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The Advantages Of Digital Pianos Vs Acoustic Pianos

Published by UnderInstruments on

If you’re interested in taking up the piano, you’re eventually going to have to make a very big decision: do you go all out with an acoustic piano or merely stick to a smaller digital model? There are a couple of pros and cons to each, but many traditionalists will lead you to believe that acoustic is the only way to go. If you think of it in purely practical terms however, the arguments for going the digital route just might win you over. Consider the following:

1 – Price Range

First and foremost, digital pianos are significantly more affordable than traditional models. Pianos are also like any other instrument where the quality is greatly dependent upon how much you pay in most cases. Fortunately, the difference between lower and higher end electric models are much less severe.

It’s also easy to find smaller digital keyboards for even lower prices. This allows new players to develop a feel for the instrument without too much of an investment. Far too many people have gone all in with an acoustic piano, only to seldom use them after the fact.

2 – Space

Of course, acoustic pianos also take up quite a lot of space. It’s simply more convenient to have a digital model that can easily be stored away in a closet or case when not in use. Traditional pianos are not only an investment from the financial end; they are incredibly demanding of you room as well.

3 – Maintenance

It’s obviously also quite a bit easier to take care of digital pianos than acoustic models. There’s no need to change or tune wires. In fact, the need for any replacement components of any kind is incredibly rare. With an electric keyboard, you simply plug the AC adapter or USB cable in and play. Keeping an acoustic piano going through the years is quite a bit of work in comparison.

Of course, there are several other advantages at play. Since it’s easier to take care of digital pianos and they’re also vastly more affordable, the barrier for entry is much lower in general. Practice will be easier since the instrument will be so much accessible. The downsides such as overall audio quality and feel are certainly present, but many professional musicians have made fantastic careers for themselves by focusing on keyboards in place of traditional pianos. If you’re on a budget and you’re just getting into music for the first time, the choice to go digital should be clear.

A Discussion On Where You Can Take Music Lessons Online

Published by UnderLearning on

When it comes to learning music, there are many options available to you. Of course, one of the first things you need to do is determine what type of instrument you’d like to learn. There are lots of options to choose from such as the guitar, piano, cello, violin, drums etc. Once you’ve decided on a specific instrument, then you can look into specific music lessons. Of course, you can hire a tutor, however, this can be quite costly. One alternative is to look for music lessons online. We will now take a closer look at the options available to you.

If you’re looking to learn to play piano online, there are many free and paid options available to you. As a matter of fact, you can learn music without ever having to buy lessons. There are hundreds, if not thousands of websites that offer completely free music lessons that range from beginner to intermediate and even advanced tutorials. Many of these websites offer extremely detailed tutorials that will not only teach you how to read music but every step of playing a specific instrument. If you’re more of a visual learner, then you can check YouTube for video lessons that are also free of charge. There are many channels that offer completely free music video tutorials that are suited for students of all levels. This is also a great option if you want to learn to play specific songs using specific instruments.

Next, in addition to free options, there are also many websites that offer paid music tutorials. These websites usually specialize in a specific instrument and offer extremely detailed lessons that will take you from being a beginner to a professional. One of the best things about these paid sites is that they often have a very active community where you can interact with other students and musicians. You can also post your questions and even concerns and receive almost immediate responses. Also, in addition to the written and video lessons, you are usually also assigned to a specific music teacher that you can contact if you have any questions. They are also typically available on Skype in case you need help with any lesson.

We have just covered how you can find music lessons online. However, in order to get better at any instrument, you need to actually practice. This means that you should be less concerned with your teacher or method of learning and rather your own commitment to music. It is essential that you set aside at least an hour every day in order to practice playing your instrument and going through your music lessons. This is the only way to actually get better and move from a beginner to an intermediate player.

In closing, there are many ways that you can learn music online as well as what you need to do in order to succeed. Learning to play an instrument takes time so make sure and be patient and you will certainly achieve your musical goals.

A Beginner’s Top Tips For Learning The Piano

Published by UnderLearning on

Learning to play an instrument is always an exciting, interesting, and highly fulfilling experience.

