.
To find out more about modern piano instruction for Piano Lessons Beginners including adults and children click the above link to read my reviews of the top courses available. If you need a piano or keyboard to learn on, check out our selection of new and used Pianos, Keyboards And Organs.
Beginners should try to choose simple and easy songs to learn. Such songs will help the beginner to grasp the fundamentals of playing the guitar, and help to build confidence.
So how do you spot an easy song to learn? The simplest songs will consist of two or three chords. The slower love songs are generally the easiest to play. Some songs will only consist of the three basic chords - A major, C major, and D. When students have mastered the easier songs they can advance their skills by moving on to more difficult songs.
Learning easy songs will help you to learn the fundamentals of guitar playing faster than merely learning the individual chords in isolation. When choosing your easy guitar songs, it is a good idea to listen to a recording of the song while reading the sheet music. This will give you a good idea of how the piece should sound, and will help with your ear skills.
When choosing an easy song there are two main criteria to consider: the number of chords, and familiarity with the song. As I have already highlighted, the easiest songs only require you to be familiar with two or three chords. It goes without saying that it is much easier to learn a song that you know well, as you know how it should sound when played correctly. It also helps if you like the song - if you choose one of your favourite songs this will motivate you to practice it until you get it right.
If you would like to learn more about the fundamentals of playing the guitar, or would like to get some more ideas for songs to learn, you can check out our website easytolearnguitarsongs.com. We provide great resources for beginner guitar players, and can direct you to the best selections of recent and classic easy to learn guitar songs, tailored for beginners.
When trying to learn guitar notes one must figure out where to start. Interest in learning guitar has been drastically increased by the popularity of such games like rock band and guitar hero. As fun as these games are, they will not teach you how to play a real guitar. Below I have listed two huge tips that are not covered in the video games.
One of the one of the biggest tips I would give is to build hand strength. This plays heavily into learning to play the guitar. You especially want to work the hand that plays the chords; it is not uncommon for ones fingers to bleed when they haven't worked them enough and they go for a long play session.
Secondly, learn your chords and scales. As much as you could learn to play by ear you would be
limiting your opportunities to play with others and limit the growth you can have. Quite often others will call out chords when playing in a group, if you don't know how to play by chord you will not be able to join in. Knowing your scales will allow you to more effectively play solos and will happen more often if you known them.
To learn guitar notes you need to take into account the above two tips, practice, preserver and above all have fun. Whether you try to teach yourself, take expensive private lessons or use a more affordable online course you are in for a very rewarding hobby...and who knows...maybe we'll see you backstage.
If you really want to Learn Guitar Notes or just want to find more information on guitar playing in general, visit My Site.
People decide to learn guitar for a variety of reasons. Some want to be the next rock god and others just want to be able to play their favorite songs on their front porch. Whatever the reason is for you, you can teach yourself to play guitar. However it can be hard to know where to start.
Here are a couple places you can start.
If you don't have a guitar... If you already do have a guitar, then just skip ahead. If you don't, try checking with friends or coworkers to see if they have an extra guitar you could teach yourself to play guitar with. You'd be surprised how many people have a guitar but never play it. See if they'd let you borrow it.
Teach yourself to play guitar with the power of the internet. The internet has a vast pool of information about playing guitar. As you're first starting off you will need to learn your basic chords like: C, A, G, E, D, Em, Am, Dm. Search for chord fingering diagrams. After you learn some chords, search for chords of your favorite songs. Be sure to check out YouTube for video guitar lessons as well.
Teach yourself to play guitar with online guitar lessons. The problem with the last suggestion of searching the internet is that there is a lot of useless or confusing information. You might want to consider purchasing online guitar lessons for a small bit of money. This will give you everything you need to teach yourself to play guitar.
If you want to effectively teach yourself to play guitar check out an easy-to-follow, powerful guitar method that can turn you into a guitar pro. Click here
If you have ever been to a wedding or another social gathering where the piano was being played, and you wished that you could play it, then you may want to learn how to play piano. Popular songs like the wedding march can get you a lot of work if you know how to play it well. Learning any new skill can benefit and enrich your life. Whether you want to play professionally as a hobby, learning to play piano can be very relaxing once you learn to play it well.
If you want to learn how to play the piano or keyboard, the first thing you need to do is find some good lessons. Instrumentmaster.com includes lessons for almost any instrument imaginable. By using this site, you can save a lot of money on a professional trainer or classes. Instead, you can simply watch the videos and learn at your own pace. If you are on a budget and cannot afford a personal tutor, online lessons may be the ideal option for you.
