Consistency is Key

It is very important that practicing becomes a HABIT. Nobody has time to practice. Nobody has time to get to the gym. Nobody has time to… If you find yourself telling yourself that you don’t have time to do something that you’ve decided is important to you and you have a goal, then you have to MAKE the time to do it. It’s just that simple. Decide a certain part of the day will be the time that you dedicated to giving your instrument some love. Even if you are not perfect or the practice session isn’t as long as you think it should be, the fact that you are putting some time in, really adds up!

Play Everything Correctly as Many Times as You Can

It’s money in the bank! This is how your brain learns. Never make the error of practicing until you get something right. Practicing everything until you can’t get it wrong. The reasoning is very simple. If you play something 9 times wrong and then on the 10th time you play it correctly, you have effectively reinforced the incorrect way 9X more than the correct way. This is why you can get stuck on difficult passages that never seem to improve. Start slow, and gradually build speed. Here are some other very important characteristics of effective practice that I will be covering more in future videos:

• It’s very important to warm up. You need a good warm up routine. You need to warm up your mind and your body. Scales and technically less difficult repertoire are perfect for this.
• Use a metronome. The metronome is perfect. All great players use a metronome. The more you incorporate the perfection of the metronome into your practicing, the more perfection you will see in what you play.
• Slow practice = fast practice: Be patient! It’s important to start slow and build speed. Make sure you can play something perfectly at least 3X in a row before you build speed.
• Endurance = taking breaks. The human mind can only retain absolute focus for a certain period of time. Even the best of us can only keep a high level of concentration for about 45 min. Take a 5 or 10 min break after every 45 minutes of playing. Perhaps even more. If you are not focused, you are wasting your time.

The post Effective Practicing Habits appeared first on Education Center.

Hello everyone,

Today I’m talking about how to practice. A lot of people focus on how much time they practice and while that’s important, it’s arguably much more important to practice properly. When you practice properly, you will be able to accomplish much better results in a very short period of time.

When you are practicing, you will want to focus on 1 simple truth.

Do not practice something until you get it right. Practice it until you cannot get it wrong. When you are practicing, you are training your sub-conscience. Your sub-conscience does NOT distinguish between correct and incorrect, or sloppy and precise. It will simply memorize what you repeatedly do. This is why it is so important to practice “perfectly”.

Remember: Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect!

• You must play the music CORRECTLY as many times as you can.
• Be able to play the passage 10X correctly without a mistake at a certain tempo, then gradually build the speed.
• This is called the 10x rule. Be able to play the passage 10X correctly without a mistake at a certain tempo.
• If you play something wrong 9 times and then finally get it right on the 10th time. Your brain will simply prioritize and remember the 9x you played it wrong.

Helpful tips and tricks: How do you do this? Well, here are some simple guidelines that will make you a great practicer.

Use a metronome. If perfect practice makes perfect, then use a perfect device and that is the metronome.

• Use the 10x rule when practicing a passage.
• Play it perfectly at a slower tempo, then slowly speed up the metronome.
• Play it perfectly 10x again and then speed up the metronome again.
• Repeat this process until you can play a fast passage at 10% over the final tempo. This will give you a buffer for performance nerves or lack of focus.

Figure out all of your bowings and fingerings BEFORE you practice and always be consistent.

• NEVER make up the bowings and fingerings for anything on the fly.
• Write them in your music before you practice a passage and then be very consistent about following them.

Always properly warm-up. When you warm up, you are not only warming up your muscles but also your mind. You will have a much more successful practice if you warm up properly. I suggest scales and arpeggios WITH a metronome.

Hope that helps and happy practicing!

The post How to Practice appeared first on Education Center.

Your child just came home from school and announced that he wants to join orchestra. How did THAT happen, especially since nobody else in the family has ever touched a stringed instrument before? Basically, your child has three to four choices, depending on the orchestra program—violin, viola, cello, or bass. What makes these instruments different? How can you decide which instrument is best for your child who is suddenly excited about their budding career as a musician? And, how can you decide which size you need for your child?

