Ukulele Lessons: Caring for Your Ukulele

Like any other instrument, your ukulele requires handling with delicacy and care. The ukulele is a delicate instrument that produces lovely sounds, but it will only give you good and long service if you maintain it properly. Without proper care, ukuleles can get warped, lose their beautiful tones and even simply disintegrate at some point. To avoid all this, make sure you know how to take care of your ukulele as soon as you purchase one. To learn more about tuning a ukulele, refer to: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/how-to-tune-a-ukulele/. Here, we will see more about maintaining the instrument.

Play it!

This shouldn’t have to be said but sometimes people keep their instruments locked away for years and then take it out and expect it to perform as usual. It won’t, obviously. So keep playing the ukulele at every opportunity, whether you are still taking ukulele lessons or not. Even if you are too busy, try and play it once a week to keep it in working order.

Clean the ukulele regularly

When you play the ukulele, it tends to gather dust. If not immediately wiped off, it can gather gunk, making it unpleasant to handle and tougher to clean. All you need is a soft cloth to wipe down the instrument after handling it. Avoid rough cloth or paper towels as it can scratch the ukulele or damage the polish. Polishing should be done sparingly and carefully because too much of the cleaning agents can damage the instrument in the long run. Be very careful when polishing the instrument as the polish must not be applied on the fretboard. It also helps to wash your hands before handling the instrument to prevent the germs and dirt in your hands from transferring to the ukulele.

Avoid exposure to elements

Chances are that if you are already taking ukulele strumming lessons, you know a bit about the instrument and how delicate it is. A ukulele is made mostly of wood and is very reactive with the climactic conditions. In order to ensure longevity, it must not be kept away from the extremities of the weather. If it’s too humid, the uke can shrivel up and warp, affecting the playing. If it is too dry, it can crack and cause buzzing when playing. If it’s too hot, the uke can even come apart. So avoid exposing the instrument to such extreme environments.

Store the ukulele properly

Storing the instrument properly and under the right conditions is essential for its longevity. Keeping the ukulele in its case will prevent it from getting dented or bent or even destroyed by accident. Even the slightest bent can change the quality of your playing. Moreover, storing it safely will help in keeping it safe from extreme weathers. If you feel that the air is too dry, you can keep a small humidifier in the case. On the other hand, if the air is humid, then keep a silica gel pack in the case. Keeping an eye on the general climate and taking these simple measures will go a long way in keeping the ukulele in good condition.

With a little care and exertion on your part, your uke can last a long time and you will have the pleasure of enjoying it for years. For more on ukuleles, you can check out. www.guitarlessonssingapore.com.

Tips for Purchasing an Acoustic Guitar

When starting out, most people prefer to buy an acoustic guitar. It is the guitar most recommended for guitar lessons for beginners as it helps you easily discern the sounds and notes, in comparison with other types of guitars. However, acoustic guitars come in many shapes and sizes, materials, and price ranges. It can get quite confusing for someone who doesn’t know where to start. It’s a good idea to get some basic knowledge before making a purchase as you’ll be using the instrument for quite a while. If you need more persuasion to choose an acoustic guitar, check out this article: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/why-learn-to-play-the-acoustic-guitar/.

Test the guitar

Selecting an acoustic guitar is a serious business. There are so many choices available that you really need to try out quite a few before settling on something that you find suitable. If you don’t have the experience, take along an experienced friend or even your guitar teacher along when you go to purchase your instrument. It has become normal for many people to buy guitars online, but considering how much you are spending, it is always better to go to the shop and try out the instruments yourself. Play a few notes yourself and check whether the resonance is good. You can also ask someone to play the guitar in your presence so you can check whether the projection is good as well. If it doesn’t feel right to you, then it’s not the right guitar for you.

Check out the body style

Each guitar model is slightly different from the other, even if they are the same type of guitar. So there are literally hundreds of choices when you go to purchase an acoustic guitar. The build of the guitar does have a slight effect on the sound it produces but that is not the sole reason why you should keep an eye out for the body style. Each person’s physical make-up is different and a particular guitar might not feel comfortable for everyone. So trying out the guitar to make sure you are able to play on it comfortably is extremely important. If you buy a guitar that is uncomfortable, you will soon develop problems in your posture and muscular pains and aches. To avoid this, choose a guitar that fits your body and your arm without putting too much pressure on your body. You can try out simple guitar lessons as a test.

