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Music Industry, Saxophone Tips

Are Pets Sensitive to the Sound of Saxophones?

August 24, 2015 admin

Do you have a pet that hides away as soon as you take out your saxophone? Your pet feeling anxious while you play might not always be a sign that you need more sax lessons, but be caused by pets’ sensitivity to sounds.

So, what’s going on when your pet is hiding away from your music?

Sensitive Sounds

Most pets, such as dogs, have ears that are more sensitive to high-pitched sounds. While you might not be able to hear a certain sound or won’t hear it as loud, your pet could pick it up and the sound might become highly irritating.

Saxophones can have exactly this high-pitch sound, causing your pet to perhaps feel discomfort while you play. Other sounds that might stress your pets include everything from fireworks to ambulance sirens.

Protecting Your Pet

If your pet starts to behave oddly every time you play the sax, you can try a few simple tricks. If the weather allows it or your pet is able to stay outdoors, you could just let them wander around the garden while you practice.

You could also play in a room with the door closed, as this should help limit the sound irritation. Furthermore, if your pet looks very distraught, it might be a good idea to call the vet. It might be that your pet has an ear infection or something similar causing the issue.

Dog’s Howling

If you have a dog, then you might have heard the dog start howling as you play the instrument. While this might be your dog’s way of pointing out its distress, it might well be that your dog is trying to communicate with you and your sax.

The dog’s howl is a remnant from its ancestors, the wolves. Wolves howl as a form of communication and dogs still have this genetic trait in them. When you start playing the sax, the dog hears it almost like a howl and might well be talking or indeed singing with you!Other instruments, making a much lower sound, typically don’t cause dogs to howl.

So, if your dog is just making a howling noise, chances are the dog is actually enjoying the music! If the dog decides to run under the bed to hide, it might be something more serious.

Train Your Pets

It’s important that your pets get used to all sorts of noises to ensure they don’t feel distressed easily. When you have a new puppy or a kitten, for instance, try to ensure you play different sounds to them from music to fireworks. This can help them get used to the sound and limit their distress later on.

You should also let your pet have a sniff of the instrument. Being able to just gently sniff the saxophone will ensure they know it isn’t some strange object trying to capture you.

While your pet might always be suggesting you take a few more saxophone lessons, you shouldn’t be too worried about their behaviour. Just try to limit the noise the pet hears and talk to your vet if the behaviour continues to be odd.

CurvedSopranoAltoTenorSaxophoneComparison

Music Industry, Saxophone Tips

5 Challenges When Learning to Play Sax

August 20, 2015 admin

The saxophone is a fantastic instrument to learn to play, but it is not the easiest by any means. While anyone, within the physical requirements, can learn to play the saxophone, you will need to overcome a few challenges along the way.

Here are five of the biggest challenges you must conquer when learning to play the sax.

1. Finding the Right Gear

Learning to play any instrument can be made easier or more difficult by the gear. This is especially true when it comes to playing the sax, as you need to find a selection of parts to suit your own unique playstyle.

Once you’ve made the decision between alto and tenor saxophone, you need to start looking into mouthpieces and reeds. Take your time finding the right model, as it can completely change your playing experience.

2.Looking After Your Saxophone

While your guitar or piano won’t need much attention in terms of looking after, the saxophone is quite a ‘needy’ instrument. You need to learn to clean it properly after each use to ensure your new instrument isn’t damaged and the sound remains the same.

Looking after your saxophone might seem like a laborious thing to do, but it isn’t. The online guides will help you get started and once you know the tricks and tips, cleaning the instrument will come naturally to you.

3.Finding the Correct Posture

When it comes to creating the right sound, the posture plays a crucial role. It is important that you start paying attention to your posture as soon as you pick up the instrument.

It’s also a good idea to practice the finger movements even when you aren’t actually playing the sax. While this might sound strange to others, it will help you remember notes and create a memory of the right posture and movement to your brain.

4.Hitting the Right Notes

Learning to play the notes correctly is a difficult aspectof learning to play any instrument, but it is especially tricky with the sax. You can easily play one note perfectly in tune and suddenly hit flat with your next note.