Let’s start with the violin since people are typically familiar with that instrument. It’s the smallest of the stringed instruments and has the highest range of notes or pitch. The violin is played tucked under the chin on the left shoulder and bowed with the right hand. It is tuned in fifths starting at the G below “middle C.” Even if you aren’t a musician, this is a reference point for the other instruments to come. Violin sizing is in fractions starting at full size (4/4) and decreasing down to around a 1/32. We offer an online measurement chart for sizing your child or you can work with a local teacher or an in-shop staff member to find the right fit.

The viola is somewhat larger than a violin, but it is still played between the shoulder and chin like a violin. It has a lower range of notes starting at the C below “middle C” and is still tuned in fifths. That gives this instrument a deeper and darker personality. One of the unique things about playing the viola is learning how to read alto clef, which is pretty rare compared to the treble clef (violin) and bass clef (cello and bass). Viola sizing is described inches — 12″ to 16 1/2″ are most common. Students typically play the largest size comfortable for them.

Some kids are drawn to the cello because they don’t want to hold an instrument under their chin. All cellists play their instrument while sitting and resting the end pin of the cello on the floor. The cello is tuned just like a viola, but it is an entire octave lower. We’re talking two C’s below middle C now. Cellos are measured in fractions like violins. These also range from tiny (1/10) to full size (4/4).

The least common of these instruments is the double bass, which is even bigger than the cello. That means you should have a vehicle that will fit a gigantic instrument without having to stick it out the window or leaving the trunk wide open. The bass is tuned in fourths and starts with a very low E. Basses are available in fractional sizes as well. Some programs will have students playing bass very early, while some wait to add them until the kids get older.

If your child starts with one instrument now, is it possible to switch later? Absolutely. There are many string players who are able to play more than one instrument within the string family. I was a violinist who started playing viola when my high school teacher sent me home with a school owned viola and told me to take it to youth symphony rehearsal. Before I knew it, I was enjoying a completely different section of the orchestra. I had to adjust the position of my hand and read music from an alto clef, but playing the viola wasn’t too different than playing the violin. Another common transition is from cello to bass. Most string players understand the basics of all of the instruments if they are involved in a group program.

So, here are the basic questions to answer when you child expresses interest in being a string player:

1. Which instrument will your child be most interested in playing?
2. What size does he/she need?
3. Should you buy the instrument or rent?

At Kennedy Violins, we are all string players and look forward to helping people answer all of these questions. We have experienced teachers who answer questions from people who just want information about how to get started, even if you don’t know which questions to ask. Contact us and start with the three questions above. Our affordable violins and violas are available for purchase or rent nationwide, and we have cellos and basses available in the shop for local customers. People who spend time talking to us by email or by phone often comment that we give great attention to detail just like your area music store would, even though we run a website that serves people across the country. It’s like finding a local violin shop on the internet, and we are passionate about helping kids get a great start on their path as a string player.

The post Orchestra Basics: Where to Get Started appeared first on Education Center.

The first time I was traumatized by a broken instrument was in the third grade. My dad propped my rental bass up, leaning it standing on its end pin against the side of our van on the morning of a performance. Propping a bass standing up like that is asking for tragedy. He walked away, leaving it to slide over, slamming on the concrete.  The entire neck snapped off. I thought it was finished, completely totaled, and ready to throw in the scrap pile only after we paid thousands of dollars for the irreparable damage.

Well, little did I know that the neck could be glued back on with a seam barely visible to the eye. What I thought was a complete catastrophe turned into no big deal. Well. It was a big deal. It was a miracle in my eight-year-old eyes.

Wood: The Ideal Medium

Over the years as I’ve done string instrument repair and setup, I’ve come to appreciate the brilliance in making objects out of wood. Almost anything made of wood can be easily repaired or cosmetically restored with the right tools and materials: a little glue, micro-mesh, sandpaper, a variety of wood stains, varnishes, replacement parts, and the like. Some repairs are trickier than others, but most are far, far from impossible, and usually fairly simple.