When learning to play piano, popular songs will come naturally to you as you progress through the learning process. Soon you will be able to play all of your favorites to perfection. An entire world of music is out there just waiting for you to play it. With a piano, you can learn all of the classics or you can learn some of the newer songs. If you want to, you can even create your own music and your own songs.
Playing an instrument is great for anybody. It helps to keep the mind sharp and you can enjoy music any time you want to. The piano is a great instrument and you can learn to play a lot of different styles of music on it.
Sam Landeck isn't Michael Buble but he could give the crooner a run for his money... on the piano, that is! Sam teaches piano and runs popular website LearnTheKeyboardOnline.Com as an online resource for those looking for info on piano popular songs and the like. Check out his site now!
Reading notes just to play the piano can in a sense cause headaches for some, regarding the fact that not all can read and create notes to play the music or make one. But in the modern type of era, one easy way to play piano without studying the notes can be done by learning the piano tab.
A piano tab consisted of letters and numbers that determine the tones of the keys and the sound of each. Every key has a significant letter and numbers. The numbers stands for the octaves in the piano which is the start of the music. The small letters are the ones that stand for the white keys or the natural sound while the big letters stands for the sharp notes or the black keys.
The - stands for the timing of the music. The more dashes they are, the longer the time of the notes. Letters on the top of each line indicate the chord while the RH and LH stand for the right and the left hand that will play the said tab. A > indicates the sustaining of the note while the | separates the sections and measure of the notes.
This form was created for guitars to understand the notes easily but it can also be applied to pianos to be able to create songs out of it. A piano tab can also give an easier way to learn how to play pianos thus, being valuable in music lessons or for those who had a hard time learning notes. Piano tabs are much more easier to read but in detail they are not profound as traditional ones, yet, everybody can learn from tabs whether it will be a newbie or an expert in the name of music, this is a perfect choice to expand the talent each one brings.
Gerard Hentschel loves playing the piano and giving instructions on how to play the piano. Make sure to visit his blog Piano How To Play for helpful tips and advice on all issues regarding piano playing such as How To Play The Piano and so much more!
There are far more options for where you can get guitar instruction today than there were 20 years ago when I started playing. Let's have a quick look at a few of them and point out their pros and cons.
- Guitar lessons from a local teacher
This is a very popular place to start and it's where I started. A quick thumb through the yellow pages, the local classifieds or a trip to the local music stores can uncover a bunch of local guitar teachers.
The pros to this type of instruction are one on one time with the teacher and the fact that you likely have several teachers to choose from.
The cons are that not all music stores require any sort of schooling for someone to teach out of their store. If a local player is well known and has been playing the local bar scene for a few years, that's generally all that's required to get hired at many music shops.
The same applies to teachers that give lessons out of their houses. Not having a music degree isn't all that important as some of the best guitar teachers I've had were self taught.
The other main inconvenience of getting guitar instruction from a local teacher is having to go out in the snow, rain, cold, and traffic at specific times each week to get to the lessons.
- Self guided guitar lessons through guitar magazines
This is more popular than you might think. I spent many years buying every single magazine that I could get my hands on to learn to play guitar.
I learned every song and exercise in them and I don't really regret it as it was quite a lot of fun and it gave me a very diverse look at different playing styles as the magazines covered every style to try to please all of their readers.
The drawback to this is that it's not a very directed method of guitar instruction. There is not blueprint or guide as to what you should be working on at any given time. That said, it can take a very long time to move to the next level with your guitar playing using this method of learning.
- Online Guitar courses/Guitar home study courses
Using today's technology, online guitar courses and home study programs gets my vote as the ultimate form of guitar instruction.
Some of the better courses out there can take a guitar player at any level and give them a solid plan to work their way up to whatever level they choose to achieve.
The courses are laid out with examples in audio and video format delivered either online or via CD or DVD and the student can access the lessons any time day or night as well as go back to the same lessons over and over if they need to review what's been taught.
The downside to this kind of guitar instruction is that there is nobody there to ask questions to should you become stuck at a certain part or need further clarification on something.
The best courses available have solved this problem by including access to a forum where you can pose your questions to instructors or other students.
The method you choose could depend entirely on what level you're at with your guitar playing. If I had to go back and do it all again, I think I'd choose the online guitar courses/guitar homestudy courses.
I think it's the fastest, most direct way to get the knowledge you need to become a great guitarist.
Mike Murphy has over 20 years experience playing guitar both live and in recording studios. After spending WAY too much money listening to guitar teachers brag about how they "wow'd" chicks with their amazing guitar skills, he finds it relieving to see some great (and some NASTY) learn guitar courses online.