Price does matter

Acoustic guitars can differ vastly in prices depending on the model and brand you choose. It is best to go for a decent and well-known brand so that you know what to expect from the instrument. Moreover, it is much easier to get such instruments tuned or repaired if the occasion arises. The first thing you must do is set a budget for your guitar purchase. For a beginner guitar, you need not spend a lot of money, but it should still be enough to get you a decent model. Remember that you cannot learn to play well on a second-grade instrument. For more advanced players, there are a large number of options that you can consider, especially if money is no object. In the matter of guitars, you get what you pay for. So be prepared to research all the different models available in your budget range.

To get a better idea about guitars in general, check out the website: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/.

Reasons to Learn Classical Guitar

If you are picking up a guitar for learning, then you know that there are many different types of guitars: acoustic, electric, jazz, classical, bass guitars are the often used one. You can learn a lot about guitars and learning the guitar on this site: www.guitarlessonssingapore.com. The most common debate is between acoustic and electric guitar. Classical guitar is often left out of the discussion and many people don’t even know of its existence. But there are many reasons why taking classical guitar lessons can be fun.

Opens up the world of classical music

Let’s face it – classical music is classical because it has withstood the test of time. Many people can think it is boring but the fact remains that the different genres of classical music has been perfected over centuries, and are the basis for today’s modern musical genres. By learning the classical guitar, you are exposed to the wonderful world of classical music. You can learn to appreciate the music of great classical guitarists such as Andrs Segovia and John Williams. Just give the instrument a chance, and you will soon be in love with its rich tone and varied possibilities. 

Can play different genres

The classical guitar is a misnomer as far as musical genres are concerned. You can play different genres on your classical guitar. Jazz musicians often learn classical guitar first. The same goes for blues, country, swing, pop music. The classical guitar goes way beyond classical music and is not limited to just one genre. If this is what is holding you back from learning on a classical guitar, don’t think twice about it now that you know the truth.

Learn solid technique

One reason why many good guitarists specializing in different genres have a fondness for the classical guitar is because they developed a strong base with it. Classical teachers concentrate on the technique a lot and it is very important to understand your instrument properly. With the classical guitar, you can build a music foundation that will remain with you for life and assist you in whatever genre of music you chose to specialize. For this reason, classic guitar lessons are the best guitar lessons you can take up.

Easy on the fingers

There is always a debate on which is better – nylon strings or steel strings. It is a moot question because it is hugely dependent on the person who is playing and their own personal preferences. There are people who swear by steel stringed guitars while others prefer nylon strings. But one good reason to choose the classical guitar is that it has nylon strings, which are easier on the fingers. If you are a beginner and simply don’t want to deal with the pain, a classical guitar is the way to go!

Beautiful tone

Last, but not the least, classical guitars have a smooth, melodious and rich tone. The narrow build of the guitar, the type of wood used and the bracing gives the classical guitar a unique tone that can be developed by serious musicians. The fact that the strings are spaced differently and further apart than in other guitars also help in selecting individual notes more easily. If this is not a good reason to choose a classical guitar, what is?

If you want more information on the classical guitar itself, check out this article: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/classical-guitar-lessons-getting-know-classical-guitar/. Just do some basic research and you’ll see that learning to play on a classical guitar is very rewarding.

Tips for Electric Guitar Beginners – Part I

Electric guitar, like everything else, requires you to learn the basics before you can play complex songs. Some beginner guitar lessons teach you all the things you need to know before you begin the actual classes. Other teachers prefer to get straight to playing the songs in order to keep your motivation alive. Whichever path your teacher chooses, you will need to learn and understand some things before you begin. More on selecting a guitar teacher here: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/selecting-an-electric-guitar-teacher/.

Know your guitar

Most beginners to guitar are advised to learn the basics on an acoustic guitar even if they eventually want to play on an electric guitar. If, for some reason, you don’t want to do this or are unable to do so, learn how your electric guitar works. Electric guitars need power and amps. An electric guitar has metal strings, which when strummed, interact with magnetic pickups on the guitar. This produces a current which passes through the preamplifier, reducing any interference and adding to the power of the sound. This current is finally sent for amplification. It is a complex system and it is helpful for you to understand exactly how the guitar works. It is your tool for learning music, and one needs to have a good understanding of your tools.