So if something breaks on your instrument, it’s likely not the end of its life. Keep in mind, violins are like Legos with parts that can be either repaired or replaced.

Hypochondriac Instrumentalists

As I’ve become more familiar and comfortable with these common “injuries” inflicted upon stringed instruments, the less they freak me out. In fact, they don’t freak me out at all because we work with them every day. I noticed that people tend to be hypochondriacs when it comes to their personal instruments, especially when they don’t know what the cure or fix is for the damage done. You can take comfort in the fact that your violin like an organic piece with the ability to heal with a simple cast, like for a broken arm, or some basic “surgery.”

Take furniture for example. It can last for hundreds of years when well made and maintained. I was thinking the other day, it seems people are really comfortable gluing a table leg back on or assembling their own IKEA furniture, but if something happens to their violin (which is made of the same basic substance: wood), they panic.

Common String Instrument Repairs

So, to shed a little light on the subject, here are some of the most common repairs we deal with in the Kennedy Violins instrument shop including the problem, how serious it is, and how it might be fixed.

• Open Seams: An open seam is simply an opening somewhere between the ribs (the sides) of the instrument and the face and/or back. Open seams are one of the most common repairs and are usually VERY simple and relatively quick repairs when done correctly. Open seams are fixed with melted hide glue, an extremely strong and water-soluble substance that allows for instruments to be easily taken apart and put back together. Hide glue can set in as few as 4 hours, although leaving clamps on for 24 hours is pretty standard. The only time open seams can be a problem is if they’ve been open a very long time in intemperate conditions that may have caused the wood to warp. Warped wood can be a problem if the plates/ribs no longer fit together well or there’s a stress point at the seam wanted to pull itself open again. Still, even a warped open seam is repairable, just may require the face or back of the instrument to be removed and re-glued.
• Crack in the Face: Cracks in the face, back, or ribs of a violin can be more serious than an open seam. Like a broken arm, a crack may be an incomplete fracture or a complete break/crack through the wood. Either way, cracks can be delicately filled or glued/clamped back together with special clamps that arch across the top or back of the instrument.
• Cracked Scroll Box: Here’s a fairly common and frustrating malady. The pegs, which are held in place by friction in the scroll box/peg box can put so much pressure on the scroll box (especially if pushed or forced in too hard), that the wood can crack on the edge of hole the peg fits in. It’s a challenging spot to glue because it’s such a stress point. If gluing or splinting the scroll box doesn’t hold, the entire neck and scroll may need to be replaced.
• Loose or Detached Fingerboard: A very simple fix. Old glue is removed or scraped off and the fingerboard is reset in place with hide glue.
• Cracked Chin rest: Depending on the location of the crack, the chin rest can either be glued and sanded so the crack is nearly invisible, or if the crack is around the brackets at a stress point, the chin rest can easily be replaced.
• Scratches: Scratches can be either buffed out, touched up with a matching varnish color, or filled with wood filler or clear coat. Fine scratches are very easy to buff out with micro mesh or pumice/rotten stone polishing powders mixed with paraffin oil on a soft cloth.
• Chipped Corners/Edges: If the wood chip or corner isn’t lost, it can easily be glued back in place. If the piece is lost, a new piece of wood could be carved or shaped to replace it. If the chip, gouge, or hole is small, wood filler could also be used to fill in the gap. Gouges or chips in ebony surfaced can actually be filled with ebony dust mixed with a clear glue, then carved and sanded until level and smooth.
• Warped Bridges: Especially in humid conditions, bridges warp over time from the pressure of the strings forcing down on them. Tuning strings over time also pulls the bridge forward (towards your face as you hold it in playing position). It’s important to occasionally eyeball your bridge from the side and pull it back to standing perpendicular to the instrument face. Warped bridges can actually be boiled, pressed, flattened, and dried back into shape, but replacing the bridge is usually the simple and affordable fix.
• Nut with Grooves Too Deep or Wide: Nuts, the small, shaped block of ebony with four string grooves at the top of the fingerboard, are easy to re-carve, remove, raise, or replace if necessary. Sometimes the grooves in the nut get too deep after rough strings saw across them over time. If the strings are too low you may end up with strings buzzing against the fingerboard. This is a quick and easy fix.