To find out which guitar courses are great and which are nasty, go to Online Guitar Programs.com right now and download a free copy of Mike's book "Fretboard Freedom".
Learning how to play guitar chords is one of the first steps beginner guitarists will take in developing their guitar skills. All students find it challenging at first, but the truth is that with practice, it holding down a chord will be as natural as holding a glass of water. All it takes is practice, just a couple of minutes a day.
Here are some tips on how to effectively learn and practice guitar chords:
- Keep your fingers close to that metal fret which is closer to the body of the guitar, and push down hard on the string with just the tip of your finger. Your fingers will be sore for a couple of days, but with time your skin will get hard and you won't even feel it.
- Hold down a chord, and at first just pluck one string at a time (arpeggio). Listen to the tone of each string.
- If any string is not ringing clearly or is rattling, you are either not holding it down hard enough, or one of your fingers is touching a string it's not supposed to be touching. Check your fingers.
- Your fingers should be arched over the other strings, so you are not unintentionally touching any strings.
- Your thumb should be pressing against the back of the guitar, so you can hold down the strings harder. When you fret a chord where the low E string (6th string) is not used (A major, D major for example), try moving your thumb over and slightly touching it, to mute the string. This will be handy when you strum these chords, since the string will be muted in case you strum it by accident.
- While fretting any given chord, be sure not to bend any of the strings out of place. This would alter the pitch of the string, so your chord will sound wrong and your guitar will sound out of tune.
- Once you can fret a chord with all of the strings ringing true, release the chord, shake your fingers, and try to place them back into the same position. Again, make sure all strings are ringing clearly. This will develop your hands muscle memory, and in time, your fingers will naturally form the shape of the chord.
- Do the fret, shake-off, fret, shake-off technique 10 times per day with each chord you want to learn. You'll see that in a couple of weeks, you'll have the chord sounding perfectly all the time, with minimal effort.
- At this stage of your guitar studies, you are not aiming for speed, rather accuracy.
- Keep at it, don't get discouraged if you have a hard time with a chord. Remember that even the best guitarists were beginners at one time, everyone went through the learning process. It all gets easier and easier with every minute of practice you put into learning the chords.
- And the last tip, cheesy, but very true part: Always remember to have fun. If it's not going well one day, give it a rest and try again the next day.
Tom Fontana has taught hundreds of students from across the globe to play the guitar through his website, TheGuitarLesson.com. You can find many video guitar lessons, including free guitar lessons for beginners.
TIPP: Practicing songs on your guitar will make your practice sessions fun and motivating, while developing your skills at the same time.
Learning Metal guitar has similar principles to learning any type of guitar, the foundation is the same as far as learning the string names, basic chords and scales, but all too often, a lot of the learning material is too general. First of all, I would like to point out principles which should be followed by everybody when learning the guitar.
Warm Up - It is always a good idea to warm your hands and fingers up become a practice session, it is possibly to do yourself a minor injury if not. There are scale patterns that you can do to help loosen your finger, the most common is playing fret 1,2,3,4 on the 6th string, then play the same notes on the 5th string, 4th string all the way up to the 1st string, then reverse the sequence back down to the 6th string. Then repeat but starting on the 2nd fret and all the way up the neck.
Keep practicing - This may seem obvious but probably the most common reason why people don't progress in anything is they don't practice what they have been taught. If you don't do something within a week of learning it, then you will forget it completely. The only way to get more proficient which chords and scales is to practice them until they become effortless. You don't have to go crazy, just do 15 minutes a day if that is all you have time for.
Have patience - At first, trying to play the chords correctly without getting what is known as fret buzz can be quite frustrating. As you play more, your hands will become stronger and the tips of your fingers will harden which will improve the sound.
Remember what you learn - Keep a record of what you have been taught and spend a bit of time each week to quickly go over some of the main points you have learnt in previous lessons.
Have focus - focus your attention on your goals. Make a plan of what you want to achieve each week on the guitar so you can tick these off as you attain them. Having a goal will allow you to progress much quicker. This could be a new chord you want to master, a new scale or possibly learning a new song.
As previously mentioned, the problem is if you are a beginner and you want a metal guitar lesson, then there are hardly any courses available to teach you without all the boring theory. Please check our guides at http://www.metalguitarlesson.com on how you can take a serious short cut.
Even though some of us may have been lucky enough to be born with some natural gifts and talents, a true artist is made not born. One thing that you will begin to notice while you learn how to play the piano, is that there is so much more to it then simply reading notes and banging keys.
Every time that you practice playing the piano you will change slightly. You will become one step closer to becoming the polished and sophisticated player that you dream of becoming. Below are some traits that you will need in order to successfully learn how to play the piano.
