Music Lessons in Burbank CA | Los Angeles Music Teachers

The Top 3 things to avoid Bad singing habits. These cringe-worthy bad habits are high up on my list of things that make beginner singers sound well… beginner.

If your voice gets tired after a warm up routine, or you feel a strain in your neck, you might be missing a step somewhere. 

• Don’t forget to warm up your body before warming up your voice.

 

• Don’t neglect breathing exercises.

If you’ve had any formal training, you already know this: expanding your diaphragm is good, raising your shoulders is bad.

To make sure you know how to breathe correctly to improve your singing skills, stand in front of a full length mirror and place your hands at the bottom of your ribcage on both sides to locate your diaphragm muscles. While you’re breathing in through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, your goal should be to expand your diaphragm, while keeping your shoulders down.

• Don’t whisper.

So many singers make the mistake of whispering during their vocal rest days, thinking that if their cords are not vibrating, whispering should still count as resting. 

Not true.

Whispering, especially loud whispering, leads to tense muscles in the front of the neck. When you strain your neck, it becomes more difficult to sing with a healthy technique, because your voice box lacks the support from the surrounding muscles it usually relies on. 

So Try to avoid these 3 vocal warmups that could end up creating bad habits for your vocal lessons. 

For a lot of people, the image of a talented virtuoso conjures up images of pianist in a concert hall, or an expert violinist. However, the double bass is a beautiful and necessary instrument that forms the backbone of any serious orchestra; and a number of emerging studies show that playing it can help your brain, as well.
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In this article, I’ll give a quick rundown of some of the major mental and physical benefits that learning and playing the upright bass provides.

1. LEARNING THE BASS CAN HELP YOUR CHILD READ BETTER
The basic premise behind the claim is that musical performance and practice helps expose children to sounds they wouldn’t otherwise have encountered – thus firing the areas of the brain associated with sound processing, and analysis. This is known as “neurophysiological distinction”.

Developing neurophysiological distinction in a young child gives them the tools to tackle complex words and sounds in an academic setting, giving them skills that can aid in all areas of learning, but provide a special significance to reading and writing.


2. THE DOUBLE BASS IS GOOD FOR YOUR MEMORY
This isn’t necessarily a benefit unique to the upright bass, but it is one that it can give you nonetheless. Organized music lessons have a positive effect on overall IQ and general cognitive function. What’s more, the longer you keep at it, the larger the positive effects are. Memory tests administered to a control group and a group who had a musical background indicated a significant score increase in the test subjects who had affiliation with organized music education.

3. PLAYING CAN MAKE YOUR BRAIN HEALTHIER
Playing the bass is a worthwhile pursuit for a number of reasons. Studies performed on developing children showed not just a difference in brain activity, but a physical one as well – those that participated in music showed a significant increase in brain volume, as well. In layman’s terms, the grey matter in the brain is the part responsible for processing information. That means an increase in volume can have benefits such as increased attention span, improved social behavior, and a greater mental acuity and cognitive response time. Grey matter is a sign of a healthy, functioning brain – it’s the part that does the thinking.


4. THE DOUBLE BASS IS GOOD FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH AS WELL
Playing any instrument has elements of good posture and position, but the upright bass may be an instrument where these qualities matter most. Not only is it one of the more physically demanding instruments due to its large size and heavy strings, it also is typically played in an upright, standing position. This makes proper posture essential for learning, and encourages a healthy spinal column and correct vertebrae alignment that carry benefit through one’s entire life.


5. THE BASS CAN OPEN PROFESSIONAL DOORS
The upright bass is a wonderfully dynamic and versatile instrument – professional musicians that learn the double bass have a leg up in the music industry due to the flexibility of the instrument giving it a niche foothold in several different genres. Bassists are always in demand because they are a necessary part of so many different kinds of musical styles – be it jazz groups, live music, recording artists and bands, or symphony orchestras.

CONCLUSION
​If you’ve been considering taking up the double bass, I hope this article has convinced you the positive benefits are absolutely worth it. The bass not only helps your musical ear and body, but helps encourage brain health as well.

If you're interested in taking Bass lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, we have some of the  best Bass lessons in Los Angeles. Our Bass instructors are picked by interviewing hundreds of Bass 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​

What is the difference between violin, viola, and cello?

When you are learning a string instrument in Los Angeles, it is important to know the main string instruments of an orchestra. Despite the fact that all are made from the same material and combination of parts, there are less similarities than differences. Following are the main differences of these, whether you are curious or your child is trying to choose an instrument for her elective:

Size -Violin Viola and Cello

Size-wise, violin is the smallest and cello is the largest.  Although viola is bigger than violin, it is only a slight difference and hard to tell to an inexperienced person. No matter the size of the instrument, your child can learn anything he or she wants! This is because all instruments come in small sizes. I have seen the smallest girls play bass and tallest guys play violin just as successfully!

Range and Strings of each String Instrument

Tuning-wise, violas and cellos are the same (A,D,G,C) and violins don’t have the C and have the E above the A. The strings go from shorter and thinner to thicker and longer based on instrument size. The violin range goes from G3 to A7. The viola range is C3-E6, as well as possessing a deeper tone. The cello range is C2-C6.

Position

The main difference between viola and violin vs. cello is how to hold it. Cello is played sitting down and in between the knees, with the end pin on the floor balancing the instrument. Violin and viola are positioned under the chin. The bow hold is also different between violin and viola vs. cello.

Orchestra role

The traditional melodic instrument in the orchestra is the violin, and the violinist closest to the conductor on the outside is called the concertmaster. This is the most important role in the orchestra, communicating directly with the conductor and helping lead the orchestra. Violas are mainly harmonic instruments, with cellos supporting the upper strings and interchanging between bass lines, harmony and melody.

Advantage competitively

Cello and violin are the most popular instruments. Viola is the hidden gem in the sense that you have an edge if you play it really well. Additionally, violin and viola are easier to play interchangeably so consider adding viola to your list of skills if you are a violinist.
It’s never too late to learn another instrument and Los Angeles Music Teachers is here to help you do that, whether it’s your first or an additional instrument.