Saturday, August 11, 2012

Various Ways to Learn How to Play an Acoustic Guitar

Beaten up with the conventional way of learning how to play an acoustic guitar without even perfecting a single tune? Are blisters forming on the tips of your fingers and yet nothing’s making sense? Maybe you have to double check your resources or better yet, yourself. There must be something terribly wrong with the way you handle your guitar.

Here are some of the numerous ways to learn play an instrument as lovely as an acoustic guitar. All you need is a piece of pick, your own or borrowed guitar, and a lot of patience. Well, a couple of manuals will do and if you’re not satisfied with that, an internet access.

First, you have to make sure that your guitar is properly tuned. Nobody would dare listen to a complete mess. If you don’t know how, find someone who knows.

Then choose from the wide variety of resources. You could search for a private teacher, go online, or settle on being alone with your references like books and manuals. Examples of private tutors are those whom you know, friends, neighbors, your relatives or someone who is paid. An online opportunity is endless. Some sell you copies of their video recorded lectures others are on the spot. Still, your choice.
   
After which, find the right spot to play in. It has to be comfortable. Your guitar must be supported, if not by your thighs. Hold it steady maintaining your right hand on the strings just above the sound hole and the left hand on the fretboard.
   
Now, a lot of suggestions were implied by numerous guitarists who had your position once before, a beginner. They suggested that, above everything else, you have to use those two organs hanging on the side of your head just below your temporal lobe, your ears. Right.
   
Of course you have to use other important senses, like your eyes. That would be a very positive view. But what about those who are blind? Haven’t it occurred to you that at some way they have mastered the art of playing a guitar without even seeing what it looks like. They just follow their instincts and feel the chords. Yes, they listen.
   
Listening. One of the most effective ways of learning.
   
Remember you’re handling an acoustic guitar. It doesn’t require any of those crappy contraptions just to make music work. You need more than an amplifier to change your voltage of music current. All you need to do is effectively listen to the melody and determine whether you’re getting the tunes right.
   
In the event that practicing goes wrong and absolutely mystified, you could always go back to the drawing board. Memorize the chords. The emphasis on your memorization must be on the basic. The C,A,G,E,D chords are considered as the building blocks to your bountiful success in guitar playing. Not only are these chords easier to achieve but they are included in most of the songs played nowadays. Surprisingly, including R & B.
   
Keep on practicing with these basic chords. Try it without looking. That would be able to help you figure out if you’re strumming the wrong way. Feel your strings tremble and stop. You have to take control of your music. These various ways of playing isn’t the exact key to learn but only a guide.

Learn How to Play the Piano

When you meet someone who knows how to play the piano, you would usually admire that individual. Perhaps in the back of your mind, you also want to play this very beautiful instrument. Well, you can learn how to play piano if you really want to.

All expert piano performers started from scratch. Not one individual was born with the knowledge of playing the piano. It’s never too late to learn how to play the piano. Young or old, if you want to play like the performers, you have to start now.

If you’re familiar with western music, then you already know that the piano is being used for chamber music, accompaniments, and even solo performances. Although piano is a bit expensive, it is a very good investment because of its ubiquity and versatility. It is also one of the most popular musical instruments throughout history.

Some of the popular pianists include Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Listz, Brahms, and Schuman. Piano is not used mainly to just play classical music but it can also be played in pop and jazz music.

You don’t have to play as good as the pianists mentioned but with a little effort, time, and money, you can play the piano beautifully. Simply playing the piano for your friends and family may be enough; at least, you can entertain them in your own special way. You should also have the right attitude. You must exercise self discipline and make sure that you learn the right basic techniques. If you can start playing right, you have a long way to go. Learning to play the piano is not really impossible. If you dedicate your efforts to it, you will surely learn in time.

In today’s modern times, there are several ways to learn how to play the piano. Because of these piano learning options, your dream is attainable and doable. Many want-to-be pianists prefer to hire a piano teacher. This is a rather expensive option but many individuals find this a very effective method to learn to play piano. There are also those who prefer to learn alone. One way to do this is through a guide book.

However, you must be comfortable in working alone especially in learning the different lessons. You must be motivated up to the end for you to learn the basic techniques. Modern ways to learn the piano is through the computer software. There are also those who buy a DVD or CD program that is all about playing the piano.

No matter what option you choose, you must be able to learn playing the instrument by simply using your senses. If you can learn this difficult and unique technique, playing the piano will be natural for you. By simply listening to asong, you can already play it on your piano.

Before anything else, you have to purchase a good quality piano. This is the only way to learn how to play the piano. If you don’t have one right now, you can start saving money for it because the piano is an expensive musical instrument. After you have your piano, you have to choose you learning options.

You can even combine your piano lessons if you want. Just make sure that you schedule your lessons well so that you can use the knowledge the you’ve learned to your advantage.

