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music lessons allen tx
Research has shown that music lessons can enhance your child’s cognitive, social, and verbal skills. While classical music may seem to be the best choice in music studies to improve academic success, in fact, with active participation, any genre of music can help your child.
Students of every age should be able to rest and relax over the summer months. They have spent the year working on their studies and developing their academic abilities. Summer is a time to enjoy the freedom of a vacation. While music lessons may seem like more learning, they can add to the enjoyment of the summer months.
Playing an instrument can bring a lifetime of excitement to a child, even if their parents are not musically inclined themselves. If you can't hold a tune, though, you can still help you child become the best musician they can be. Learning an instrument is a huge deal, and without the support of a parent, it can be nearly impossible. Some of the best music lessons help your child reach their full potential. Between lessons, though, there are four huge things you can do at home to help your child get excited and passionate about music!
The experience of learning an instrument will carry your child through their entire life. Even if you do not play music yourself, there are still ways to instill the love of music to your son or daughter. For the best music schools in Allen, TX, visit Matt Burk Music Studio to start your child on the right track to becoming a rock star. Call (469) 353-6100 1 to learn more.
Music Lessons Allen TX
Matt Burk Music Studio
1701 Legacy Drive, Ste. 150
Frisco, TX 75034
United States
(469) 353-6100
A metronome is a tool that can enhance your music lessons by providing the best tempo for the piece you are playing. It creates a steady sound that enables a musician to keep the proper pace for playing a piece of music. Practicing with a metronome on a regular basis can improve your playing mastery by helping you maintain speed.
There are several types of metronomes available, from digital or wind-up models to apps on your phone. Mechanical wind-up metronomes are typically best for musicians who play classical instruments. Digital metronomes offer more features and are generally best for musicians playing more modern pieces of music. Younger musicians may do better with mechanical metronomes as watching the pendulum swing provides a visual cue to the rhythm.
Once you have decided on the best metronome for your situation, you will need to know how to set it for each piece you are playing. Many digital metronomes offer a "beats per minute" feature for determining the tempo. Select the BPM needed for each piece. On these devices, you will also need to set the volume level. The level should be loud enough to hear but not so loud as to overpower the piece you playing.
Become familiar with the sheet music you are using before start your metronome. Then practice your piece without paying too much attention to the tempo. When you know all of the notes, you can start to focus more on the proper rhythm of the music.
Begin slowly, listening to several beats of your metronome before you start to play. Focus on the areas in your piece that are problematic for you. Every piece of music typically has easier sections and more difficult areas. You may need to practice the more difficult sections of the music first before bringing everything up to tempo.
When you are comfortable with the entire piece, increase the tempo just a bit. It can help to tap your toe to the beat of the metronome. Play through the whole piece until you have mastered that speed. Increase the speed once more, and play until you are comfortable again. Continue this process until you can play the entire piece at the appropriate tempo.
Humans don't naturally keep a constant tempo. Even our heartbeats speed up and slow down. When someone plays a piece of music without a metronome, they will often speed up or slow down slightly and then try to compensate for the changes in tempo. A metronome reduces this tendency to rush or drag. Keeping a constant tempo is particularly important when musicians are playing together. If everyone is playing at their own pace, the group as a whole will be out of time with each other.
Contact Matt Burk Music Studio to schedule your music lessons in the Allen TX area. Call (469) 353-6100 today!
Music Lessons Allen TX
Matt Burk Music Studio
1701 Legacy Drive, Ste. 150
Frisco, TX 75034
United States
(469) 353-6100
From learning patience and creating beautiful music to improving your overall mood, there are many benefits to taking a music lesson to try out a new instrument. Many students master one instrument quickly or decide that they want to try a different instrument after a few lessons. Fortunately, switching instruments without becoming overwhelmed is possible. Here are a few interesting facts that will help you understand the ease of switching instruments.
When learning an instrument, your instructor will teach you the basics of playing music, including reading music and learning rhythm. These notes and rhythms are the building blocks for playing all types of music, so you will not need to learn a new set of skills in that respect when and if you decide to play a different instrument.
It is important to note that this applies to the traditional Western instruments only since many world instruments will require learning additional notes, chords and scales.
Many people feel they are unable to play multiple instruments. If you have already mastered one instrument, you can still learn, master, and play another instrument. Even if you decide to pick up a new one, you should never feel the need to stop playing an instrument once you master it.
The joy of learning music is that you can learn, master, and continue playing multiple instruments over your lifetime. Think of it more like adding an instrument to your repertoire, not necessarily "switching."
You should not stress over switching instruments, but you should prepare yourself for a few minor challenges, especially at your first music lesson.
If you are choosing to switch to an instrument in a completely different family, these challenges will be a bit more noticeable. For example, switching from a guitar to drums will require a period of adjustment to become comfortable with the new sitting position and the new role the drums have in an ensemble. You can comfortably play the guitar while holding it either standing up or sitting down while playing the drums will require the use of drumsticks while sitting down primarily. Also, you will switch from playing the melody to playing the beat.
