3 Great Tips for Improving Your Musicianship

3 GREAT TIPS for Improving Your Musicianship

In more than 30 years as a piano teacher, I have taught students with different physical and mental abilities, learning styles, and musical tastes.

In my opinion, music can be learned, played and enjoyed by anyone; all that is required is hard-work, perseverance and dedication!

Here are 3 GREAT TIPS as you learn to play music:

Use a 
Metronome
 

No matter what level you are at, using a metronome can be a useful tool. Playing in time and understanding the feel of rhythm is satisfying.  Most students using a metronome for the first time get frustrated by it; often it is because they are out of time. The constant ticking can be irritating and confusing, but believe me, nothing is more satisfying when you master playing with a metronome. As a teacher, I’ve heard a lot of incorrect rhythms, but it amazes me how students can instinctively know when they are in or out of time. Tricks like writing in the counting, counting out loud, and clapping will help you play the rhythms in time. Eventually, you may hear and feel the rhythms instead of having to mechanically count it out. 

Don't Practice

Work on Technique

Playing scales, triads and arpeggio exercises may seem boring to some but these exercises have so many benefits for the fingers and body in general. Focusing on how your body and your fingers move correctly can teach you how to play with accuracy and minimal stress to the body. Using the metronome and playing technical exercises can elevate your musicianship with the ability to play faster and with better control.

Read Notes and

Get to Know Chords

Some students read a little music, some read quite well, and some play-by-ear who don’t read at all.  I believe that learning how to read notes is a great asset. It opens your world to music that maybe too hard to learn by ear. I personally love learning arrangements by other musicians, taking their ideas and incorporating them into my own playing. A good piece of sheet music outlines notes, harmony and chord structure and shows you how these ideas were formed! 

Learning music is exciting and never gets boring. To kick your playing up a notch, give one, or all three tips a try. If you are struggling, ask your music teacher to help.

Think Music,

Jennifer Aumentado
Owner & Director

Summer Tips for Thinking Music

Imagine Music Inc. Summer Lessons

Summer Tips for Thinking Music

It’s here, the lazy days of summer! A time for doing other activities that you love to do. After all summer is short!

So how do you keep your fingers limber and your mind, musically sharp!

Here’s a few summer music tips I use to keep #thinkingmusic :

  • Summer is the perfect time to learn that new song you always wanted to play. Just pick away at it slowly a few lines at a time. Then in your lessons in the fall, you can go for it!
  • Play around on the BLUES. Learn the basic 12 bar blues form and improvise using the blues scale. No notes are needed, just play by ear.
  • Have a summer only song . . . nothing too long . . .maybe something easier than what you usually play.
  • Pick up a “how to play” YouTube tip on your instrument and implement it. Make sure it’s at your level and then have fun with it.