Learn Blues Piano

It is not really difficult to learn to play the piano. Almost every individual loves music. Some like rock music, pop, jazz, alternative, rhythm and blues, and many others. Whatever style of music you love, you can play it on the piano. For you to learn to play different song styles on the piano, the very first thing that you have to learn are blues piano.

What exactly is blues piano? It is a music style and once you learn to play it on the piano you will have fewer troubles in learning to play other music styles. Keep on reading and by the end of this article, you will know a great deal about blues music and playing it on the piano.

To start with, you must know 12-bar blues. This is a very common progression if you want to do blues piano playing. To play this particular blues form, most pianists make use of seventh chords. A song is uslly broken into 3 sets. Each of the set consists of 4 bars. Start by playing the song on the C key. Use ‘I’ to illustrate the tone (C) in the C key. The IV tone is F and the V tone is G.

The initial set is played as I-I-I-I. The next set is played as IV-IV-I-I. The final set is V-IV-I-I. Use your right hand when playing these three sets on the piano. To come up with a sound that’s just like blues piano, try to master playing 7th chords.  

For your left hand, follow the 8-note pattern. The pattern is like this: I-III-V-VI-VIIb-VI-V-III. When playing the C chord with the use of your right hand, the notes played will be C-E-G-A-Bb-A-G-E. While for the chord F, you will be playing F-A-C-D-Eb-D-C-A. For the chord G, you will be playing G-B-D-E-F-E-D-B.

Try to examine the chords and notes played both by the left and right hand. If you already know the different piano chords and notes, learning blues piano can be very easy. Before anything else, you will have to master 12-bar blues in the key C. Once you’ve mastered it, you can try playing it using other keys.

If you want to establish a good foundation in playing the piano, you must learn to play the blues first. Many successful pianists started out by playing blues and then they slowly made their way into playing the music style that they love. Once you develop a strong foundation, the new lessons will be so much easier. Learning the different music styles is challenging but if you can play them with elegance and grace, your audience will love and praise your performance.

Find a good teacher that can teach you all the things you need to know about blues piano. If you can’t find a piano teacher, you can use other methods like using DVD or CD programs, online piano lessons, and a piano guide book.  The learning process will be solely determined by you. If you’re serious with playing piano and if you’re determined to master your lessons, you will son learn to play blues piano.

You see, it takes some time before you can play really good. It might even take years of learning and constant practice. By exerting enough effort, time, and money, you can be a very good pianist.

How to Teach Children to Learn Play the Piano

A child’s attention span is shorter than an adult. But they are also the ones who can easily learn more. For this reason, a child should be able to learn as many artworks and instruments as possible. You’ll never know if your child is the next pianist who’ll pave the way to be the next icon in the music industry.

If you’re child seems to have interest in the piano, tolerate it. Support this talent. If you can’t teach your child yourself, try getting someone who could spend quality time in putting the extra effort to share some knowledge and lessons on the piano. Better yet, enroll him in a music school.

Children gets easily frustrated so you have to be more creative if you’re planning to let your child be the musician that you wanted him to be. Let him enjoy while learning. Your child might not know the essence why you keep on nagging him to play but in the future he’ll thank you a bunch.

To get him really interested, buy a piano or keyboard. Put it in a part of the room where your child can easily access it. Best of all, play with it like a champ. Make your child see that you are actually touching your piano. This will toggle his curiosity and will definitely lead him into participating or playing.

Now, if you see the sudden interest in your child, it’s time to gather the needed materials to do the teaching. Usually, the equipments involved would be the piano, a music sheet, time and a lot of patience. Kids are playful. Even at hard times, like when the child is being stubborn, you have to invest a lot of patience to maintain the composure.

Here are some of the factors that are needed to be considered before starting your lesson…

Time
Kids as kids have a lot of things to conjure their time to. They are too busy with things regarding school, playmates and playtime. It’s hard to insert even a second of your time with all these activities. Squeeze in your piano time by making a time schedule. Ponder on your child’s schedule then plan it. Be sure to give at least 2-3 times a week, 1-2 hours a day.

Fun
Instill in your child that learning the piano has its benefits. Learning any instrument doesn’t have to come out as a task or punishment. Make sure your child is having fun with every lesson. You have to think of ways to make it more enjoyable like giving your child rewards if a chord had been done correctly. Strictness during practice makes it stressful on the part of the child. He’ll start to think that piano lessons are a bore and is another chore that had to be done before the end of the day. If they fool around with the keys, don’t get mad. They’re just getting the hang of it.

Support
You should always be there to let your child know that every lesson taught is vital. Before making your child perform and memorize a single key, make sure that you have demonstrated it first. Then let them do it. After which, ask your child to identify the keys that have been pressed. This would let them remember your lessons by the end of the day. Always praise your child for a job well done.