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If you have any questions about your instrument’s playability, even if it’s not a Kennedy Violins instrument, feel free to call us at 1-800-779-0242 with your questions! We are always happy to help you identify and necessary repairs to your instrument or recommend an upgrade to one of our Kennedy Violins violas, cellos, and violins.

The post Common Stringed Instrument Repairs appeared first on Education Center.

It’s hard enough to know what you’re looking for when shopping for a violin outfit. So just when you think you’re all done making such life-altering decisions (Shoulder rest? Strings? Case? Rosin?), you’re faced with another mammoth dilemma. Which bow do you pick?

Kennedy Violins offers a wide variety of bow options(and upgrades!) with any violin or viola outfit because we know how important it is that you get what you’re looking for. But what if you don’t know what you’re looking for? Well, look no further! Welcome to Bows 101!

When choosing a bow, it helps to know what the bow is made of. From there, you can decide what quality of fittings you’d prefer. Note that in general, the more expensive the bow, the nicer the fittings, materials, and build.

Bow Types

Fiberglass

Fiberglass bows are often the most affordable option. Fiberglass, not to be confused with carbon fiber (see below), is glass-reinforced plastic that is not as strong or light as carbon fiber, but also not as brittle. Fiberglass is easily molded and cheap to manufacture, which allows for its affordability. These bows are often used for beginners, especially children, as they are very durable (if dropped, scratched, or thrown about by a sibling) and affordable, especially when purchased in smaller sizes that will be grown out of. On the other hand, fiberglass bows rarely respond or bounce as well as quality wood bows, and can sometimes be heavier than preferable.

Wood

Wood bows are a step up from fiberglass bows when made properly with quality fittings. Wooden bows range in quality from beginner to professional. Beware though, if a bow is described as “wood,” but without the type of wood specified. Just like you wouldn’t want to buy a violin made of balsa, steer clear of bows made of “mystery” wood. Look for wood types such as ebony, pernambuco, and Brazilwood (see below).

Pernambuco

Bows are traditionally made of pernambuco, a high-quality, dense, strong wood of a beautiful red hue grown in the north of Brazil. However, as the export of pernambuco to Asia and Europe became so popular to the point of exploitation in the 1700s, pernambuco has since become an endangered tree species. Pernambuco forests are now sponsored by many instrument makers who hope to continue the tradition of using this scarlet wood in the art of bow making.

Brazilwood

Brazilwood is another name for pernambuco (Caesalpinia echinata). But as pernambuco is now endangered, related species of wood similar in quality, strength, springiness, lightness, and color are now used and also referred to as Brazilwood in the bowmaking industry. Related species include include Pink Ipê (Tabebuia impetiginosa), Massaranduba (Manilkara bidentata) and Palo Brasil (Haematoxylum brasiletto).

*Note: High-quality, cured Brazilwood is often used in bowmaking because it has less tendency to warp. A warped or curved bow is unfavorable. To check for warpage, “sight” down the length of the bow from the frog to tip to view whether the wood is bent to the left of right, if at all.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber, or carbon fiber reinforced polymer, is extremely strong and light with a high strength-to-weight ratio. Used in aerospace and automotive engineering, carbon fiber is more expensive to manufacture than fiberglass or other plastics, but the material is of such quality that the effectiveness of carbon fiber bows can sometimes exceed that of Brazilwood bows–depending on the bow, of course. Carbon fiber bows can be manufactured to such precise dimensions that their response, balance, and bounce can be exactly predetermined. Carbon fiber bows are thus more expensive than fiberglass or lower-grade wood bows as they are so well made. The CodaBow is a popular, professional-quality name brand of carbon fiber bow which we are pleased to offer at Kennedy Violins. We carry the CodaBow Prodigy, CodaBow Luma, CodaBow Diamond NX, CodaBow Diamond SX, and CodaBow Diamon GX.

