How to Get the Most Out of Your Music Lessons

Sep 122017
 

Whether you are using a book, video, a real live human, or online lessons, keep these pointers in mind to get the most out our your studies.

1. Complete and master each section before moving on to the next. As you work through your lessons, make sure you have each new technique or idea conquered before moving on to the next. Lessons are planned to build upon each other and trying to rush through without fully understanding one will just lead to frustration and wasted efforts.

2. Study your music lesson as if you were in school. Do some homework, aka practice, every night. If all you have is 15 minutes, then use those 15 minutes. If you do not have time to read/watch and apply, then implement the concepts of your last lesson or drills such as scales and chords. Reading/watching and not having the opportunity to use immediately will usually mean you have to relearn your lesson. Take notes; especially if you are watching a video or working with a human. Also, don’t be afraid to write all over your workbooks and sheet music. Making short notes in your music will help you learn your music and facilitate in a successful music performance, audition, rehearsal or lesson.

3. Apply what you have learned. If it is a solo, play for others such as your church, your family, or if you play piano, that spare piano sitting in your favorite department store (be sure to ask first). If you play in an ensemble, be sure to apply what you have learned in your music lesson to the music you are playing with that group.

These tips work whether you are a child or an adult. Learning to play an instrument is an excellent and fulfilling activity.

Are you looking for an etude book for your music lessons? Check these books by clicking on these links or using the search box.

 

 


Cover tiny file
look inside		 Piano Adventures Level 1 – Lesson Book (2nd Edition)
Faber Piano Adventures®. Methods. Softcover. 64 pages. Faber Piano Adventures #FF1078. Published by Faber Piano Adventures (HL.420171).
Cover tiny file
look inside		 Alfred’s Adult All-in-One Course – Level 1 (Book)
Lesson * Theory * Technic. Method/Instruction; Piano – Alfred’s Basic Adult All-in-One Course; Technique Musicianship; Theory. Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course. Instructional. Instructional book. With introductory text, instructional text, illustrations and performance notes. 160 pages. Published by Alfred Music (AP.5753).
Cover tiny file
look inside		 You Can Teach Yourself Piano by Ear
Composed by Robin Jarman. Squareback saddle-stitched. You Can Teach Yourself. Contemporary, Method. Book and online audio/video. 56 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc (MB.94270M).
Cover tiny file
look inside		 40 Studies (High School of Cello Playing), Op. 73
Composed by David Popper (1843-1913). Edited by Stutch. Published by International Music Company (IM.811).

Music of the 1970’s: A Look Back

Sep 072017
 

People associate songs and music with events in their lives. Many songs hold special memories for them, and they fondly remember the songs that were playing when they went to their first dance. Maybe they remember the songs their school band performed during half time at their high school football games, the songs that they heard on our first date, or the songs they heard on the radio while driving their first car.

If you were a teenager, like my sister and brother or a child like me in the 1970’s, the music of this decade is probably the most impressive and most recognized of any other era. The artists of the 1970’s provided us with numerous songs we loved to dance and sing along. At that time most bands played their instruments and did not need to sequence part of it.

I remember how we used to listen to the music then? At first, we had eight track players in our cars; then we moved upward to cassette players. Vinyl records were the most popular way to listen to our favorite music. Every week you could go to your local variety or record store and pick up the new #1 song on a 45 record for under $1.00. Of course, there was always the radio to listen to – most of the popular channels were on am radio. We had many styles of music. Among these types include the bubble gum music of David Cassidy and the Partridge Family, soft rock of Barry Manilow, the great dance tunes of the Bee Gees and the Commodores, the rock of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, the brass band sounds of Chicago, or the disco beat of Chic and Donna Summer.

The nostalgia of the 1970’s music lives on today. Can we listen to it on our local 70’s radio station, on CDs, on mp3, download it on our computer, and burn it onto CDs. For those of us who prefer records, we can still purchase them at record stores, antique or second-hand stores, or yard sales. Of course, many of us have held on to our record collections and record players and can pull them out at any time when we need to relive those nostalgic days of the 1970’s. Some bands are still performing after more than 30-40 years. There’s nothing like seeing your favorite 1970’s performers live in concert!

The music of the 1970’s is still popular with people of all ages, not just those who grew up with it. It never grows old. It only gets better with each passing decade.

Relive the days of the 1970’s by purchasing these music selections. Just click on the albums below.

 

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