Learn on How to Perfectly Practice the Piano

Playing the piano requires long hours of practicing especially when a big musical event is coming. With all the factors that are needed to play the piano, one very basic yet important thing will be discussed in this article.

One factor that some professionals dare not forget… practice. Even if you know all the fingerings and notes, even if you can read the music well, it won’t mean a thing. Practice is the essence of it all. You have to be committed in your genre therefore practicing it every day; if not everyday then at least thrice a week.

If you’re having difficulty training yourself with your practice hours, here are some notes to ponder upon.

Note # 1

Make a daily schedule for practice and comply with it. Be determined to stick to your schedule. It is a must to condition yourself into practicing everyday so that your body will get used to the routine. At first, it could be tedious and boring but as you go on learning the essentials, it becomes more fun hearing the way you play.

Note # 2

Your piano must be put in a place that you won’t feel cluttered. Your music room must be free from anything that might distract you like a radio or anything noisy. This enables you to concentrate when practicing. Also, make sure that there is proper lighting where your piano is placed. But remember that your piano must not be exposed to extreme sunlight for this might destroy some sensitive parts of your piano.

Note # 3

Always warm up. Exercise your fingers with some simple notes then proceed to the hard ones. If you have no idea on how to warm up those fingers, ask someone who knows. An exercise must let your fingers stretch to reach some keys that are hard to reach. This will become helpful when playing fast paced notes and music. Don’t let your hands touch a key while it still feels stiff and rusty.

Note # 4

Review the past lessons learned before starting a lesson. This would be the next thing after warming up. If you have not finished the music yesterday, recall what you played then continue it. Better yet, start the whole thing to be able to follow.

Note # 5

Follow your manual and instructor’s directions. Help her help you learn. To relieve boredom, play the piano at the same time, like a duet. Tell your instructor your interests and ask her to play it for you so you might know it and therefore pave the way into practicing it even without her presence.

Note # 6

Make your practice as goal-oriented as possible. A goal will make you more focused and concentrated because you have something to be achieved. To finish a goal will make you feel satisfied and fulfilled.

Note # 7

Always maintain a positive attitude when practicing. When you plan to play the piano without anyone to guide you, just remember all the lessons that your tutor has taught you. Do not give up that easily when it has become hard. If you are being stressed, rest for a while. Give yourself time to breathe.

Try to figure out a technique with every practice for it to come out natural and unique in your own way.

Playing Guitar the Easy way

If you are quite the enthusiast when it comes to musical instruments and you have your heart set on that beautiful guitar you saw last week, better start brushing on those fingers. There are some ways you can learn on how to become an excellent guitarist. But first, the basics.

First and foremost, you must have your own guitar. How can you learn to play without the proper instrument at hand? You have to determine first what type of guitar to play. Borrowing a guitar would be okay, but what if you can’t borrow it on a regular basis? Your training and practice will be hampered.

Then choose a particular song that you like, something that always sets you in the mood for a good vibe. Better yet, something inspiring. Inspiring enough to encourage you to try and play the chords over and over again.

Once you have decided on which particular song gets you going and yet you don’t have any idea on how to put on a tune, ask someone who has the knowledge in playing a guitar work it out for you. Let him read the tabs. If you don’t know how, let someone interpret it for you. Here, teamwork is essential. The same person may also be able to help you in determining which finger goes where to achieve the right sound.

A very good advice on learning is listening by heart. It doesn’t depend on the chords themselves but the musician. He creates a melody just by listening to every strum of his guitar.
   
Statistics show that almost 90% of those who plays the guitar admit they learned it the hard way. In fact, playing the guitar is quite harder than it looks like. It is by far easier to hear than to comprehend. Learning without some background or even a slight help from someone is difficult for a newbie.

If you can’t afford a personal instructor, might as well buy a book about the do’s and don’ts of learning a guitar. Aside from that, it would also be challenging on your part to guess where to put the most important finger on the most important string. Buy a step by step guide on acquiring the basic and most vital chords that usually appears on almost every song and melody.

Then you ask, do you still need a guide. It is necessary though. You need someone to listen to you. He or she must determine if your fingers are positioned in their proper places. A reference material or an online tutorial will surely be of big help but it won’t be able to hear if you’re out of tune or if you’re really playing on the right track. Call out for help and monitoring.

First, focus yourself on the basic chords and not the hard ones. Chords like A, A minor, E, E minor, D, G  are easier to work on. There are varieties of songs which contain only these chords. Mastering your fingers to change strings every change of tempo enables a beginner to develop a faster pace.

Take your time. A lot of great guitarists acquired the skill only after a long period of time. Apply no pressure on yourself. Be patient when you’re not getting it right. The trick in learning is to create a positive attitude.

