Here are some below tips by Enfield Southgate Guitar, Piano school Grade Music Tutors. Tip 1: Learn chords as they are your basis for nearly all tunes you will learn. Why? Because many if not all pop/rock songs have some form of bass line below and this can be replicated in the form of chords or octaves (2 notes 8 spaces apart on a piano - we'll explain more on your first lessons with us) Tip 2: Buy a metronome A 'what?' A metronome is a device for helping you keep to time. It usually comes in 2 forms: a swinging 'pendulum' style or electronically. Sub tip: record yourself clapping or playing while the metronome is playing and play back to see if you are in time. Tip 3: Listen to your favourite music and learn to sing or at least get the song melody in your head. More often than not, you would be able to sing the chorus/hook or any part of the melody to your favourite song, so why not do it more often with music you listen to? Get the tune IN your head so that it is easier to recall when playing it on the keyboard (we'll show you how).

Beginners Piano Tips part 2

Here's part 2 of your beginner's piano tips5. Focus on a few Things at a Time. Don't try to learn everything all at once – it just won’t work. Break your practice down into easy to do-steps. It is better to focus on one or two areas, working on it repeatedly and becoming a master than to try and learn 10 different new things and only develop sketchy knowledge at best. When you start out on the piano, the way you will improve rapidly is to concentrate completely for every minute you set aside for practice and focus on improving those few things. This could be part of a piece, a new chord, a scale or anything you choose. Seeing this progress gives you a sense of achievement and will keep you motivated, energised and going through the session and the next. 6. Work on improving your memory, posture and energy levels That’s right! Your brain is the other important tool other than your hands. You can make great progress by simply practicing memorisation exercises that will help you remember. Also, piano playing is generally quite sedentary and it's not the best thing to sit perfectly still if you are practicing for an hour, for example. The way you carry yourself at the piano should always be upright or in a way which isn't slouched, stooping, laid back or otherwise passive. Your physiology also affects how you think, feel and therefore work, so you should aim to keep your energy high by sitting up straight, flexing your arms & upper body now and again, and even standing up after an intense practice session. Also try not to frown when you encounter difficulties, as that subconsciously builds frustration. 7. Don't get put off by mistakes This is a big one and can be disheartening for many if their approach to problem solving is not right. Please, don't worry about making mistakes. If you're just beginning, think long and hard about some of the great performers of any instrument. Think about how much effort they put into what you thought 'looked easy' when they performed on TV or live. If all they (or we for that matter) did was worry about making mistakes, they would never have achieved progress and thus, greatness in their chosen instrument. The rest of us also learning would live in constant fear! When you are learning a new piece of music for example, if you were to know in advance that you where going to make 34 mistakes before you could play the piece perfectly, would you worry about making these mistakes? Of course not! I am guessing you would want to get these 34 mistakes out of the way quickly as possible. What this means is each mistake you make brings you closer to your goal. You progress by learning from mistakes, so expect them and be ready to deal with them. As long as your ear can recognise when you have made mistakes, you can correct them and move on. Commit to doing these 7 things regularly and you'll find learning the piano/keyboard more enjoyable.

Beginners Piano Tips The 7 Key Ways To Improve Your Piano Playing

"I wish I could play the Piano!" We hear that statement all the time at our various events, and concerts. I have to admit, I'm always surprised when I hear such a comment, because it’s quite possible to gain pleasure from learning, playing and entertaining others with the right dedication and directed effort. I think what people really mean, when they say they wish they could, is that they've tried it - maybe only once - and they didn't get any results. I suspect this applies to a lot of aspiring musicians. Learn from the world's top great pianists and watch your results soar! 1. Decide what you want Quite simply, you need find out what exactly you want to achieve. Is it to play songs or pop tunes? Perform with others? Take exams and gain certificates for your own records? The commitment to this will come once you know what you want and it is a MUST for you. Getting your mindset right is probably the single most important thing you will ever do as a beginner. Practicing because you have to (not want to) and just going through the motions will not get you anywhere. This approach nearly always leads to boredom, frustration and eventually giving up. What a shame that would be. 2. Be realistic about what you want As much as you might have a goal/dream to play a concerto at Carnegie/Royal Albert Hall, you also need to honestly ask if you have what it takes to achieve your goal. Often many people will say something along the lines of: “I want to play Madonna’s/The Beatles/Britney Spear's greatest hits in my first year!” thinking it’s easy to replicate what the professionals do on TV. A more realistic aim might be to complete a series exercise books up to a certain level, e.g. 'to get to book 4 in 10 months'. Family members and friends will be able to honestly tell you if you have any musicality, but it also helps to speak to musicians, whoever they may be and find out from them, what it takes to succeed, based on your own strengths and weaknesses. 3. Set a date for when you want to achieve your goal Once you’ve settled on a realistic goal, you need to think how long it will take for you to achieve and what exactly it will take. Write the deadline down, have it in front of you when you practice and remind yourself exactly what you must do to achieve your goal. Also, having someone you are accountable to, who can monitor your progress to keep you from losing focus, is vital. 4. Commit to a practice schedule It is important that you find a time that works for you and stick to it. The point of a schedule is to get into a routine and build momentum. Constantly changing your practice time means you're at the mercy of other things that might be distracting. Part 2 in the next post

Creating quality songs

One of the most obvious but easily overlooked songwriting devices is the use of contrast. Most successful songs incorporate this technique and once you are familiar with the various ways in which you can achieve contrast, you can begin to incorporate it into your own writing. The purpose of contrast is to make each section of your song stand out and sound different from the other sections in your song. There are several ways you can do this both musically and lyrically. Creating MUSICAL Contrast: Musically, contrast can be achieved several ways: a. MELODICALLY. Try to make the melody higher in the chorus than the verse. It's a good practice to try to write your chorus in your highest comfortable range, giving you room to make the verse lower. b. RHYTHMICALLY. If the predominant rhythm for the verse melody is quarter notes, try making the chorus rhythm eighth notes. Even if you're solely a lyricist, you can build rhythmic contrast into your lyrics. A good example of a song that incorporates rhythmic contrast between two sections is the old standard, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." c. HARMONICALLY. Try and change the chord progression between sections. An easy way to achieve this is simply by consciously choosing a different chord to start each section. For example, if your verse begins on a G chord, try starting your chorus on a C chord. Creating a LYRICAL Contrast. In a lyrical sense, contrast can also be achieved numerous ways: a. RHYME PATTERN. Change the pattern or placement of the rhymes between verse and chorus. Let's say, for example, your verse has an A-B-A-B rhyme pattern: The sky above is blue AThe ground below is green BWhen I look at you AIt's the prettiest sight I've ever seen B You might try using an A-A-B-B pattern in the chorus. Remember, however, that whatever pattern you set up in the verse should remain consistent for all the verses. The same goes for your chorus • RHYME SOUNDS. Vary the primary vowel sounds of the rhymes throughout your song. For example, if you use a long "e" rhyme • sound in your first two lines (be/see), use a different rhyme sound in your next two lines (light/night). • RHYTHM. Change the rhythm of the words between sections. If your verses have long lines with lots of syllables, you might try using short lines without a lot of syllables in your chorus. This will automatically create contrast when the lyrics are set to music. • PRONOUN EMPHASIS. If you are primarily talking about "I" and "me" in the verses, try emphasizing "you" in the chorus. You don't have to make use of every type of contrast in each song, but try to incorporate at least one type of musical contrastwww.grademusictutors.com

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