Play to time

Learning to play to time is the most important lesson you would ever learn. It is one of the most basic tenets of any kind of music. The problem arises for beginners because they aren’t yet familiar with a lot of other aspects, so they have to look things up. They have to make sure their fingering is correct, that they are playing the right notes, and so on. This might put you way off the time. It is important to play correctly, but it is also very important to play to time. What you can do is to set some time aside for practicing your timing. You can use a metronome for keeping time. In fact, it is an essential tool for beginners. Without learning how to keep time, your electric guitar lessons for beginners might not be very successful.

Ear training

Music theory, timing, learning to read tabs and other basics are important to learn, but before everything else, you must train your ear. It is not just important; it is the main thing for any budding electric guitarist to develop. It is a skill, a knack that must be worked upon endlessly. The trick to doing this is to pick up easy tunes in the beginning and then play it. The tunes can be as simple as nursery rhymes. Play them on a single string while working on your ear training because that takes minimum skill, and you can concentrate on figuring out the music. Ear training must go hand in hand with music theory because that’s the only way you would figure out where to place the sounds you are listening to, and why they are grouped together. Ear training should typically form a significant component of beginner guitar lessons. At least half of your practice time should be devoted to ear training as this is the single most important component of learning to play the guitar that will help you over the years.

Learn more related to the electric guitar at http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/.

Reasons to Learn Classical Guitar

If you are picking up a guitar for learning, then you know that there are many different types of guitars: acoustic, electric, jazz, classical, bass guitars are the often used one. You can learn a lot about guitars and learning the guitar on this site: www.guitarlessonssingapore.com. The most common debate is between acoustic and electric guitar. Classical guitar is often left out of the discussion and many people don’t even know of its existence. But there are many reasons why taking classical guitar lessons can be fun.

Opens up the world of classical music

Let’s face it – classical music is classical because it has withstood the test of time. Many people can think it is boring but the fact remains that the different genres of classical music has been perfected over centuries, and are the basis for today’s modern musical genres. By learning the classical guitar, you are exposed to the wonderful world of classical music. You can learn to appreciate the music of great classical guitarists such as Andrs Segovia and John Williams. Just give the instrument a chance, and you will soon be in love with its rich tone and varied possibilities. 

Can play different genres

The classical guitar is a misnomer as far as musical genres are concerned. You can play different genres on your classical guitar. Jazz musicians often learn classical guitar first. The same goes for blues, country, swing, pop music. The classical guitar goes way beyond classical music and is not limited to just one genre. If this is what is holding you back from learning on a classical guitar, don’t think twice about it now that you know the truth.

Learn solid technique

One reason why many good guitarists specializing in different genres have a fondness for the classical guitar is because they developed a strong base with it. Classical teachers concentrate on the technique a lot and it is very important to understand your instrument properly. With the classical guitar, you can build a music foundation that will remain with you for life and assist you in whatever genre of music you chose to specialize. For this reason, classic guitar lessons are the best guitar lessons you can take up.

Easy on the fingers

There is always a debate on which is better – nylon strings or steel strings. It is a moot question because it is hugely dependent on the person who is playing and their own personal preferences. There are people who swear by steel stringed guitars while others prefer nylon strings. But one good reason to choose the classical guitar is that it has nylon strings, which are easier on the fingers. If you are a beginner and simply don’t want to deal with the pain, a classical guitar is the way to go!

Beautiful tone

Last, but not the least, classical guitars have a smooth, melodious and rich tone. The narrow build of the guitar, the type of wood used and the bracing gives the classical guitar a unique tone that can be developed by serious musicians. The fact that the strings are spaced differently and further apart than in other guitars also help in selecting individual notes more easily. If this is not a good reason to choose a classical guitar, what is?

If you want more information on the classical guitar itself, check out this article: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/classical-guitar-lessons-getting-know-classical-guitar/. Just do some basic research and you’ll see that learning to play on a classical guitar is very rewarding.

Teaching Ukulele to Children

The ukulele is a wonderful instrument and kids really enjoy both listening and playing it. Since it is making a comeback in a huge way, it has also become cool to be a ukulele player, which can only increase the demand for a ukulele teacher among children and their parents. It is also highly suitable for children, as explained in this article: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/why-are-ukulele-lessons-suitable-for-children/. If your aim is to teach ukulele to children, you need to keep certain things in mind in order to cater to the specific needs of youngsters.