While there are many important lessons to complete along the journey of learning, many of these lessons tend to come upon reflection. A teacher may attempt to encourage particular practices, but you may not see the value of these practices until much later. Below are some top tips for learning the piano for beginner players from a seasoned pianist.

The Different Tips For Learning The Piano

1. Have A Balance Of Pieces For Beginner And Advanced Levels

Contrary to belief, a person can benefit a great deal from having a balance of pieces for their level and more advanced levels. This is important because you will be able to focus on the pieces for your level, but have some challenging items to keep your mind “sharp”. Of course, there is no point in tackling the more advanced pieces immediately as these will be too difficult to perform. It is also possible that you will lose confidence in your abilities if you try advanced pieces are able to play them. While you should keep a variety of pieces, it is also important to take a break from strenuous pieces and not push yourself too much.

2. Always Practice Scales, Arpeggios, And Chords

As the cats in Disney’s film ‘Aristocats’ state, you need to practice your chords and arpeggios. This is one of the most important aspects to learning the piano and, unfortunately, it is considered a tedious task by many students. Despite its tedious nature, practicing these elements is essential to developing dexterity and skill on the piano. It is recommended that you incorporate a routine of practicing scales, chords and arpeggios at each practice session before playing any pieces. It works!

3. Have A Disciplined Schedule For Piano Practice

To improve your skill on any instrument, it is essential that you have a disciplined practice schedule. While some individuals feel that longer practice sessions are more beneficial, this is untrue and shorter sessions can be more advantageous. It is recommended that one keep practice sessions short and regular allowing you to extract knowledge (and remember it!). The ideal session routine is thirty minutes per day, but each individual has a unique learning method and you need to find yours.

4. Concentrate On Sight Reading Skills

When you concentrate on only a few piano pieces, it is easy to commit the pieces to memory quickly. Once this is done, you will no longer be reading the sheet music but playing from memory. While this can be a beneficial ability, it can cause your sight reading skill to weaken which is detrimental. Sight reading should be kept sharp to allow you to read different music pieces with ease. Working on sight reading skills can be done my consistently performing new pieces that are a few levels below you focusing on the sight reading aspect exclusively.

5. Using The Correct Piano

When I began learning how to play the piano, I was unsure if the piano I was using was suitable for me. When learning an instrument, it is important that you consider the type of gear you use and this is the case when learning the piano. Choosing a piano with a reduced number of keys, semi-weighted keys, and no touch response can influence your future playing dramatically. Fortunately, there are several guides available online that can help you determine the most appropriate piano for your needs.

The Different Mistakes Beginner Piano Players Make

1. Not Practicing

Both adults and children live busy lives in the 21st century making it difficult to prioritize certain tasks, and one of these tasks tends to be piano practice. While some people feel not practicing regularly is not a large problem, this is untrue. To ensure constant improvement in piano, it is essential that you allocate a certain practice time to make it part of your regular routine.

2. Placing The Piano In An “Out Of Sight” Location

While placing a piano or keyboard in an “out of sight” location could maximize space usage in a home, this is not recommended. When placing the piano in an area where you are unable to see it on a regular basis, it is unlikely that you will be encouraged to practice. Instead, it is advised that you set up the instrument in a prominent position where it is easily accessible.

3. Practicing What You Already Know

While it can be enjoyable to play pieces you are familiar with, this can be detrimental to your progression. Many students become excited when they make progress; therefore, it is recommended that you make it your goal to try a new piece during each practice session to keep your mind sharp and continue piano playing progression.

Choosing Piano Vs Guitar For Beginners

Published by UnderInstruments on

Everyone loves the idea of being a musician. Only a few people actually take the steps to do it. Sometimes it’s due to being too busy. Other times it’s fear. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of not knowing what instrument they want to learn.

There are two incredibly popular instruments for beginners; the guitar and the piano. They each have their difficulties and their rewards. They also both have a different image associated with them. So here are some tips on choosing which instrument to play, piano or guitar.

Ease of Use

The first thing to consider is how often you’ll get to play. Guitars are much easier to carry, which means you’ll have more opportunities to practice. When you go out to the park, or over to a friend’s house, you can bust out the guitar and play a few songs.

