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Instructions on How To Care For Your Violin or Cello

3/24/2023

So, you (or someone in your family) has finally signed up for those violin lessons you've been wanting for ages. What to do about an instrument?

We at Los Angeles Music Teachers firmly believe that for beginners, rental is the best option for the first few months (at the very least). Purchasing an instrument is a very personal thing which requires the development of the musical "ear", or the ability to distinguish the qualities of one instrument from another.

Violin lessons near me, viola lessons near me, cello lessons near me

It takes time to reach this point. From our perspective, it makes sense to wait until one has sufficient experience before making a major investment in an instrument.

Another advantage to renting a violin or cello is that size exchanges can be made at any time. As your child grows the size of the violin or cello also needs to grow. At some point, your child will outgrow the first instrument. The rental insurance coverage for theft or damage assures peace of mind, which is particularly important when it is a child who is handling the instrument.

Considering all of these benefits, making rental payments for a time can constitute money well spent. And, if one decides to purchase an instrument later on, Depending on where you rent the Violin, a percentage of what has been spent in rental fees can be applied towards this purchase.

Tips on care and maintenance:

Never do home repairs: one false move can destroy the value of your instrument. We strongly recommend that all repairs be done by a professional.
Keep the instrument away from radiators. It's best to keep it in a humidified environment in the winter, as dryness can cause cracks. As an alternative to expensive room humidifiers, try using a "Dampit" These small accessories are extremely affordable and fit right in your case.
Never leave the instrument in the trunk of your car. Summer heat can actually cause varnish to bubble or melt off. Glue also dissolves in heat, leaving the instrument vulnerable to open seams. It goes without saying that you should never (ever!) expose an instrument to direct sunlight.
Never leave the instrument unattended in your car. This can be an invitation for a thief, and is not covered by your JSI renter's insurance.
Do not put scotch tape, masking tape, or lick-on stickers on your instrument, bow, or case. (If you must, use adhesive tape or peel-off stickers ONLY, and only on the fingerboard.)
Always loosen the bow after playing.
Use a natural fiber or other lint-free cloth to wipe rosin off the instrument whenever you've ceased playing for the day. Too much leftover rosin is bad for the sound, as well as for the varnish.
Periodically check your bridge for straightness (or have your teacher check it). A warped bridge will eventually fall over and/or crack.
Occasionally check any fine tuners to make sure they are not wound too tight. If they are, loosen them and re-tune with the pegs. It is possible for tuners to get stuck; in some cases the tension can cause a string to break.
When you need to change an entire set of strings, do not remove all of the old ones at once. You will lose the proper placement of the bridge, and the lack of tension may cause the soundpost to fall down. For instructions on the correct way to replace strings, look here.
Be careful not to tap the tip of your bow against anything solid (even gently). This very delicate part of the bow breaks easily and is very difficult to repair. If any parts of the bow should fall off (such as the ivory button or slide), hang on to them and take the bow in for immediate repair: these are very expensive to replace.
If you use a shoulder rest, be sure to remove it before closing the case over your instrument. Forcing the case closed could crack the top of your violin or viola.
Always check to see that the case is fully latched and zippered before you pick it up.
Cellos should be carried in an upright position against the body - not down like a suitcase.
In crowd situations, put your instrument in an out-of-the-way place so that no one will sit on it, step on it, or trip over it. Cellos in soft cases are particularly vulnerable.
Label the instrument case with your name, address and phone number, just in case.

If you have any questions you are welcome to call us for advice on best practices for renting or buying a string instrument like violin or cello. Our teachers will also help answer any questions and guide you as you take lessons. If you're interested in signing up for lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, please contact us at (818)902-1233 or on our website at https://www.losangelesmusicteachers.com/online-violin-lessons-in-burbank-ca.html

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Top 10 Tips To Tackling And Transforming Piano Technique

3/20/2023

Piano Lessons at Los Angeles music teachers in Burbank

Musical performances have always been part of history. Since the advent of the piano, as a musical instrument, performers have always stunned their audience at concerts so phenomenally. History is replete with the remarkable achievements of piano grandmasters such as J. S. Bach and Franz Liszt. Generally, 18th-century musicians opine that music should be performed with good execution as it must possess something to say or talk about. Interestingly, learners can gain the right technical approach to this practice by seeking the best piano lessons in Burbank. Here are some helpful piano training tips that can substantially elevate a learner’s skills when incorporated.

1. Maintain a natural posture
Keyboardists are always advised to maintain a calm posture and portray good deportment when addressing the keyboard. This can be effectively achieved by ensuring a comfortable seating posture while maintaining an appropriate distance from the keyboard for enhanced ease of movement.

2. Adopt the right gesture
Oftentimes, small gestures determine how musical concepts are developed. When it comes to transforming one’s personal technique, it is strongly advisable to ensure that every physical gesture adopted corresponds with the music.

3. Ensure proper use of the full arm
As a constituent of the full arm, the forearm provides support to the hand which in turn supports the fingers. It is best to ensure that the forearm is well-positioned to ensure easy movement of the hand (sideways, upward and downward).

4. Make the wrist flexible
Playing with a supple wrist can bring about a seamless execution of gestures. The legendary music tutor, Beethoven strongly advocates the development of a unique feeling of musical impulse when playing slurred notes. This would require the light withdrawal of the hand purposely.

