Our Latest Blog on Music & Instruments

Five Tools for Playing More Musically

Beautiful bridge reflection in upright bass

By Patrick Neher
 

First of all, “If you have nothing to “say,” then you have no reason to play!”

How to begin reading piano music

Children reading music on a piano

Many people are eager to start learning how to play the piano, but become overwhelmed when first starting out. Here I have broken down how to first start reading piano music into three simple steps. I hope this will encourage you to begin learning how to play the piano or pick up again where you left off!

The Drop D Tuning

G power chord in standard and drop d tuning

By Rod Ferreira
 

One question I tend to get a lot is about alternative tunings on the guitar, which is nothing more than messing with your standard way of tuning the guitar ( E B G D A E) in order to have different open strings which will create the ability of playing certain chord voicing that normally would be hard or impossible to reach.

How to Change Strings on Your Guitar

string changing tool with cat

Changing strings on you guitar can be frustrating, even a little frightening (“what if the string breaks and pops me in the eye?”).  But whether you like to change them often to maintain that crisp, new-string sound, or if you like to leave them on for months or years until they’re caked with rust, or even if you only ever change a string when it breaks, if you play the guitar, you’ll have to change strings sometime.  

How to Practice

practice the guitar

Everyone needs to practice to become proficient on their instrument. I personally have spent countless hours (and still do) doing exactly that—all in pursuit of a deeper rapport with the guitar. Ambitions vary greatly, as does the amount of time needed to achieve the goals that are aspired to. It’s an ongoing process which never really ends as long as the musician retains the desire to evolve.

Benefits of Working with a Vocal Coach

Vocal Coach Liz Turner performs

By Liz Turner

Many students are skeptical of taking voice lessons, thinking, “Do I really need to take lessons to train my voice?” The answer is yes! If you want to learn how to sing with proper technique, and with good vocal health, then taking voice lessons with a professional vocal coach will help you grow tremendously as a singer!

Here are some of my tips to help show you how beneficial it is for you to work with a Vocal Coach:

Introduction to Guitar Genres with John Heussenstamm

John Heussenstamm Introductory Videos

Check out these quick intros to country electric, jazz fusion, folk, electric blues, and jazz by John Heussenstamm. Known for his popular educational books from Hal Leonard publishers and his radical playing technique, John is a real find as a teacher. 

Saxophone Master Class with Dave Liebman Released

Lieb Saxophone Master Class

Available on DVD and via online streaming: the Saxophone Master Class with Dave Liebman. In over 180 minutes of footage, Lieb covers three part breathing, a discussion on describing sound, the larynx, lip placement, mouthpiece exercise, overtone exercises, tongue placement, articulation, using expressive devices, and equipment. The course is compiled from his live master class in the fall, recorded with live students, and with some additional information intercut in a later session.

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