Attitude
Having the right mindset towards your lessons can go a long way. When you are in the middle of your practice there will be times that it just seems to tough, this is all just part of the learning process.
You will need to learn how to keep positive about the lessons so that you can push yourself forward through them, even when you feel like giving up. With the right mindset in place, you will be able to conquer any challenge that comes your way during the lessons.
Completely ignore anyone who chooses to criticize the fact that you are learning how to play the piano. Tune out the negative remarks and just get on with pursing your goals.
Determination
Once you make the jump, commit to the landing. If you are going to learn how to play the piano then make sure that you stick it out to the end, do not give up on yourself. Learning piano will take a lot of determination so once you have set your goal, stick to it. With each difficulty you conquer you will be one step closer to mastering this instrument.
Discipline
You must have the discipline to follow through with your lessons. Practice makes perfect so it is critical that you have the discipline to practice when ever you get the chance to. Discipline will make you more dedicated to learning about the skills of piano playing.
Perseverance
You may have times when you just feel too tired to practice, or you may just be making excuses for your laziness. Either way, you will need to use perseverance to get through these times. Watch videos of famous pianists to help inspire you and uplift you to push forward.
Passion
Passion is that fire that you feel in your heart that keeps you focused and moving forward no matter what. Having passion in your life is truly a great gift. When you have the passion to learn how to play the piano then all the rest of it will come easy.
If you have some or all of these personality traits then learning how to play the piano should be no problem for you.
Michelle Edward has reviewed all of the top ways to learn piano online and she shares her findings at her website. To read her online piano course reviews, please visit her website now:
Learning how to read piano notes involves several different concepts and requires much practice. Reading piano sheet music entails understanding the time and key signature, both bass and treble clefs, and being able to read the actual notes. In this article, I will teach you a quick and easy memorization trick to read piano notes.
There are two clefs in piano sheet music. The notes in the lines and spaces read differently for each clef. These notes start at A, continue down the alphabet to G, and then repeat. For example, if you start on C, the next white key would be D, followed by E. Since this pattern repeats, A will come after G. Reading the piano notes from actually sheet music is a little trickier. The easiest way to go about this is to create acronyms as a memorization tactic.
The treble clef is usually played with the right hand. The lines on the sheet music represent the notes of E-G-B-D-F. I have always remembered this with the acronym Every Good Boy Does Fine. The spaces on the treble clef represent F-A-C-E. I doubt anyone has used anything other than "FACE" to memorize this one.
The bass clef is played with the left hand. This clef also contains some fun-filled acronyms to remember the piano notes. The lines stand for G-B-D-F-A. An easy saying for this is "Great Big Dogs Fight Animals." The spaces of the bass clef are A-C-E-G, or as I like to say, "All Cows Eat Grass."
If you do not want to use these acronyms, you can create your own that you will remember best. Don't underestimate this tactic; it is actually an immense help when trying to learn how to read piano notes. With some practice and experience, you will eventually be able to read music from the page without having to think back to the memorization trick.
For more information on how to read piano notes and learning to play the piano, visit http://audiblescene.com
If you have ever been to a wedding or another social gathering where the piano was being played, and you wished that you could play it, then you may want to learn how to play piano. Popular songs like the wedding march can get you a lot of work if you know how to play it well. Learning any new skill can benefit and enrich your life. Whether you want to play professionally as a hobby, learning to play piano can be very relaxing once you learn to play it well.
If you want to learn how to play the piano or keyboard, the first thing you need to do is find some good lessons. Instrumentmaster.com includes lessons for almost any instrument imaginable. By using this site, you can save a lot of money on a professional trainer or classes. Instead, you can simply watch the videos and learn at your own pace. If you are on a budget and cannot afford a personal tutor, online lessons may be the ideal option for you.
When learning to play piano, popular songs will come naturally to you as you progress through the learning process. Soon you will be able to play all of your favorites to perfection. An entire world of music is out there just waiting for you to play it. With a piano, you can learn all of the classics or you can learn some of the newer songs. If you want to, you can even create your own music and your own songs.
Playing an instrument is great for anybody. It helps to keep the mind sharp and you can enjoy music any time you want to. The piano is a great instrument and you can learn to play a lot of different styles of music on it.
Sam Landeck isn't Michael Buble but he could give the crooner a run for his money... on the piano, that is! Sam teaches piano and runs popular website LearnTheKeyboardOnline.Com as an online resource for those looking for info on piano popular songs and the like. Check out his site now!
You are no longer restricted to the four walls of the music classroom if you want to learn how to play the piano. Nor will you have to have an instructor by your side at all times. You can now get online piano courses that will allow you to learn in your own home.
