 If you're just learning to hold a Cello, then you're probably wondering, "what is the proper way of holding a cello?" Well it is very simple and we are gonna tell you with 6 simple steps.
First: Sit in a chair with a firm base. Some cellists prefer sitting towards the front of the chair, with the left foot slightly forward. Second: Adjust the cello endpin so the body of the cello gently rests against your chest, and the cello is balanced between your knees. Third:Use the knees to firmly steady the cello, not to grip the instrument. Fourth: The neck and scroll of the cello should be to the left of your head, with the lowest tuning peg approximately the same height as your ear (this may vary depending on the instrument and cellist). Fifth: Slightly angle the cello to the right so you are able to bow on all of the strings without having to readjust the position of the cello between your knees. Sixth: Many cellists use endpin rests to help stop their endpin from sliding. Some of the devices used by cellists to secure their endpin include: round, rubber endpin holders (the round shape has earned the nickname "donut"), endpin straps, peg board sheets and carpet remnants If you're interested in taking Cello lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, we have some of the best cello lessons in Los Angeles. Our cello instructors are picked by interviewing hundreds of music 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-guitar-lessons-in-burbank-ca.html 5 Tips to Conquer Stage Fright
6/28/2022
 5 Tips to Conquer Stage Fright on Any Instrument
With proper training the added adrenaline and energy that accompanies stage fright can become an asset. The following tips will teach you how to overcome your stage fright on any instrument 1: Prepare For Your Lesson Many people have performance anxiety while working with their teachers; this can lead to underperforming in lessons. Most of us students can relate to saying or thinking, “I could play it right by myself! Why can’t I play it for you?” Here are some ways to prepare better for your lessons. Warm-up before your lesson. So this is obvious, but it took me until my senior year of college before I did it consistently. If it helps, think of your lesson as officially starting 30 minutes before you meet with your teacher. Then you can drive, or walk to the studio. Develop clear objectives with your teacher each week. It was always intimidating going to a lesson not knowing if my teacher would ask me to play a piece I hadn’t prepared. Instead, ask your teacher to brainstorm objectives with you for the next week of lessons, so that you know exactly what to expect. Perform your practice objective the day before lesson. At the very least perform the piece/objective for yourself, better yet perform in front of a camera or friend to increase the stakes. 2: Improve Memory If you are comfortable with your memory of the piece, you will feel less likely to fail, and that will decrease performance anxiety. One way to improve your memory, is to “chunk” your music into meaningful groups. Chunking in psychology is the process of organizing individual pieces of information into larger more meaningful groupings. For example, if I asked you to memorize the following items: Cat, dog, ferret, lemon, apple, cherry You would naturally chunk the information into the categories of “pets” and “fruit.” You would think: (Pets) – cat, dog, ferret (Fruits) – lemon, apple, cherry In music, you can chunk the scales and chords that you see. For example if you are learning the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven (below), you could chunk the whole first measure into the grouping of “C# minor chord.” 3: Creating Mental Checkpoints Another memorization practice that I follow is creating mental checkpoints in a piece. This keeps me from relying too heavily on muscle memory. To create checkpoints, place post-it notes at the beginning of the most important sections (example below). These are your checkpoints. I shoot for a check point every 10-30 seconds – more in the challenging sections. Now see if you can start right on each checkpoint without looking at the music. To take it a step further, start at one checkpoint, play for a bit, and then intentionally mess up. Then see if you can start at the next checkpoint without consulting your music. If you can, you will be much more likely to recover during a higher stakes performance. 4: Building Confidence with Practice Performances Avoidance may be subtle. Sometimes we avoid performances by procrastinating and not practicing my piece. Other times we avoid by becoming overly perfectionistic and detail-oriented (by becoming hyper detail-oriented, I can avoid performing the whole piece for myself). To get out of the negative loop, you can follow a plan to put yourself in increasingly challenging performance situations. For example:
You can also put yourself in performance situations by routinely practicing/jamming with musicians at a similar level to you, playing at churches, or playing at retirement communities and nursing homes. 5: A Pre-Performance Ritual Even if you are feeling crummy, anxious, or unmotivated at the beginning of the day, a pre-performance ritual can help you snap into the right mindset. Exercise – perhaps a short jog, to get blood flowing to my arm muscles and to my brain. And burn off some of the excess adrenaline. Piano Warm-Up – Scales, arpeggios, etc so that I am re-acquainted with the instrument. (I rarely play my pieces immediately before a performance, because I think it psyches me out). Meditation – This calms my nerves and refocusses the extra energy on the task at hand. I visualize/audiate the sounds and emotions I want to create. By the end of this routine, You will feel alert but relaxed. You're ready to perform! If you're interested in taking Music lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, we have some of the best music lessons in Los Angeles. Our music instructors are picked by interviewing hundreds of music 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-guitar-lessons-in-burbank-ca.html How Do You Tune A Violin?
6/21/2022
 How Do You Tune A Violin? Tuning your violin with precision is not necessarily an easy task, especially for beginners. This is however essential to play, alone, in rehearsal, or within an orchestra to be in harmony with the other instruments, or simply to take advantage of the unique sound aesthetic offered by these instruments. Although it seems difficult to tune a violin, it is a task that is acquired over the course of learning with practice. Here are some tips and suggestions for tuning your violin or viola. Chromatic tuners The chromatic tuner is usually equipped with a clip that allows it to be firmly attached to the violin neck so that they can correctly pick up the vibrations of the instrument. It works thanks to a battery which allows feeding the screen where appears the frequency of the rope to be regulated. It is, therefore, possible with this type of tool, to tune its instrument very precisely in relation to the frequency of the desired note (we will detail the frequencies of each note a little further). The tuning fork The tuning fork is a small metal tool with two U-shaped branches. By striking it, it emits a vibration that can be amplified if it is placed on a sound box (on the violin table for example). It gives a virtually pure note, usually a La whose frequency is 440 Hz, used as a reference to tune its instrument. Unlike the chromatic tuner that does not require much effort, the tuning fork requires a minimum of training and a good ear. This is the method most used by violinists. Smartphone applications Many smartphones applications to tune guitar, violin or viola are available for download, some paid and some free. They work on the same principle as a conventional electronic tuner thanks to the microphone of the phone. They are very practical because we usually always have a smartphone in the pocket or in our bag. However, an electronic tuner like those mentioned above will still be more accurate and efficient than an application for smartphones. The tuning notes of a violin The Names of, the Violin Strings On the violin, there are four strings. Starting with the thickest string, they are called G, D, A, and E. An easy way to remember this is to use the mnemonic device below: • G = Good; D = Dogs; A = Always; E = Eat. Good dogs always eat! Finally, a tip that will be especially useful for you not to break your strings: turn the ankles gently and never stretch the strings more than a tone above the desired note. Otherwise, your set of strings may not hold you for a long time and you may also damage your instrument by putting too much strain on it. In this regard, it is best to change the strings one after the other to avoid too large differences on the handle. f you're interested in taking Violin lessons on Zoom or In Person in Burbank, Glendale or North Hollywood, we have some of the best Violin lessons in Los Angeles. Our violin instructors are picked by interviewing hundreds of violin 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-violin-lessons-in-burbank-ca.html
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