Finding the right tonal centre with your notes won’t be easy and it will take a bit of practice. The key is to focus on how the note is supposed to sound and to learn to understand how the tuning behaves with your chosen instrument.

5.Continuing to Challenge Yourself

It’s easy to be lulled into thinking you are able to play the sax, after you learn a few songs. But mastering a few songs or grasping the basics doesn’t necessarily mean you are progressing as a player.

On the other hand, if you hit a brick wall in terms of learning the sax, it might be because you aren’t challenging yourself enough. The secret to overcoming both problems is in mixing your practice routine, as well as the songs you play.

When you are learning to play the sax, you need to stay positive and persevere through the difficult times. Find the right tools to help you and check out our saxophone lessons for more tips. There will be challenges on your way, but the hard work will be worth it in the end!

Guitar Tips, Music Industry

Picking up a Guitar for the First Time at 40

August 17, 2015 admin

Sometimes when people reach a certain age, they start doing odd things – at least according to the outside world that’s watching them. They might buy a motorcycle, start ballroom dancing or pick up a guitar and wish to play! Some people call this the midlife crisis, while it could simply just be the newfound freedom people enjoy as children are beginning to move from home!

Sometimes the feeling of following your heart is overcome by the fear of ‘being too old’. It’s easy to think that things like playing the guitar are just for the youngsters. But is it really true?

The Benefits of Learning When You’re Older

The truth is you are never too old to learn. In fact, there are a number of advantages to learning to play a musical instrument when you’re a bit older.

First, you are learning to play for the right reasons. You are probably passionate about the guitar and you aren’t doing it just to impress others. Being motivated is crucial for guitar success.

You’ve also done many new things in your life already. You know new skills require you to work hard and you know how to deal with frustrations.

Playing the guitar isn’t just about learning a new skill or getting a career in the world of music. Older guitarists often pick up the guitar just for the love of music and for the social aspect of playing music.

The Reality Check

While there’s nothing to stop you from learning to play the guitar, you need to be realistic as well. Playing the guitar might not seem like the most physical activity in the world, but your fingers are going to be screaming for help at some point.

As your body is already getting a bit older, you need to pay good attention to the right posture, technique and most importantly, rest. If you listen to your body, take your time learning and practicing, and give your body enough rest from the playing, you can do it!

Soreness of the fingers is something every guitarist will go through, regardless of age, but you need to be aware of it before you get going!

Finding the Right Tools

The most important thing when learning to play the guitar, whether you are 14 or 40, is finding the right tools to boost your learning. You might be shy in talking to guitar tutors or taking a lesson with a bunch of teenagers, but you can learn in many different ways.

Online music lessons, for example, are a great way to skip reading music theory books. You’ll also get to play from the comfort of your own home, so you can practice whenever you want and you won’t feel judged!

There are also plenty of music forums for older players. You can exchange ideas and even get together to play! If you are still not convinced playing the guitar is possible, read about the Guitar Zero, psychologist Gary Marcus.

You are never too old to show your passion for guitar music. Just follow your heart and start rocking!

Music Industry

If I Learn One Instrument is it Easy to Learn Another?

August 13, 2015 admin

If the music bug has bitten you, you are very likely going to dream about playing all sorts of instruments. Picking the first instrument is never easy and your thirst for playing might not be quenched by a single instrument.

So, what if you have mastered the piano and are now eyeing the guitar? Does knowing how to play one instrument mean it’s easy to learn to play another?

The Benefits of Knowing One Instrument

First, it must be said that learning to play one instrument is an achievement on its own and you are going to enjoy many benefits in your life! While knowing the secrets to playing the banjo won’t automatically mean you can master the flute, you’ll benefit from knowing one instrument.

The biggest upside to knowing how one instrument works when learning another is your ability to understand music. Music theory is nearly the same no matter which instrument you play and understanding concepts such as notes will naturally help you skip all the ‘basics’ second time around.

Even if you haven’t focused too much on theory, you’ll have a basic understanding of concepts and your ability to listen music has already developed.

Furthermore, you’ve most likely developed a learning method that works for you. You’ve done all the hard work in finding tutors, watching online videos and talking on forums that makes doing it the second time a lot smoother.