Online Piano Lessons For Children
Learning to play the piano at home can be a great option for children since there will be less tension for them in their own home environment. Your child will feel much happier with you guiding them through their lessons instead of sitting in a classroom setting for hours on end. Your bond with your child will also be strengthened as the two of you partake in the lessons together.
Another great thing about your child learning to play the piano at home is the fact that they can learn in their own time. After school and between other sports and activities is no problem. When the two of you have time, you just fire up your online lessons and continue right where you left off.
Online Piano Lessons For Adults
Learning to play the piano at home is also a great option for adults as well. Oftentimes, adults can feel reluctant to join a music class because of their hectic schedules and the lack of time that they often have.
When you learn at home, you can learn at your own time and at your own pace. You can fit your lessons into any busy schedule. It does not matter if it is the last thing you do at night, in fact, this can be a great way to wind down before bed.
When you learn to play piano at home it is fun, simple and convenient. As long as you have the right attitude and passion for music you will soon be playing the piano competently in a very short period of time.
Michelle Edward has reviewed all of the top ways to learn how to play piano online and she shares her findings at her website. To read her online piano course reviews, please visit her website now:
Go to: http://www.learningtoplaypiano.net/
Learning to play piano is not as difficult as it sounds. If you focus on the three main steps of piano tutorials, piano learning would become even easier. You can become a master of this art in no time by consistent practice. To accomplish your dream, you will have to follow three easy steps.
The three main steps that will help you to learn piano are:
1. Learning the notes.
2. The scales.
3. The chords.
To learn to play piano, the first thing you should learn is the right way to play the notes. There are two steps to learn to play the notes on the piano. To learn to play piano, you will have to become familiar with the keys of the piano and what each keys are called and where they are placed. It means that you need to know the position of each key.
So in order to learn to play piano, first of all you need a good piano tutorial or instructor who will help you learn what all the keys are called and the location of each key. When you become familiar with the keys, the second thing which you will need to learn to play piano is the method of learning the music sheet. A piano tutorial will teach you to read the notes properly. When you become conversant with all these notes in the sheet and their means, only then will you be able to learn to play piano on your own. The more you become an expert in recognizing the keys and the notes with the direction of a good piano tutorial, the more quickly you will be able to learn to play piano. It is not at all a difficult task because there is a definite pattern and once you understand this pattern no one can stop you from becoming a piano genius.
While the piano tutorial will help you to learn and understand the music sheet, you will also be able to start practicing a few scales on your own on the piano.
The next important step in learning to play piano is the process of making a chord. Chords involve playing a number of notes at the same time in order to produce a distinctive sound. These three steps will help you learn to play piano and produce great music. Once you learn these three basic steps, everything else will become quite simple.
Author: Barry Mcgee
PianoTutorial.org provides informative tips and expert advice which will help you choose the best piano tutorial for your training.
There are many ways to increase the quality of your drumming and they can all be summarized into these 3 vital steps...
1. Develop Confidence
Many wanna-be musicians will choose the drums because they are shy and want to remain in the background (that's where I was when I started drumming back in 1976).
The truth is your body may be in the background, but your musical presence will definitely be noticed!
If you are going to be the drummer in a band, then you will be the anchor of the band. The other musicians will be relying on you to provide strong beats that will keep everything together. Everything you do behind your drum set will not only be heard, but felt, simply because you will be the all-important time keeper.
This notion of wanting to be a drummer so you can hide behind a drum set is ridiculous. You're gonna hide from no one! That's why it is imperitive to develop confidence in your drumming, and the first way to do that is to forget about the notion that you are hidden. Your mind set should be to establish your place in the band. Know who you are and why you're there. The rest will then fall into place.
2. Love Your Instrument
If any musician really wants to master their instrument they must absolutely love it. What do I mean "love it?" The best way to understand this is to relate loving your drums to loving a person.
Many people think "love" is a feeling, but it's not a feeling. For example; I love my wife, but I don't always like her (I suppose she can probably say the same thing about me).
Love is an action word. It means to adore, care for, learn about, edify, be loyal to, be devoted to, be committed to, support, protect, and promote. When you do these things the feeling of love automatically comes.
So, how can you tell if you really love your drums? You can tell if you love your drums by the priority you put on them. They must have some priority in your life , otherwise your drums are just a little hobby that you will only be mediocre at.
3. Remain Humble
If a drummer really wants to increase his or her level of playing it is critical to remain open minded.
The mind is like a parachute, it only functions when it is open. That's why it is so important to remain humble. Arrogant drummers never grow beyond their current level of drumming because they don't think there is any more they can learn. How foolish! There is always more to learn... and any advanced drummer can learn from an intermediate, or even a beginner!