Fittings

Higher-quality bows, like violins, usually have higher-quality and more durable fittings that reflect the craftsmanship of the bow:

• Grip: leatherette (textured or smooth vinyl or plastic), genuine leather, snakeskin, lizard skin
• Winding: whalebone, nickel-silver, silver, gold
• Tip: white plastic, tagua nut, ivory, mammoth ivory (a legal alternative to elephant ivory)
• Frog: plastic, wood, ebony
• Plate: mother of pearl, abalone, ivory, mammoth ivory
• Hair: synthetic, genuine horsehair (white and/or black)

Half or Full Mounting

What is a half-mounted or fully-mounted bow? On a fully-mounted bow you can see the thin stripe of a smooth metal plate between where the frog is connected (or mounted) to the bow, allowing a smooth fit and protection for the wood as it slides back and forth when the bow is tightened and loosened. A half-mounted bow lacks the metal plating, resulting in raw wood on wood between the frog and stick that may wear over time. Half-mounted bows do not have a ring around the pearl eye of the frog, while fully-mounted bows will have a ring around the pearl eye.

Comfort

When choosing a bow, you’ll typically want to try it (such as with our in-home trial program!) to test the bows comfort for you as a unique player. Consider factors such as weight, balance, bounciness, response, and even length, which can vary (especially for bass bows). Try different bow strokes such as spicatto, staccato, and long tones to assess the bows quality and comfort in your own hands.

Questions?

Give us a call at 1-800-779-0242! At Kennedy Violins, we want to make sure you know what you’re buying before you buy it with a commitment to answer your questions with honesty and professional know-how. So go ahead, check out our selection of quality bows…especially now that you know just what you’re looking for.

The post From Frog to Tip—How to Purchase an Orchestral Bow appeared first on Education Center.

People often call Kennedy Violins and ask about how to take care of their violin. My response is usually to tell them that there is not a lot they have to do, other than wiping off the excess rosin after every practice session so it doesn’t have a chance to build up. However, where a person lives can have a substantial impact on not only the sound quality but the playability of their instrument, and also whether the parts of the violin stay glued together or not.

Excessive humidity can cause your instrument parts to warp and come unglued. But more people have to concern themselves with excessively dry air damaging their instrument. The larger your instrument, the more it is affected by changing humidity conditions so, if you play guitar, cello or base, you have to pay particular attention to the water content in the air. However, living in a temperate area will not get you off the hook.  If you live in an area that gets cold in the winter time, you should pay attention to the air quality your stringed instrument is subjected to. Often people in colder climates will keep their home furnaces on 24/7 and the result is very dry air. This can be the death of your instrument, especially if it’s a cello or bass. When wood does not have enough water in it, it shrinks, and if it contracts enough, it can crack.

At some point in a stringed instrument’s life, its ribs will start to separate from the top and bottom plates of the instrument because of changing humidity conditions. This is caused by the constant expansion and contraction of the violin parts. Initially, the hairline seams that develop between the ribs and plates are not noticeable to the naked eye, but the sound quality and responsiveness of the violin will be noticeably hindered to the trained ear.

Gluing the plates back to the ribs is a simple repair and isn’t terribly expensive. However, if left unchecked, stringed instruments like basses and cellos can develop cracks on their tops and backs and not only are these repairs expensive but often times will render the instrument unrepairable when considering the cost to correct the problem. If you have concerns about existing damage to your instrument, contact the shop and we can do an assessment.