5. Play with a compact hand
By default, the hands are meant to be kept in a compact position when playing the piano. Apart from helping to keep the arm and hand calm, this also helps to enhance finger movements.

6. Flow naturally with the fingers
There is no need to exert force while playing the piano. As a best practice, players should try to keep the muscles relaxed, as well as maintain a natural arch when working with the fingers.

7. Follow the right finger motion (fingering)
It is very easy to play the wrong note when adopting the wrong fingering. To avoid creating execution difficulties, pianists should ensure that they articulate gestures with the right fingering.

8. Try to be consistent
To achieve greater reliability, it is best to ensure full consistency by maintaining a regular hand shape.

9. Understand the structural function
The left hand is the foundation of playing the piano. This is where the bass line which is responsible for clarifying harmonic rhythm, maintaining timing, providing direction, sustaining the rhythmic energy, and setting the tempo is located. Ensure to work with the left hand by listening and building from the bass up.

10. Follow the trend
Most reputable pianist today, started by developing and incorporating concepts from the 18th century. To become a better player, the willingness to follow suit is required as this can help to bring about the desired improvement.

Conclusion
As it is commonly said, practice makes perfect. Following the best piano lessons in Burbank can set anyone on the right track to perfection.
Los Angeles Music Teachers

If you're interested in taking piano, guitar or singing lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, we have some of the best piano, guitar and singing lessons in Los Angeles. Our instructors are picked by interviewing hundreds of drum instructors and we have really high standards on both their teaching ability as well as their personality. If you'd like to talk to one of our instructors or set up a first lesson we have a guarantee that if you don't absolutely love your first lesson you don't have to pay for it. Please contact us at (818)902-1233 or on our website at https://www.losangelesmusicteachers.com/contact-us-for-info.html

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Beginner Drum Beat Breakdown

3/6/2023

This is the basic form of showing a student how to count a basic beat and separating it by steps. In this guide you will see the breakdown of the beat and then when it is all together, you will be playing your very first beat.

First we will start off counting 1-2-3-4 and Repeat 1-2-3-4 because he will be playing to these numbers. Each Number represents a beat. And I will show you during the lesson and put it on the sheet for your son. So you can practice his homework with him.

Hi Hat: (If he is a righty, use right hand on Hi-Hat) (If Lefty he plays Hi Hat with his left Hand)

Snare: (If he is a Righty, He will use his Left hand on the Snare) (If he is a lefty, he will use his right hand on the snare)

Bass Drum: (if he is a righty, his right foot will be on the bass Pedal) ( if he is a lefty, His left food will be on the bass.. pedal)

Would look like this below: R-Right Hand, L - Left Hand

Snare: R,L 1,2
Tom 2: R,L 3,4
Tom 3: R,L 5,6
Floor Tom: R,L. 7,8
Crash Cymbal R. Crash

Lesson Number 1 (first Beat)

Step 1

Tap Hi Hat on Every Number.
Tap on 1, on 2, on 3, on 4 (Count out loud when doing this)
Repeat (Twice) It will look like this when I write it out.

Hi Hat: 1-2-3-4

Step 2

Next we will add the Snare
Tap Hi Hat and Snare on 2 and 4 at the same time. (So we will Count 1 then have him hit the hi-hat and snare at the same time. So we will count 1, Tap on 2, count 3, then tap on 4) it will look like this.

Tap Hi Hat and Snare on 2 and 4 with sticks
Count: 1-2-3-4
Hi Hat: 2 4
Snare: 2 4

When he’s comfortable doing this, we will tap the hi hat on every number

Tap Hi Hat on all numbers and Snare on 2 and 4 with sticks
Count: 1-2-3-4
Hi Hat: 1-2-3-4
Snare: 2 4

Step 3

Next we will add the Bass Drum/Pedal
We will be taping the Hi-hat and bass pedal with his foot and we will be doing this at the same time but on number 1 and 3 (So we will tap and step on 1, count 2, then tap and stomp on 3, and then count 4) it will look like this below

Tap Hi Hat and step with foot on 1 and 3
Count: 1-2-3-4
Hi Hat: 1 3
Bass: 1 3

When he’s comfortable doing this, we will tap the hi hat on every number

Tap Hi Hat on all numbers and Foot on 1 and 3
Count: 1-2-3-4
Hi Hat: 1-2-3-4
Bass: 1 3

Final Step

Next we will put step 2 and 3 together
Now we will slowly put step 2 and 3 together. (On 1 it will be Hi Hat and Bass Drum, on 2 hi hat and snare, on 3 hi hat and bass drum and on 4 its hi hat and snare. Then we will end with a crash cymbal.

Tap Hi Hat and Bass on 1 and 3 and Snare on 2 and 4 I’ve color coded for you. (The Hi Hat will be going all the way through

Count: 1-2-3-4
Hi Hat: 1-2-3-4
Bass/Foot: 1 3
Snare: 2 4

If you're interested in taking Drum lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, we have some of the best drum lessons in Los Angeles. Our drum instructors are picked by interviewing hundreds of drum instructors and we have really high standards on both their teaching ability as well as their personality. If you'd like to talk to one of our instructors or set up a first lesson we have a guarantee that if you don't absolutely love your first lesson you don't have to pay for it. Please contact us at (818)902-1233 or on our website at https://www.losangelesmusicteachers.com/online-drum-lessons-in-burbank-ca.html

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