Ah, yes, the question of lesson duration. The length of a private music lesson depends upon the student and the material to be learned. Typically, the beginning music lesson length is 30 minutes. A 30 minute lesson is good for: After years of teaching music lessons, I have found that, as a teacher, I strongly… Continue reading What length of time is ideal for music lessons?
Author: alisa
Yes, you can learn to sing
…and learn to sing well! No, singing is not a mysterious “talent” that you either have or don’t have. Rather, singing is a human skill that 99.5% of us can learn to do well enough that we can sing in public with pride, confident that our song is pleasing to our own ears and to… Continue reading Yes, you can learn to sing
US Folk Music Classes for Kids
Looking for general music instruction for a micro-school or home-schooled kids in North Central Phoenix? How about a music class that is designed around familiarity with American folk music! I was in elementary school in the 1980s. We had a music class three times a week. Unsurprisingly, it takes a while for music trends to… Continue reading US Folk Music Classes for Kids
ESA Families Welcome – ClassWallet Vendor
I am now approved as a vendor on Class Wallet! I am hoping that this will make it easy for ESA families to seek out music lessons and classes. I ask that the payment fee (currently 2% of the total) be paid by the student account. Look for me on ClassWallet as “Phoenix Song The… Continue reading ESA Families Welcome – ClassWallet Vendor
“Testing the water” with piano lessons
Will my child’s interest in playing piano be a life-long commitment, or is this a passing fad?That is a very tough question. There are so many factors to consider – and if you, the parent, is not sure of the answer, I can assure you that I, the music teacher, cannot answer that question either… Continue reading “Testing the water” with piano lessons
“Blanking Out” During Music Performance
In the past few years I’ve been trying to play guitar and sing “off book” – and have had various breakthroughs and setbacks. I have found that having a robust understanding of the harmonies and chord progressions and brushing up on ear-training speeds up the learning process prodigiously. However, at the same time I end… Continue reading “Blanking Out” During Music Performance
A “Chord Method” for Piano Learning
One of the interests I’ve had since I was a very young child is how it works to “play by ear.” When I was a child, I thought that it was, basically, a “magical gift” that spontaneously appeared in some people. Then, I learned music theory in college and realized that it was possible to… Continue reading A “Chord Method” for Piano Learning
What is the Circle of Fifths?
What a very good question! I ran across a video the other day that explains this musical concept very well, on YouTube: Many thanks to “YouTuber” BradHarrisonMusic for creating this video. (If the YouTube link is not working, the video can also be accessed locally, here.)
Tips for transcribing music
Transcribing music – some tips —(1) write the notes on a staff as circles, in order, with more or less equal spacing. Write the words/syllables under the notes.(2) Go to your text, set a slower, steady beat (tap, beat with hand in air, or use metronome) sing or speak in rhythm.(3) Mark in the text… Continue reading Tips for transcribing music
Practicing: frequency, scheduling, and duration
Yes, it does need to be discussed — how long should a student practice, how frequently, and how does it become a good habit? I’ll answer all of these questions. Unfortunately, I cannot simply give a pat answer here — there is no “silver bullet” music practice regimen. However, from my own study of music… Continue reading Practicing: frequency, scheduling, and duration