Marketing

If you are not already established as a ukulele teacher, then the first thing you need to do is to market yourself. If no one knows you can teach the ukulele, they aren’t going to approach you. You could distribute leaflets in your community, to start off. Contacting the local schools and public institutions and leaving your contact details are not a bad ideas either. Schools and libraries usually are happy to give such music programs a boost. If you know other ukulele teachers in the locality, contact them and let them know you are happy to take a few students if they find their workload too high. For all this, networking is essential. Consider it a business, so marketing has to be done accordingly. After all, you have to convince both parents and children!

Providing materials

It is expected that the student will bring his or her own instrument. But as most parents have no clue what kind of ukuleles to purchase, it would be appreciated if you can assist them. Apart from the instrument, you will have to provide all the other materials required for ukulele lessons for kids. These would include sheet music, books, chord charts, etc. They can be quite expensive, so budget for them.

Setting a price

Find out the going rate for ukulele lessons by the hour and schedule your fees accordingly. If you are a professional with a lot of experience, then you must be compensated for your time. Don’t be afraid of asking for what you are worth. It is, after all, a full-time career for you. If you are an advanced student, then you can lower the rates a little. But make sure you don’t take in students who are of a level close to yours. You need to be really well ahead of your class or you will not be able to do them justice.

Dealing with students

Once you start lessons, you will discover that the kids all respond to your teaching in different ways. Some will pick up things much faster than the others. You will have to give individual attention to each student for this reason. Just because you are teaching a group does not mean that each person in the group will progress at the same level. You teaching method will have to make allowances for this fact, and at the same time you have to ensure that every student is gaining something.  In the end, you need teaching skills to teach children.

If you want to start giving ukulele lessons to children, your best marketing tool will be your students and their parents. Do a good job and they will recommend you to others. In a couple of years, you would have established yourself. For more information on teaching ukulele and guitar, refer to: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/.

Selecting an Electric Guitar Teacher

There are always musical geniuses who start playing the guitar (or any other instrument) at a young age and go on to take the world by storm. But since this is not true for everyone, it makes sense to spend some time and thought on deciding a good guitar teacher. A good teacher will bring out the best in you and will make a competent guitarist out of you. They will also pave the way for you to join the world of music by helping you with networking and encouraging you to participate. For more information on why a good teacher is essential for electric guitar lessons, please read: http://guitarlessonssingapore.com/why-to-take-electric-guitar-lessons-from-a-good-teacher/. In this article, we will see what a good teacher must not do.

• When it comes to learning how to play the guitar, you can learn a lot from the internet for free. The reason why you choose physical lessons with a good teacher is because you want to learn the right techniques so you can benefit the most from your lessons. Your teacher must teach you how to hold the guitar properly and help you develop a comfortable posture. If they tell you to just do whatever is natural to you, be wary.
• If your teacher is the type of person who schedules classes and then consistently turns up late or is on the phone when they should be teaching, drop them. Your teacher owes you respect. Remember that you are paying for their time and your time is valuable too. If they want to be on the phone, then they should reschedule your class and not waste your precious time.
• If your teacher tries to convince you to do something you don’t want to do, such as switch the genre of music you want to learn or force you to take certification exams, they are probably not the best fit for you. Your teacher must be able to accept the goals you have for yourself, and not force other things down your throat. They must understand your long-term and short-term goals and help you work towards them.
• If your teacher hasn’t written any music of their own, then consider it a red signal. If your goal is to be able to write your own music and set your own tunes, then you need a good deal of guidance to enable you to do so. He or she doesn’t have to be the best guitarist in the world, but they ought to be able to play something more than just cover songs, even if they happen to do it very well.
• If the teacher is rude or makes you feel inadequate, they are a bad teacher. Yes, you are a beginner and yes, you probably don’t know anything. But if the teacher is unable to encourage and motivate you to continue learning, then it’s time to seek another teacher who can do it. Never accept bad treatment from a teacher, and immediately seek out another teacher if this happens.

Your aim in going to a teacher is to learn how to play guitar lessons, so make sure that your teacher does exactly that. If you are not satisfied with them, then you are free to move on and find someone else. With so many guitar teachers around, you have a number of choices but it also becomes slightly complex to figure out who is the best one for you. So keep the above points in mind and check out our website www.guitarlessonssingapore.com for more information.