Learn to Play Guitar Note

When playing any musical instrument, you need to learn how to play the notes. If you want to play any instrument, you have to have one and this is especially true if you want to play a guitar. The notes are played on the guitar’s fret board. Learn to play guitar notes now and you too can conquer the guitar’s fret board.

You don’t have to be scared of the fret board. Even if it seems that it’s hard to learn the notes, if you really want to learn how to play the guitar, this should not discourage you.

Playing the very first songs on your guitar will be easier if you know the notes on the first guitar string. On this string, there are three notes – E, F (first fret), and G (third fret). The second string is B, C (first fret), and D (third fret). Now that you know the notes, you have to conduct some exercises. Slowly play these notes and make sure that you concentrate to learn notes well.

You don’t have to say all the notes out loud when you’re practicing. You can do this inside your mind and then slowly play them. You must know the notes as well as their names, and most especially their sounds. Know them by heart. You can start by playing simply melodies like that of nursery rhymes.

After mastering the notes on the first two strings, you have to proceed on the third string. G is the open string and the other note is A (second fret). When you know these notes already, start playing them together with the other notes you’ve learned previously. Again, you must stick with simple songs. You don’t have to work on all the notes at once. Try to master each of the notes and learn them consciously. Even small children can learn guitar notes easily. Follow these steps and in no time, you can play the notes on the guitar.

Learning to play guitar notes will be very hard if you don’t have your own guitar. You can’t depend entirely on the music sheets that you have. You have to hear the notes being played on the guitar’s fret board. Many beginners fail to learn because they don’t have guitars on their hands. Once you learn the notes, you can now read advanced music guitar sheets.

Everyone knows nursery rhymes and even if you’re all grown up, you still know these songs. It will be a lot easier to learn the notes by using these simple songs. Once you master and memorize the notes, you can now play the songs that you like.

Guitar notes are not really hard to learn as long as you know what to do. You don’t need an expert teacher in order to learn these things. You can teach yourself these note lessons by using DVD programs or internet guitar programs. You can also use an instruction book. Still, if you can afford the expensive guitar teachers, you can always hire them. But let this serve as a reminder, no matter how good your teacher is, if you don’t have the right attitude in learning, you will not learn anything.

You see, guitar playing is like the lessons that you learn in school. You must know the notes by heart, you have to be motivated and you must be persistent.

Easily Learn to Play Electric Guitar

You can’t learn to play any musical instrument if you don’t own one especially in the case of an electric guitar. So if you want to easily learn to play an electric guitar, you should find the perfect guitar to suit your playing style.

Once you find the electric guitar that you love, you can now learn to play it. As compared to an acoustic guitar, electric guitars are mush easier to play. It would also be best if you can purchase a pick and an amp.

As you may have noticed, the electric guitar has several buttons or switches and you need to learn all of them. But before anything else, you should know the essentials in learning to play such a musical instrument.

Each kind of guitar has its own qualities. You have to familiarize yourself with the electric guitar’s qualities and features. Know all the guitar’s knobs or switches. You must know how to control them so that once you start playing the guitar you will know the right mixes of the knobs or switches.

If you can do this, you can expect the guitar’s sound to be at its best. Electric guitars are not simple instruments. Before you can effectively play this type of guitar, you would have to spend a huge portion of your time in learning to play it. Most especially, you need to learn to mix the tones and sounds together.

Aside from the electric guitar, you also need to get an amp and that was already mentioned awhile ago. Guitar amps are available in many sizes and you need to get the appropriate guitar amp. Since you’re a beginner, you need to get an amp that you can use during practice sessions. Buy only the best quality amp and make sure that you try it out before paying for it. Some stores allow their customers to test the amps at its highest point. Also, remember to purchase an amp that already has a distortion box because this is very important when it comes to playing an electric guitar.

There are many songs and guitar tracks using electric guitars. You need to be familiar with these said tracks so that learning to play such instrument will be a lot easier. If you’re a good listener to these guitar tracks and songs, you will learn fast. Try to reproduce the sounds you hear and if you can do it, then you can tell if you’re learning.

You can find further techniques, information, and tips online if you’re determined to learn to play an electric guitar. Remember these three essentials in learning to play such guitar: have your own electric guitar, get other guitar accessories like a pick and amps, and listen to guitar tracks or songs. If you know these three essentials, you’re on your way to learning to play an electric guitar.

So you see, you can easily learn to play an electric guitar by knowing the essentials. Now its time to pick out the method to use – whether you will hire a professional guitar instructor, buy a guitar instruction book, or learn through DVD programs and other internet guitar programs.

Be sure to choose the appropriate method to learn quickly. Your learning will depend greatly on your personality and attitude. If you’re patient, determined, and motivated, you can will not encounter many problems in learning to play the electric guitar.