As you continue to learn you will then be able to teach. When you begin teaching, you will be amazed at the additional things you will learn (if you are currently teaching you will understand).
It's critical to continue to learn and grow if you want to increase your level of drumming, and remaining humble is the only avenue through which you can do this. As with anything else, you must absolutely be confident in what you're doing and knowledge can make you confident.
Please don't mistake confidence with arrogance. Confidence is what makes a good drummer a great drummer. Arrogance is what makes a good drummer a lonely drummer! I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to play music with some cocky jerk who thinks he or she is better than everyone else.
Conclusion
When you develop confidence in your purpose as a drummer, learn to love your drums by giving them some priority in your life, altogether with remaining humble, your level of drumming will increase considerably.
Have you ever felt as if your piano playing has become stagnant and is not improving no matter how much you practice? The answer may not be the amount of time you put in, nor the amount of piano music sheet your use to practice, but rather the strategy you use to practice properly.
I still remember when I was learning piano in my early years and the practice session seemed to be so boring and unproductive.
I never went beyond what my piano teacher assigned. Each session would always be in the same order: scales, arpeggios, classical piano music sheet and pieces etc. It soon became tedious and uninteresting.
When one practices piano, one needs to get a balanced practice (I liken this to a balanced food diet). You have probably heard of the food pyramid if you live in the US or any other westernized country. Basically, we are told by FDA that there are a few groups of foods that we need to take in on a daily
basis to be healthy, such as grains, fruits and veggies, protein, dairy, etc.
Similarly, in the piano playing world, there are three main "ingredients" that we all need to consume in our practice sessions to become "healthier" pianists.
Here are the Three Vital Ingredients:
Ingredient 1. Technical skills (scales, arpeggios,etc) -
This is what I call the carbohydrate or "grains" of piano practice. Often these techniques can be used as fillers or runs on melodies that have long hold measures as well as modulation, transposition and etc. It can be uninteresting or even boring if you do not know how to practice and how to apply them. The truth is that few piano players know how to make use of the techniques and how to practice them without getting bored. A suggested
session of 5 to 10 minutes daily technical exercises is often helpful.
Ingredient 2. Repertoire--This is the collection of musical pieces one knows how to play well. I like to call this the fruits and veggies of piano practice. A good piano player can easily play anywhere from 25 to 75 pieces comfortably.
Repertoire can range from classical pieces to hymns , or contemporary songs and other pieces. By the way, repertoire is often performed without the player reading from sheet music.
A good sight reading is essential to develop
broad repertoire. Piano player is suggested to learn a new piece every 2-4 weeks in order to broaden the repertoire collection.
Ingredient 3. Improvisational abilities -This is what I commonly refer to as the protein of piano practice. A player that possesses excellent sight reading and technical skill but has limited ability to improvise is lopsided.
For many years I was able to play piano well, but knew deep in my heart that if I didn't memorize the pieces there would be no way that I could play any song without constantly referring to the sheet music. This is similar to a public speaker who must constantly refer to their notes during a speech.
One should spend at least 15-30 on improvisational practice exercises on a daily basis.
In addition to the Three Vital Ingredients mentioned above, I also suggest a minimum of 60 minutes of active listening and 60 minutes of passive listening to recorded music on a weekly basis. This can easily be done when one is driving in their car or exercising.
The main difference between active listening and passive listening is that with active listening you are trying to hear what is going on in the recording where as in passive listening you are relaxing and not paying much attention. I often check out recordings of famous performers and composers from my local library. There are hundreds of great recordings you can borrow
from your library for free.
Should you ever need help with any of the Vital Ingredients, we have great tools to help you:
Piano Improvisation DVD Course, http://www.playpianotips.com is one of them. This course helps you to master the interesting skills of improvisation and helps you become a competent piano player.
Sign up for your free piano tutorials at http://www.playpianotips.com/pianochord.html to learn more about piano techniques that can help your piano playing.
This article explores violin for beginner. In it we will examine the issues and provide understanding for the beginning violinist. We will discuss beginner model instruments and look at teaching methods for the novice. We will approach violin for beginner from a point of view that will give you an appreciation and anticipation for the journey upon which you are about to embark.
- BEGINNER MODEL VIOLINS are available in a wide range of sizes and prices. A 1/16 size model is available for children as young as 3 years old with an arm length of 14 to 15 3/8 inches. From there you progress up in size depending on the length of your arm. A full size violin is referred to as a 4/4 size model. Prices for beginner model violins start at around $100 and go up from there. It is recommended that the beginner choose an instrument and learn the basics on it, before investing in a more expensive model.