If a person can play the piano then they can also play a synthesizer. This means the piano is somewhat portable. However, it’s not nearly as portable as the guitar.

That said, some people have different ways to play and practice. They may be part of an organization that already has a music group and therefore a practice room with a piano. Or they may have Grandma’s old upright piano in their living room and often have guests over. If this describes you, then choosing the piano may be a good idea.

Hand Size and Finger Strength

The next thing to look at when deciding piano vs guitar is your hands. Playing the guitar requires keeping your hands in a claw-like shape. You then must apply pressure to the strings, which can scratch and break the skin. Your fingers will grow tougher over time, but in the early days, this can hurt.

For the piano, bigger hands can help but aren’t vital. In addition, you don’t need to apply as much strength to the keys. This means the piano is easier for younger people or people with small hands. It can also be easier for people with arthritis, or other disabilities that hinder hand strength while still leaving limited functionality.

Which One Do You Enjoy Most?

This is perhaps the most important question in deciding to play the beginner piano or the beginner guitar. It takes years of practice to gain true mastery of any skill, and this is especially true of musical skills. An instrument you don’t enjoy is an instrument you’ll put down and never touch again.

In addition, if you truly enjoy playing an instrument then you’ll be practicing all the time! So don’t feel like you should force yourself to enjoy music practice. If you’re dreading the idea of playing one instrument, even if you otherwise think it’s a good idea, that’s a sign to move on.

At the end of the day, no two beginner musicians are the same. Everyone has their own abilities and weaknesses, and the piano and guitar are two incredibly different instruments. All you can do is consider what you want and what you can do, and choose based on that.

Which Universities are the Best for Music Students?

Published by UnderSchools on

If you’re planning to go to school for music, you’ll want to make sure you select a great university. Attending the right school will provide you with a great education.

It will also make it easier for you to find employment after you graduate. These are a few of the things you should be looking at if you’re trying to find the best universities for music students.

What are the Instructors Like?

If you want to figure out what your experiences will be like in a program, the best thing you can do is look at your instructors. How much experience do they have? Are they an instructor that you will be able to learn a lot from?

You should try to find an instructor that will be able to teach you a great deal. It’s been said that a program is only as good as its instructors. Try to find a school that employs a number of excellent music instructors.

Which Musicians Graduated from this Program?

If you want to make sure you’ll have career opportunities after graduating from a program, you’ll want to take a look at the program’s alumni. Check to see how many successful musicians graduated from this program.

If many of the program’s graduates have gone on to great success, there’s an excellent chance that you will be able to see the same results. Search for a program that has a very strong track record.

Is the Program a Match for Someone Like Me?

If your specialty is jazz music, you’ll want to find a school with an excellent jazz program. If you play the cello, you’ll want to look for a school with a strong symphony orchestra. You can’t just search for a school that has an acclaimed music program. You need to make sure that the program fits your needs.

Think about what you want to get out of this music program. Will the university be able to offer the things you’re looking for? Find a program that will help you to grow as a musician. When you graduate from the program, you should feel like you’ve received more than a degree.

If you’re going to be a music major, you won’t want to attend just any school. You’ll want to find a university and a program that’s a good fit for someone like you. You should work to identify the top universities for people that are studying music.

Popular Universities:

https://music.catholic.edu/

http://www.hartford.edu/hartt/

https://calarts.edu/

Buying Piano Guide – The Story

Published by UnderUncategorized on

All pianos aren’t the exact same. In the event the piano hasn’t been used for quite a while, it is sensible to expect it will require tuning, and some wear and tear is not something which should necessarily be taken as a negative point. Upright pianos may have a couple of pedals. Based on the retailer, you could possibly be in a position to buy that exact piano for significantly less.

Visit different piano dealers, and if at all possible, bring along someone that has been playing the piano for quite a long time. Every piano should include a bench and at least one totally free tuning. The piano may be a superior investment. however, it may also be expensive and thus don’t be scared to ask questions. Generally speaking, if you plan to purchase a used piano or maybe to rebuild one which you should receive a detailed, itemized list of any work that has been or will be carried out. Picking the proper piano for the ideal price is a trying situation involving a range of factors.