Guitar practice young girl
Local Music Lessons Are Necessary for Learning to Read Sheet Music
So you want to learn how to read sheet music? Local music lessons will teach you about these aspects of sheet music!


Understand the Structure of Sheet Music

Before you can read music, you must first understand all that is incorporated in a piece of sheet music.

  • The Staff is a grid made up of spaces and lines upon which the music is written.
  • The Treble Clef is used for instruments that produce a high pitch.
  • The Bass Clef is for lower pitched instruments.
  • The Key Signature signifies which whether the notes are sharp or flat.
  • The Time Measure indicates the speed at which the notes are played.

Take Music Lessons

Music lessons will reiterate the importance of understanding the structure of sheet music. Then the information required for understanding notes can be taught. Once you understand the theory and technique behind notes, you...

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Kids Playing the Piano
Tips for Teaching Piano Lessons to Four and Five Year Old Students
Many teachers unfamiliar with teaching piano lessons to children under six have asked me questions over the years since that is something I am very familiar with, so here is an article with a few tips to help. These tips and techniques were developed over years of teaching private lessons to four and five year old students, and although they are not by any means the last word on the subject, overall I would consider them good advice.

I most often worked with the Alfred All-in-One series for younger beginners for the “book portion” of the lessons, and usually found it to provide an effective foundation for reading. I have found that lots of repetition and explanation with the occasional redirection, and a well written lesson plan for both parents and students to follow is usually the key to optimize working with any student under age six.

The following is a basic outline (not necessarily exactly in this order, but in general it seems to work well). You will have to go back...

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A Banjo
Banjo Lessons and Instructors
Banjos, while not as popular as the guitar, have a great deal of character and can be a tool for creating awesome music. Like any other instrument, the banjo can be learned, but it takes time and resources, whether you learn banjo with a teacher or not. If you’re serious about learning, then take some of the advice below.

When assessing your goals in your search for an instructor, it is important to understand the difference between the two types of the instrument – the four string and the five string banjo. The four string is used in traditional barbershop and folk styles and played with the right hand often holding a pick and strumming chords, similar in technique to the ukulele.

The five string banjo is the type used for bluegrass where the strings are picked with the right hand rapidly one at a time in a pattern. This is the style of Appalachian bluegrass music made famous in the movie “Deliverance.” Famous bluegrass five string pickers include Earl Scruggs and Ralph ...

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Duel Pianos
Getting Dueling Piano Lessons
The piano is a wonderful and time-honored instrument that millions have found enjoyment in. Dueling pianos is a type of piano show in which two or more people play pianos on stage. They take turns playing songs and singing, and there are sometimes comedy bits and other routines thrown in as well. Audience requests are usually taken and performed. Shows like this are pretty challenging, so it can be helpful to take some dueling piano lessons before you will be able to really shine.

Taking lessons as a normal pianist is the first step. You can find a local piano tutor in your area through the classifieds section of newspapers, local ad agencies, and classifieds web sites. Getting a teacher recommended to you by someone you trust for dueling piano lessons is preferable, but this won't always be possible.

You will probably have trouble finding a piano teacher who knows dueling pianos, but there are some online resources available to help you out. There are a few teachers wh...

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Learning to Play Guitar
Fingerstyle Guitar Instruction
Fingerstyle is a method of playing stringed instruments. In fingerstyle, the fingers and/or fingernails are used to pluck and strum the strings of the instrument instead of using a bow or pick. Fingerstyle guitar has often been associated with the country and bluegrass genres, but the technique can be found in just about every type of music. Today is a great time to learn to play, because the internet makes finding quality fingerstyle guitar instruction a simple task. Having a computer is almost as good as having a real live teacher.

Fingerstyle guitar playing is often associated with acoustic guitars, but anything that can be played on an acoustic guitar can also be played on an electric guitar. Certain pieces may be designed for one or the other, however. You can find some great fingerstyle guitar instruction at AcousticFingerstyle.com . This site has plenty of fingerstyle resources such as bo...

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Couple Swing Dancing on Broadway
Learn Swing Dancing for Fun Fitness
This form of dance has been popular for social dancer of all ages for many years. Swing dancing is a couple’s dance where the girl is lifted, spun, swung and twirled. It is lively and great fun. You can learn swing dancing to be able to participate in these social dancing events, or for the aerobic fitness of it.

If you are decided to learn swing dancing, you will probably be able to find several dance schools in your area where you can take lessons. Many people find that through taking these classes, they not only up their fitness level, but also make new friends who share a common interest.

You can also learn swing dancing on your own, at home with instructional DVDs; however, you will at least need a dance partner. It is a social dance, after all. This dance is meant to be engaging and interactive. Partners hold hands, as opposed to placing hands on each other’s shoulders and hips.

You can learn swing dancing as a couple. It’s a great hobby to pursue...

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Lanois Lap Steel Guitar Harley Benton Slider II
Something Different: Lap Steel Guitars
Almost everyone is familiar with the guitar, but lap steel guitars are something of an oddity, a rare sight at most concerts and music halls. However, they are becoming more popular and can be found in movies, commercials, and an expanding number of musical genres. These lap steel guitars are placed on one's lap or a stool and are played while sitting down. They produce a slightly twangier, smoother sound than regular guitars, and are sometimes used in Hawaiian and Bluegrass musical styles. There are several differences between lap steel guitars and ordinary or Spanish-style guitars, but they retain the flexibility and complexity of ordinary guitars.

There are three main types of lap steel guitars – lap slide guitars, resonator guitars, and electric lap steel guitars. Lap slide guitars are built and produce sound like an ordinary guitar, using a wooden soundboard. These guitars have also been known as Hawaiian guitars and generally have square n...

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Close up Banjo Strings
Banjo Chords
The banjo is the greatest instrument of all time - a four, five, or six string instrument like a guitar, only better! It is popularly associated with bluegrass, country, and folk music styles. If you are new to the banjo, you should be ready for a fun experience with a very up-tempo and interesting instrument! Like any other musical instrument, it will take dedication and lots of practice. A good place to start is to learn the fundamental banjo chords and practice until you can do them perfectly. You can gradually learn more interesting and complex chords, but you have to start with the basics.

Begin by putting on your finger picks – one for your thumb, one for your first finger, and one for your second finger. The picks make it easier to single out individual strings, and give the banjo chords and notes a twangier sound. The easiest of all chords is the G chord – it is played by simply strumming all the strings with your right hand, without holding...

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