Also, switching from the piano to a wind instrument will have its own unique set of challenges. Your fingers and hands will be used a great deal while playing the piano, but playing a wind instrument, such as a clarinet or flute, will require the use of your respiratory system. You will have to get used to your breath being a vital part of playing music.
Working through the various challenges may seem overwhelming, but remain patient through the process just as you did when learning your first instrument.
If you are considering taking a music lesson to try a new instrument or you are ready to make an instrument switch, contact Matt Burk Music Studio in the Allen, TX area at (469) 353-6100 today.
Music Lesson Allen TX
Matt Burk Music Studio
1701 Legacy Drive, Ste. 150
Frisco, TX 75034
United States
(469) 353-6100
What do you want to get out of your music lessons? Allen, TX sits close to the vibrant jazz and popular music scenes of Denton, Fort Worth, and Dallas, so you might want to focus on your ear training.
But can you learn to read a chart when you only know how to read note-by-note? Can you make the jump from classical to popular music styles?
You absolutely can -- and you can even do it without spending hours on painstaking interval drills.
We talked to Justen Blackstone, Artist Lecturer at Moravian College and co-founder of Backstage Podcast, to find out.
“Simple playback can be a fantastic way to train the ear of all ages,” said Blackstone. “A teacher can simply make up a melody on the piano and ask the student to play that melody back to them verbatim.”
Justen usually starts with a five note span on the keyboard -- C-G -- and sets progressive levels for his students.
In level one, for instance, he plays a three-note melody between C-G and asks the student to play that melody back. Level two could be a five-note pattern, and he usually progresses with a student all the way up to ten notes.
“These melodies increase in interval difficulty, length, and timing (syncopation, dotted notes, etc.),” Blackstone said. “Once the student has mastered the five-note span, I will then expand the available notes and even add sharps or flats.”
Your music lessons in Allen, TX will have a piano, but what if you don’t have a keyboard at home?
All you have to do is start with Spotify. Find a simple song (it can even be one that you know), and listen to 5-10 seconds of it before pausing; now sing that melody back. Move on to more unfamiliar and difficult songs, and increase the amount of time you go before pausing the song. Just do your best to sing it back correctly.
If you want to keep up your keyboard ear training, download an app like Melody Ear Training. It’s fun, cheap, and will dramatically improve your ear playing.
Would you like to incorporate ear training into your music lessons in Allen, TX? Give Matt Burk Music Studio a call at (469) 353-6100, or visit us online. You’ll improve your practical musicianship, and you'll be jamming at the Scat Lounge in no time.
Music Lessons Allen TX
Matt Burk Music Studio
1701 Legacy Drive, Ste. 150
Frisco, TX 75034
United States
(469) 353-6100
When you’re first learning how to play guitar, it’s common to experience set-backs and challenges. After all, you’re trying something new, and chances are, you’re not going to get everything right the first time you pick up your instrument. The important thing to remember, however, is that you’re not alone: everyone has issues when first learning to play, so don’t give up.
Some chords have your fingers positioned in extremely unnatural poses. Not only are they uncomfortable, but they are also hard to keep. On top of this, many songs have your fingers moving from chord to chord. This means once you think you have this chord down, you’ll have to switch to another, and another, very soon. Although challenging, performing this action is possible with practice. You’ll likely notice that you’ll start to get better bit by bit, and then it will become easy, so don’t give up!
There’s nothing more disappointing than getting your fingers in the right spot for a chord, and then hearing dead strings when you strum. A dead string is one that isn’t able to vibrate and therefore, make the sound it is supposed to. You will likely run into this problem if you are either pressing too hard on a string, or you aren’t using the tip of your finger to touch down on the string. Touching a string with your fingertip can present quite a challenge, as you may find it painful and unnatural. With practice, however, your finger will build calluses that make the action more comfortable and easier to perform.
You want to learn how to play guitar so that you can achieve your rock star status as soon as possible. However, you may find that you’re just not getting the hang of it as quickly as you’d like. The only way to improve is to practice more. Picking up your ax and playing here and there isn’t going to get you the results you’d like. You have to dedicate an ample amount of time to practicing to get the results you desire. There’s no set rule as to how much you should practice, but you can get an idea of what you need to do by consulting with your instructor.
The instructors at Matt Burk Music Studio have the experience and dedication to help elevate their students' skills. They will do whatever they can to help them get to their desired level. Call (469) 353-6100 or visit http://www.wannalearnmusic.com/ to learn how to play guitar in Allen, TX.
How to Play Guitar Allen TX
Matt Burk Music Studio
1701 Legacy Drive, Ste. 150
Frisco, TX 75034
United States
(469) 353-6100
