How To Become A Better Musician

Posture & Body Awareness

You may be surprised that this subject is first on my list. As a musician and teacher of the Alexander Technique I see the positive results of body awareness on my students all the time.

Does your teacher question how you use yourself while playing your instrument? Would you like to improve your sound? Can you hold or touch your instrument with less tension?

It is quite possible to learn music and be aware of HOW you do it at the same time. The results on every aspect of your playing will astound you.

The Alexander Technique is an important part of many music schools and conservatoriums around the world.

Arrogance vs Confidence

Learning music is a life-long pursuit, a never-ending search for that next level of refinement and wisdom.

In my teaching career there have been many (too many) students who think that, after having learned 10 notes and a couple of tunes, they know it all. Uncool!

Arrogance in the music world comes in many forms and those who think it's the way to go usually end up on the losing side.

The way to become a better musician is to be quietly confident of your ability and treat "learning-how-to-play" as an open-ended exciting journey.

Reliability

You may get away with being unreliable if you're a hermit marooned on an island or a super-rich and famous star. But if you're trying to make a living from music, reliability is a key component to keeping that phone ringing.

Be on time, always be able to deliver the "goods" musically, pay attention to directions and remember instructions. And please don't be a chatter-box during rehearsals.

Pitch And Time

It does not matter in which musical direction you are heading, being in tune and being able to listen to and fit in with what your fellow musicians are playing, should be your most important aim.

If you can back that up with the ability to create reliable good strong time (and not just float along), you're well on the way to becoming a respected player.

There are many great tools to strengthen your sense of pitch and time, use the link below to access them.

Reading Music And Interpretation

The best way to improve your music reading skills is to just keep doing it. I managed to find a job where I got thrown in the deep end. I soon learned.

The easier reading music becomes, the more presence you'll gain to interpret (not just play) what's on the page.

It is difficult to be accepted as a professional player unless you can read a piece of music near faultlessly the first time and interpret the style at the same time.

Style

Last, but not least, you must understand the style or styles of music that you are going to play. This applies especially to rhythm section players. In todays multi-faceted music world, styles have become so varied and intricate that you really have to know what you're doing and on top of that, own the appropriate instrument(s) and accessories.

For horn and string players the task is a bit easier but it still pays huge dividends to become familiar with you're style(s) of music.

Keep listening and keep learning.

Read more on how to become a better musician, understand the circle of 5ths, guide tones, scales, intervals & chords at: http://www.eartraining-online.com/

For more detail on posture & body awareness, please visit:
http://alexandertechnique-music.blogspot.com/2010/12/understanding-basic-mechanics-of-body.html

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How Do I Sing Better? - Tips to a Better Voice

If you found yourself here, you're probably wondering how do I sing better? We've got some simple tips that will help you to find your voice.

Relax the tongue. Almost all beginner vocalists and many folks in general hold excess tension in the tongue. Most vocal problems involve tension in the tongue. Tension in the tongue leads to tension in the jaw and constriction in the back of the throat. You want your tongue to rest on your bottom front teeth. Relax the tongue more forward in the mouth. If your tongue is curled up or resting on the top of your mouth it is too constricted.

Breathe naturally. If you breathe in too much when singing it can hinder your ability to sing in a free and uninhibited way. Too much air constricts the muscles at the back of the throat and makes it difficult to reach the high notes. Breathing is natural and singing can be too if you focus on keeping the breath free and easy while singing. If you are looking for ways to answer the question - "how do I sing better?" remember to sing and breath naturally.

Open the mouth wide. Your voice is the path to your soul. It is where the authentic self and the music meet to express your version of the song to the world. Stretch out the muscles of the throat, face, and mouth. When singing, open up wide. Let it all out. If your mouth is too tightly closed you could be constricted in the area of the tongue. Open the front, the top, the bottom and the back of the mouth when singing. Sing "ahh" from the center of the heart and open the back of the mouth. It is a very pleasant sound and resonates beautifully when the back of the mouth is open wide.

Sing with your authentic voice. There are many vocalists out there who can sound like other people. This is ventriloquism or karaoke. Sing with heart and your own authentic voice instead of trying to mimic others. When you truly connect to the music and feel the emotion through the song, you are in touch with your authentic self. Let your passion for singing and your passion for life come through your singing voice. Allow yourself to get excited and have fun when singing. Your energy level with come through your song so remember to stay energized.

Singing can be as easy as talking. Do not force it. If you force your voice you risk injuring the vocal cords and sounding atrocious. There should be no straining or reaching when you sing.. If you are looking for ways to answer the question "how do I sing better?" remember to sing with your own voice and sing naturally.

Sing out! We all have it in us.

Sklar Larimar has been a professional vocalist and voice coach for many years. She is passionate about helping others find their voice and experience the same satisfaction singing has created in her life.

Singing Tips!

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Teaching Yourself Guitar - Why Two Courses Are Better Than One

I've been a guitar player for about fifteen or sixteen years. I self taught myself the basics when I was a teenager and then just sort of rode out those basic open and barre chords for the last 12-14 years. About two years ago I decided I wasn't really satisfied with my overall playing ability and I was going to start taking some lessons to improve.

I have never been a fan of private lessons, although I do believe they are highly effective, so I was going to search for a home study course. That was two years ago and since then I've bought a couple of different DVD guitar courses and subscribed to two different guitar lesson online membership websites.

Why have I bought and subscribed to so many different lesson products? Shouldn't one course or membership be enough to teach you the ropes and improve your skills?

The short answer to that question is yes. One program is enough, however for the way most of us learn, especially those of us that are creative, we often cannot get everything we need from just one teacher, one DVD or one website.

Multiple Learning Methods for Busy Minds

I discovered over the past few months that one guitar instruction course isn't enough for me to master everything I want. While these courses are designed to be very linear, as in you start with the first Dvd or video and progress through until completion, my mind doesn't work that way.

I get bored after a couple of lessons, and I think a lot of other beginner and intermediate guitar players feel the same way.

So how can you overcome these issues to ensure you learn the guitar effectively and maintain interest?

Two or More Lesson Methods

What I have found is working best for me is a combination of

DVD Guitar LessonsGuitar lessons onlineFree Videos on Websites Like YouTube

While DVD and online guitar lessons offer a lot of the same content I find that it's easier to login to a membership website that offers guitar lessons and watch a quick 15 minute lesson. I can digest something new, add some new skills to my tool box and it all happens in a very short period of time. However I don't find that I utilize the guitar lessons online effective for long bouts of learning such as watching a lesson every day for a week when I'm really trying to master a particular skill.

For longer bouts of learning, say musical theory or a new genre like the blues, DVD guitar lessons are easier and far more linear to follow. You put in disc one and there are no other distractions. You just flow on through that disc to the end, do the practice instructions and then move on.

So at what point do I use free videos? I consider these to be more my goof off portion of practicing and playing. I will go to YouTube and search for a new riff or even a song. I find quick and easy lessons that are about five to eight minutes long and just watch em.

I'm not trying to absorb everything that is in the lesson I just want something fun and new to remember why I'm putting in the effort, practice and hard work to learn the guitar in the first place.

So the moral of this article is try not to get stuck on needing only one and the best guitar lesson product. Consider a couple, ideally a DVD course and an online membership. While a lot of the same lesson content will be taught in both courses you'll find you enjoy learning some things better from one place or other.

Ian is the owner and editor of GuitarLessonsReviewed.com a review and comparison website for guitar lessons online and on DVD. He owns and uses a variety of guitar instruction products and posts his thoughts and reviews of each course on his website for other beginners to review before choosing a guitar course.

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