Watch, Read, Listen
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Reading Rhythms
Often one of the largest gaps I see in learning to read music occurs in the learning to accurately read rhythms. I could speculate on why this happens, but I don’t find that to be a productive pursuit- so let me instead offer some avenues for improvement! Reading rhythms on paper relates pretty directly to…
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Need Literature?
Have you heard of IMSLP? It stands for International Music Score Library Project, a site dedicated to preserving electronically classical music literature. If you’ve been instructed to purchase a particular piece of music (or a book of etudes!), give this website a look first. I have found many different sources of etudes for my students,…
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Smarter Practice- Tips from a Jazz Violinist
I happened to come across this article recently- it’s a must- read! This guy is a very accomplished jazz violinist, and he sheds some insight into his opportunistic attitude toward practice. I agree with his message: take every music- based opportunity given to you to practice. Here’s the link- go read it! 3 Ways to…
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To rent or to purchase?
When beginning an instrument, your first step is probably to head over to your local music store and ask about pricing for rental vs. purchase of an instrument. Odds are they will give you a spiel which includes semester pricing, instrument prices, and a pitch about how renting an instrument offers so much more bang…
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Taking Care of Your Body
When you play an instrument, you use your body- right? Though you may not be engaged in an Olympic athlete sort of activity, you still utilize muscle groups, joints, tendons, and several different systems in order to perform the task of playing a stringed instrument- your pulmonary system’s engaged, as well as your vision, your…
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Practice, Practice, Practice…
Well, it’s a few weeks until school. Have you been playing this summer? 🙂 Sometimes summer presents some grave barriers to the type of practice and performance associated with the school year, and it’s hard to get back into the swing of effective, consistent practice, even if you’ve been studying privately or have participated in…
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Music is Music is (Pop!) Music
So… you’re a violin or viola player. Or a cello or bass player. What genres of music do you see your instrument as playing? If you immediately concluded some type of classical or, maybe, fiddling… you’re correct. You’re also only seeing a few of the wide variety of choices you have as a musician. While…
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YouTube Videos for Practice?
It’s true! As a student these days, YouTube can be a fantastic resource of good modelling, practice techniques, and even extended instruction. I want to stress the importance, however, of choosing wisely which videos you take to heart. Some folks putting out videos provide great content, while others… Well, it’s not necessarily bad content, but it…
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Tips for Learning to Read Music
As a teacher, I essentially teach two types of students: those who must read the music in order to learn it, and those who must hear it. I’ve also found that these two camps tend to champion the particular method with which they are most comfortable, and demonstrate reluctance to even try the other method.…