- VIOLIN FOR BEGINNER TEACHING METHODS. A favorite method of musical instruction, especially for young children is the Suzuki Method. The Suzuki method was invented by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in the 1920's. It applies music training in the same manner as children learn to speak. Older children and adults generally respond more favorably to a more traditional approach. You are encouraged to explore the many methodologies available to you and determine which suits you best.
An extremely important aspect of violin for beginner to grasp is music theory. Music theory is the study of how music works and how the various aspects of music fit together. A basic understanding of music theory will give you an appreciation of the various genres of music and how each is unique to the overall world of music. Music theory identifies patterns that distinguish one compose from the other. It helps us to understand and identify the individual components of music such as the melody line, harmony, rhythm, structure, and form.
The beginning musician must understand the age old adage that 'practice makes perfect.' You can never expect proficiency in playing the violin without a disciplined practice routine. Your teacher will give you general guidelines for your practice schedule. Your adherence to that schedule, as closely as possible, will insure progression in playing the violin in a timely and satisfying manner.
Violin for beginner students should work with their teacher to select music that is fun for them to play. While you may not begin your learning process by selecting "Flight of the Bumblebee", it is important to be challenged with music that is fun for you to play. The violin is a wonderful instrument for you to learn and appreciate classical music, don't neglect other genres that you may find to be equally satisfying, such as gospel, inspirational, etc.
You are about to step into a world that will expand your horizons and fill your life with sound and musical color. Choose your violin carefully, and make sure your teacher is well qualified to accompany you on your journey. You won't regret choosing to learn the violin for beginner.
Hailey Alton is a music enthusiast. For more great tips on Violin for Beginners please visit http://learntheviolinfast.com/
You have decided to take lessons in violin. What do I need to do next? How to I find a teacher? Will my instructor be able to teach me the style of music I want to learn? With the information provided in this article you will be able to pursue your lessons in violin with confidence.
The first thing you will need to do is select an instrument. You should be able to find a beginner's model violin previously owned for around $100 to $300. Very fine vintage violins can be extremely expensive as they are considered rare works of art. An extremely rare violin sold in Russia recently for over seven million dollars. You need to select an instrument that is the right size for you. Sizes range from 1/16th to 4/4 based on the length of your arm. You should familiarize yourself with the various parts of a violin so that you can speak intelligently when making a purchase. Examine the neck of the violin to make sure it is well attached to the body. Examine the body for cracks. Cracks in the body can radically change the sound of the violin. Examine the pegs and make sure they are tight in their sockets.
The next thing you will need to do is find an instructor or a method of learning. Make sure you put some thought into finding your teacher as you will be developing a lengthy relationship. Asking appropriate questions in the interview process will help you determine if the individual is a good match for you. Does the instructor possess the proper education to instruct you in the genre of music you want to learn?
Perhaps you want to approach lessons in violin from a nontraditional standpoint.
If you are a highly motivated and self disciplined person, you can learn lessons in violin via the Internet. There are a myriad of websites and video teachers available in a multitude of price ranges. Some are even advertised as being free, but remember you generally get what you pay for. You must be willing to put aside a specific amount of time daily for practice and music theory study. Music theory is the study of what makes music work. Melody lines, harmony, rhythm, and syncopation are just a few of the components that make music enjoyable. Putting them together is both a science and an art form, and doing it correctly is what music composition is all about.
Variety is the spice of life. This cliché is especially true when it comes to pursuing a music hobby. Exploring different musical genres not only stretches your musical ability, it greatly enhances your appreciation of this art form.
You will find, as you pursue lessons in violin, that you enjoy music, and on a different level, than ever before. Lessons in violin will provide you with a sense of accomplishment which will greatly add to the flavor of and sound of life.
Hailey Alton is a music enthusiast. For more great tips on the right Lessons in Violin for you, please visit http://learntheviolinfast.com/
The age-old question, "how long does it take to learn guitar?". It's natural when starting on a course of learning to ask how long it will take. If you are starting to learn guitar you will be undergoing some changes in the way you spend your time, the way your muscles feel and the way you feel about learning how to play guitar. Right at the start of the course the boring and painful bits are making themselves felt and the rewards are not appearing yet. So how long does it take?
To some degree it depends on how old you are when you start to learn guitar. If you start in your late teens, as many people do, it could take some weeks before you are able to play a few chords and begin to play some easy guitar-accompanied songs. At this age you will possibly have friends who can help you with guitar tips if you don't actually have a teacher. Once you are over the first hump of learning chords you will start to feel that you are developing your own individual understanding of the guitar.
