10.18.10
Posted in Performance Tips at 8:02 pm by Administrator
We recently had a recital for The Music Abode students. For many of our students, it was their first time. Performing in front of a mysterious group and/or family can naturally evoke nervousness. No matter your age (from 4 year old children to 40 year old adults) performing is all about preparation. The more prepared you are, the better the performance result. Some people tend to rise to the occasion and have a zen moment up on stage, these people perform their song better than how they practiced it. Other people will perform their piece only as good as it was when practiced. The student will never know which person they are until they are up on stage for the first time. Young students usually don’t have to worry too much about nerves but still need to practice perfectly so even if their mind wanders on stage, they still have positive results. Older students will be much more nervous and will need to prepare for the fact that they will be nervous. For all types of performers, visualization is the best way to have a positive experience on stage. If you visualize performing your piece perfectly enough times, you eventually will do just that when you finally get up on stage.
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03.28.10
Posted in Practice Tips at 12:42 am by Administrator
As a pianist, and when it comes to muscle memory, this phrase holds strong. It is always fun to play through a piece when you know how it is supposed to sound and try your best over and over again to learn it. For example, Fur Elise is a very recognizable classical piece for most students. It is a relatively long song, and has some simple yet some very difficult sections. As an intermediate player, you may read through the first section a few times and get it right. Then, feeling ambitious, you move on to the remainder of the song. The next few sections are pretty complicated but always bring you back to the main theme, which you have already learned. It would be fun to learn the song by simply trying to get through the hard parts to the easy parts you already know; however, this is BAD practice. Why? First, because you are taking such large breaks before and after the challenging sections you do not remember the errors you need to fix after so much time has elapsed. In order to practice this piece perfectly, you need to assess the entire piece to find your weak spots, play the entire section of the weak spot perfectly at a slow pace then gradually bring it up to speed. Doing this creates muscle memory in your fingers of how to physically play through challenging areas. Conversely, if you keep making the same error over and over again, you create muscle memory of that mistake, then it becomes much more difficult to fix.
In other words, just slow down, get it perfect, then you can slowly bring things up to speed. Most importantly, do not make the same mistakes more than a couple times because they will become habitual and will occur more often then not when you play your piece.
As far as other instruments, and in life in general, these rules still apply. If you continue to take an improper breath in a song you are singing in always the same place, it will be difficult to go back and fix the error. If you always use the wrong finger on a particular fret in guitar, you may end up either continuing to use the wrong finger and/or end up on the wrong fret altogether. Mistakes become habits, if you don’t slow down or check yourself before those mistakes happen, they will happen over and over again.
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02.06.10
Posted in Music Lessons at 6:24 am by Administrator
If you are new to or are looking to revisit an old musical talent, many ask the question whether to begin investing in lessons or teaching yourself. Obviously, the more economical choice is to teach yourself. Purchasing “how to” books and visiting web sites will not cost you more than approximately $100; however, choosing to take lessons from a professional instructor will make your learning experience much more interactive, comprehensive, and efficient. In other words, if you choose to use an instructor:
* They will answer your questions upon you asking them, rather than searching through books trying to find your answer.
* They will be able to notice anything you are improperly doing immediately, especially if you are unable to notice your own error.
* They will be able to teach you the easiest way for you to learn specific techniques, theory, or musical phrases based on your learning curve and personality.
If you do choose to use an instructor make sure you do your research first. Make sure whoever is teaching you is licensed, preferably has a music degree, and already has some sort of teaching experience. Also make sure you are paying the right price. Some studios will overcharge you with registration fees or administrative costs. Make sure if the studio you are looking at does this is legitimately charging you for the level of instruction you are receiving. If you are working with an individual not an employee of a studio, make sure they have legitimate documentation to support their ability to teach you. The reason for doing all of this so you aren’t wasting your money on someone who isn’t really an appropriate music teacher.