The Different Instruments

Now, the ease of learning a new instrument depends a lot on the type of instruments you want to learn to play. If you are playing relatively similar instruments from the same family of instruments, then you’ll find the learning process a lot easier.

For instance, if you are already good at playing the guitar, then learning to play the bass won’t be anything too difficult. There are naturally minor tweaks and differences you need to learn, but overall the experience is quite similar.

On the other hand, if you are looking to swap your guitar to the saxophone, the difference is much bigger. String instruments are quite different to woodwind instruments, for example, in terms of playing style as well as the chord structure.

Again, knowing the theory will help, but the benefits aren’t quite as big as with similar types of instruments.

Focus on One Instrument at a Time

Overall, you should definitely focus your efforts to mastering one instrument at a time. Having to learn two different types of instruments can be very demanding and could harm your overall ability to play.

Before you start learning an instrument, spend enough time picking the instrumentthat best suits you and your ambition. You don’t want to rush your decision to ensure you won’t feel frustrated and bored two weeks into learning to play.

Once you have learned to play the instrument properly, give a go to another instrument if you like! While you won’t be able to skip all the hard work when learning a second instrument, you have proved yourself you can learn to play, so conquering the new instrument won’t seem as daunting.

Uncategorized

Which Guitar Chords Should I Learn First?

August 11, 2015 admin

If you’ve been browsing guitar songs, you should have come across with chords. Chords are the magical combinations of notes that create the amazing tunes we hear from the radio every day.

But not all chords are alike. If you are a beginner guitarist, you should start with the easier ones first and move on to the more difficult stuff later on. If you want to boost your guitar learning, check out these easy guitar chords.

Below you’ll also see how to play each string. The vertical lines represent each string in the guitar, with the 0 highlighting the string you need to press. The letters below show the finger you should use to press the string. The fingers are numbered as follows:

0 = string is not pressed with a finger but strummed

1 = string is pressed with your first finger

2 = string is pressed with your middle finger

3 = string is pressed with your ring finger

4 = string is pressed with your little finger

X = string is not pressed or played

E Minor Chord

E minor chord, also known as Em, is the first chord you should master. It’s one of the most basic chords to play, as it is simple and your fingers won’t need to stretch into whacky positions for the chord.

The chord looks like this:

|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

|_____O____O____|_____|_____|

|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

0 2 3 0 00

Not only is the chord easy to play, it is also used in a number of different songs. Almost all of the best beginner guitar songs feature Em.

C Major Chord

The next most popular chord is C major or simply C. Unlike with the minor chords, you don’t need to pronounce the word major.

The chord is easy to play. The biggest difference to Em is that you don’t need to play the bottom fifth string. You can either mute it with your finger or just choose to not play it.

The chord looks like this:

|_____|_____|_____|____0_____|

|_____|_____0____|_____|_____|

|_____O____|_____|_____|_____|

|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

X 3 2 0 1 0

G Major Chord

The next beginner chord is G major. There are two different finger positions possible for this chord. The second one mentioned can seem a little bit harder to the first one, but it has the advantage of making chord progression with C major easier. So it might be worth learning the second finger position, so playing songs will be easier.

The chord looks like this:

|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

|_____0____|_____|_____|_____|

0____|_____|_____|_____|_____0

|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

2 1 0 00 3

3 2 0 00 4

D Major Chord

Finally, you’ll just need to add D major to your chord repertoire and you have a great selection of songs available for you. The chord is among the easiest of chords, although this one is trickier than the above chords.

There are two strings you won’t play and starting from the middle string can be tricky. But keep practicing and you’ll eventually learn the technique.

The chord looks like this:

|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

|_____|_____|____0_____|_____0

|_____|_____|_____|_____0____|

|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

X X 0 1 3 2

If you master these four chords, you can play a huge number of great beginner guitar songs. For example, you could add some of the following songs to your practice routine:

Adele – Someone like you

Jason Mraz – I’m yours

Eagle Eye Cherry – Save tonight

Once you get a good handle of these chords, you can continue moving on to the next ones and eventually master all the minor and major chords! Our online music lessons have plenty of tips for mastering chords, so check them out.