SimpleMusicSecrets.com Blog

This is from my newly published article at Ezineartilces.com. You can read the full version here or paste this in your browser:

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=2952855

The best analogy is to liken vocalists to athletes. An athlete begins with a personal goal in mind – to achieve a level of accomplishment based on the sport they are interested in. Only then, with this clear vision in mind, do they begin to train their body on a daily basis to reach this goal. These hours of practice and training are directly responsible for the level of performance they are eventually capable of.

In the same way, singers have a goal to sing beautifully and comfortably without straining or damaging their precious voice, one that can certainly suffer from abuse and bad habits if not well cared for.

A long-distance runner does not wake up one day and suddenly expect to be able to run a ten-mile marathon. They know they must build their strength and endurance slowly to run greater distances over time. Similarly, a vocalist must care for and train their voice with diligence and patience, working steadily toward the ultimate goal of effortless singing without strain.

Singing Exercises

The questions that surround the history of the guitar are many.  A guitar is made from partly science and partly art. The guitar has always been made from wood but these days composite material also plays a role. All of the metal parts of the guitar have also benefited from technology. The guitar construction has changed but little over hundreds of years. Woods from around the world make up most of the guitars that exist today.

The guitar neck must be made from a very hard wood to resist twisting and maple has always been the choice for fine guitar necks. The truss rod is now used to resist the twisting force applied to the neck.

Hard woods such as ebony and rosewood are often used for the fret board of the guitar. In addition to being very dense these materials are also hard wearing and will last a lifetime. Fret boards may be made to last a little longer if the surface is planed to produce an even surface again.

The simplest tuning mechanism for the guitar is a wooden peg with the string wrapped around it. With modern tuning mechanisms exact tuning adjustments are possible. Bridges are also adjustable now as well. With machine heads and adjustable bridges it is now possible to get  in tune and stay in tune.The guitar tuner is also a large contributing factor that allows guitar players everywhere to be in tune all the time.

The history of guitar was changed forever with the development of the electrical pickup. At first crude and simple, the pickup evolved into a precise affair with identifiable sounds. The invention of the pickup lead immediately to the solid body electric guitar much as we know it today. The pickup now allowed the guitar to be used in situations it could never have been heard prior to this, such as with a drummer. A small pickup changed the history of the guitar for all time.
The basic design and construction of the guitar has not changed despite the advances that have been made.

As you begin your piano lessons, follow these suggestions for a positive experience

The first thing you need to do to is find a teacher that is competent .

The teacher can guide you through the process of learning piano and be a life-long mentor and friend. They can start you off right, set lesson plans and monitor your progress weekly if not daily.

learn piano

You will also find that online training has come a very long way and is an exceptional way for many people to  begin learning piano.

While it is true that one can learn a great deal by ear, you will make much faster progress with exceptional instruction and you will learn the right way.

There are certainly stories of famous performers who do not read music, mostly in jazz and rock, but these are the exception rather than the rule these days.

The use of instruction will allow you to become a qualified pianist in a much shorter time.

It is probably not the best idea to use a friend who plays piano to instruct your child; they may or may not be a accomplished teacher and it may strain your relationship.

If you child has a proficiency and decides to stick with it, they will have a hard time unlearning bad habits they acquire from an unqualified teacher.

If you have a friend or relative instruct your child you may be less inclined to push the teacher to push your child. You will also most likely not criticize their teaching methods, even when it may be perfectly reasonable to do so.

The need to practice piano or singing or any other instrument on a regular basis cannot be over-emphasized.

If you do not practice you will not progress, need I say more?

Practice your piano as much as you can of course, but at least 20 minutes at a time.

You will get more from your practice if you are not fatigued so start early in the day or take a rest beforehand if you can.

If you do not warm up properly you will not be happy with your progress and you may even injure yourself.

When starting any new instrument, and when you learn piano, it is important to set goals for yourself, but make those goals realistic.

Your teacher or online course will help you set these goals.

Work on sight-reading and understanding written music. Also practice playing songs you have never seen before so you can improve your sight-reading skills

If you read about the composer you are playing, you will better understand their personality and their life and be able to interpret their music more authentically.

The skills a new pianist needs to learn piano will not come over night , so keep at it and do not give up. You can do it.

How to start your gig off right so you are comfortable and confident.

When I perform at a solo gig I always start the set with something that is well within my vocal range, easy to play and is not prone to mistakes. Something I am so familiar with I could play it in my sleep.This builds my confidence and allows me to hear what the room “sounds like” and gets my blood going. Nothing too complicated right out of the gate.
Also, and it may sound elementary, but when you pratice; pratice the songs all the way through every time. Do not stop and go back over something as you get near to a performance. If you get nervous you will come to the point where you usually stop and guess what? you will stop! Oh what an awful feeling.
That is from my own experience of course.

Cure Stage Fright