Teaching yourself is a do-able alternative to getting lessons. First you will need to visit your local book store or library and look for the most comprehensive guide on your instrument. Don’t worry, you won’t have to read the entire thing. Next, find the most direct, but still somewhat comprehensive book on your instrument. This book you will read. Read through this book whenever you have spare time to gain overall knowledge on everything you are and will be learning to do. Now, drop by your local music store, as the clerk to direct you to the easiest adult lesson book method. This will be your main learning tool. Lesson books say everything your instructor would say, minus the instruction. This means you will need to read and learn all of the lessons and figure out the best way to relate them to the songs that follow each lesson. Youtube has become the greatest tool for independent learners because you can search for the song in your lesson book and normally find someone playing it online. Make sure you do this often, you will learn and understand things much quicker. Any time you have a general question, your quickest answer will be in your biggest comprehensive book that you purchased earlier. Simply turn to the index or glossary and find it, I’m sure it will be in there.
Furthermore, if your voice is your instrument, you will not find many vocal lesson books out there. In order to understand your voice you will want to find textbooks that explain how your voice works and purchase a comprehensive vocal warm-up and breathing CD.
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02.05.10
Posted in Practice Tips at 12:17 am by Administrator
No matter your instrument or level, learning a new music piece can be very challenging. To begin to tackle your song, you will want to get your head organized; don’t attempt to learn the entire song all at once. Take a look at the entire song, find any similarities, or, if learning by ear, listen to the different themes and phrases for similarities. You will want to begin with the most common theme or phrase and learn that section. Why? Because once you learn it, you’ve already learned a majority of the piece and this makes it easier to swallow the tough stuff to come.
Next, you will want to look or listen to the first section. Is there anything challenging happening here? If so, take it measure by measure, or riff by riff. Learn just a few notes at a time, then connect those phrases together, within 30 minutes to and hour you should have this tough phrase smoothed out. If not, you may want to try working on another area or, just take a break to let what you’ve learned sink in. When you come back to that section, chances are you will play it perfect, sometimes things just need to marinate a little. You will need to do this with any challenging phrase you find in a piece.
Now that you have learned the main theme and all of the challenging phrases, you are ready to put them together. At this point you may be able to play your song perfectly, but chances are you will need to spend some time connecting and smoothing out phrases so they blend together just right since you have learned them separately.
Although simply put, it won’t be easy. You will need to spend a lot of time learning your song. Just be organized and patient with yourself and it will come.
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01.28.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:18 am by Administrator
The Music Abode Presents:
Spring Spotlight 2010
Music will be heard on:
Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Located at: 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. Fullerton, CA
92832 in the Osborne Auditorium
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08.26.09
Posted in Playing the Piano at 6:40 am by Administrator
http://bit.ly/ppKkU
Visit the link above for your free guide to learn how to play the piano!
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08.09.09
Posted in Practice Tips at 9:00 pm by Administrator
Help your child set up a special place at home to play the instrument.
Establish a time each day to play. Some children are at their best in the morning, before school. Some parents set a time after the evening bath when the child is relaxed, but not tired.
Consider using the phrase “playing time” rather than “practice time.”
If possible, be a positive part of your child’s playing time. Sit with your child while he plays and ask, “Show me what you’re learning.” Or, consider learning to play the instrument with your child.
Praise your child for each step forward.
Never make negative remarks about how your child’s playing sounds. It takes time and effort to produce musical sounds.
Encourage other family members to applaud the child’s efforts. Positive attention is a great motivator.
Remember that there are always peaks and valleys in the learning process. You and your child should expect times of discouragement, accept them, and focus on the positive fact that she’s learning to make music. Remind her that everything worth doing takes time and effort.
Provide positive role models. Bring your child to hear amateur or professional musicians perform. Take your child to movies that show musicians in a positive light, such as “Music of the Heart.”
When seeking private lessons, find a qualified teacher you can talk to easily. Ask about the teacher’s philosophy of education, and ask to talk to some of the teacher’s current students or their parents. Make sure your child is comfortable with the teacher.
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06.29.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:34 pm by Administrator
Hello All,
This blog has been created for anyone visiting our site who has questions about music. Myself, or an instructor at the music abode will be responding to any quesitons or comments you may have!
–Kim Gardner
–Founder and President of The Music Abode
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