Some people will learn guitar at music school for a couple of years. This will mean taking the guitar a little more seriously and learning a great number of chords and some music theory. You will be learning the guitar from books and DVDs, maybe augmented by some online guitar lessons. You will realize that the guitar is a fairly difficult instrument to learn if you are planning on really mastering it. Playing a few chords for some easy songs is okay but it could take years to get your head around reading sheet music and understanding guitar music theory.
You could speed up your progress by taking advantage f the enormous number of guitar lesson videos and written tutorials available on line. But no matter how much help you have your progress is not going to be rapid. There's no magic bullet, you will learn guitar at your own pace, whatever that happens to be.
Some people concentrate on learning the notes on the guitar fretboard - where all the notes are located. If you use this approach you could stick with learning where all the natural notes are because once you know those, the sharps and flats will be obvious. Once you have an understanding of the major and minor scales and how their intervals work, you should be able to play in all keys.
You will also learn about barre chords. This is a technically demanding part of your quest to learn guitar and many people tend to shy away from it, but once you get the idea of the basic chord shapes that you can move up and down the fretboard, it will not be so daunting.
For many, many guitar players the minor pentatonic scale is the beginning, middle and end of learning guitar. If you know the root note of your song or chord you can match it with a minor pentatonic scale. So you are using five notes to compose and improvise guitar solos. What this means is that inside of a year you should have a reasonable mastery of the guitar and the question of how long does it take to learn guitar has changed for you because you know that every time you play you learn something new.
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.
When it comes to guitars for children, there are usually two points of view to consider. The parents and the child themselves. The parents will naturally want a guitar that the youngster will be able to learn on, which is the right size and is fit for purpose. The budding guitar god or goddess on the other hand is much more likely to be swayed by the looks, colour, or whos name is on it.
It wont be a suprise to find out that there is a vast array of instruments available to suit both parties.
Both the pretty looking and practical are well catered for.
The big companies such as Washburn, Yamaha and Tanglewood make 3/4 size guitars, which will suit children. Models are available adorned with Hannah Montana regalia and other cool kid stuff if required too.
It might not seem very cool to the youngsters, but a good starting guitar for them is a 3/4 size nylon strung classical guitar. This will be kind to their soft fingers, and as long as you dont buy a bargain basement one, it is more likely to stay in tune. Electric guitars for children are likely to have cheap tremolo bars on; kids like these. Unfortunately despite looking good they can make keeping the guitar in tune a nightmare.
Lots of children go through phases of being absolutely mad on something, and then dropping it like a stone when the next cool fad appears, so it might be wise not to spend too much on the first guitar. But dont buy an absolute cheap and tacky model, because if it doesn't stay in tune, its a complete waste of money anyway.
If possible ask a guitar player, or go to a music shop staffed by guitar players and ask for advice.
Getting the balance between looks to satisfy the child and practicality for the parent can be difficult, but once the youngster moves on from the basics, it'll become much easier to find a guitar to suit both.
Paul Watson is a guitar player and teacher with over 30 years experience.
Visit his websites at http://www.focusonguitar.com and http://theguitarsecret.com for more articles, free video lessons and lots of tips and assistance in making your learning curve enjoyable.
In order to play an acoustic guitar to a high standard will take a lot of practice. There are plenty of acoustic guitar lessons one can use that will help you to master this instrument. But even so you will need to dedicate a considerable amount of time each day to practicing them.
When it comes to acoustic guitar lessons you have the choice of either paying for them or getting them for free. The problem with many of the lessons is that they use very poor quality materials or the lessons are very basic. Below we offer some tips to help you find the right sorts of acoustic guitar lessons online for you.
Tip 1 - Look for those lessons that come with good quality images and videos, which come either on DVD or which you are able to download directly on to your PC. These are the lessons that will show you how to carry out the right techniques in order to play the acoustic guitar correctly and so mastering the instrument becomes easier.
Tip 2 - You also need to look for those sites that offer you good audio files so jamming along to what is being played is easy. Again either choose the lessons that are sent to you in DVD format or which you can download directly on to your PC. The great thing about using these is that you won't need to spend hours reading books in order to learn and understand how the notes should be played.
Tip 3 - The other thing to look for when it comes to online acoustic guitar lessons is get ones where an audio commentary is provided. These you will find help you to understand the finer points of each technique that you are taught. Plus you feel as if you are having a one on one lesson with the tutor.
Find Out More About Playing Acoustic Guitar
Want to learn to play guitar? Visit Learn To Play Guitar
Tips and advice on how to learn guitar. http://www.acousticguitarinformation.com