The good news is, it is very easy and inexpensive to control the humidity conditions that your stringed instrument is subjected to.  A simple device like the Dampit brand humidifier can be placed in the F-hole of your stringed instrument when it is not in use and it will release a small amount of humidity into your violin, viola, cello or bass that will keep it from getting too dry. Boveda and D’Addario also have humidity-control products. You have to re-wet them everyday or every other day, depending on humidity conditions and they will last a long time. These devices even come with a handy paper humidity gauge, to give you an idea of what the water content of the air is. However, the easiest thing to do, is to just purchase a violin case with a built in hygrometer gauge.

Violin Case Hygrometer Gauge

Every once in a while, simply have a look at the gauge to check the humidity content in the air.  The ideal humidity is around 35%-60%. As long as you keep your instrument in this range, you are probably fine. Rapidly changing humidity conditions can be quite hard on your stringed instrument as well, so using a product like the Dampit can even out the humidity swings when you have to use your instrument in different venues and are unable to control the conditions to which your stringed instrument is subjected.

Simply paying attention to the air quality around your stringed instrument and using inexpensive devices like humidifier tubes, will ensure that your instrument will sound good, stay in tune, play well and will not need repair for many years!

The post Humidity and Your Stringed Instrument appeared first on Education Center.

It takes a long time to establish your reputation as a musician and performer in a new town. After living in Utah for six years, I felt so well connected to a great number of musical organizations, schools, teachers, orchestras, recording studios, and the like. I enjoyed playing regular gigs, teaching a steady number of bass students, and growing strong relationships with musicians and performing groups throughout the state…and then I moved.

My husband’s work brought us to Oregon, which meant starting from scratch as a stranger hoping to freelance a new music community. So the first thing I did in the months leading up to and following my move to the Portland area was contact absolutely every musical organization I could find. I made phone calls, sent e-mails with my performance resume attached, and inquired about upcoming auditions. During the summer before the move, I took extra lessons, practiced 20 hours a week, and performed a recital in preparation for auditions I hoped to take once arriving in Oregon.

The day after we pulled our moving truck into town I abandoned our unpacking efforts to attend a masterclass sponsored by the Portland Youth Philharmonic featuring Erik Harris, principal bassist of the St. Louis Symphony. Sure, I was a college grad, so what was I doing hanging out with the youth symphony members? I was also looking for connections.  As with most professions, the fastest way to find work is through effective networking and personal referrals. So my goal? Get connected!

Let me tell you, it doesn’t take much but confidence. You know you’re a good player, so put yourself out there! And if you don’t feel like a good enough player to get those gigs, try The Art of Effective Practicing. It takes a lot of work to be a marketable performer, but you can do it!

Here are a few ways to get connected with your local music community:

• Keep your chops up by performing regularly.Put on a house concert. Keep practicing. Find an open-mic night at a local venue to sing, fiddle, or do whatever you do. Play at your church or synagogue. Busk at the local farmers markets. There are endless opportunities to perform, and you can create those opportunities yourself.  Don’t wait for someone else to do what you can do on your own. You’d be surprised by how many restaurants, café’s, bookstores, and boutiques there are that would be so happy to have your live music in their space.
• Don’t demand paying gigs right away or all the time.Be generous in sharing your talents with others! You can do this while still maintaining your stance as a professional. Playing for free allows you to enjoy the opportunity to meet other musicians without stressing about money and union talk. You’ll be surprised how many connections you’ll make that can lead to future gigs. And come on, we all know the economy is tight, and if all musicians refused to play without pay our artistic community and musical culture would suffer tremendously.
• Participate in your local community orchestras! You don’t have to wait to win an audition with a semi-professional or professional orchestra to play the great orchestral works. Community orchestras are excellent for meeting teachers, performers, and conductors who can hook you up for future work—and they’re just plain fun. You can relax and play great music with a smile on your face. Sometimes when money is in the mix, musicians can become surly, bitter, or demanding individuals, losing sight of why they chose music as a career in the first place. Don’t let that happen to you. Don’t let the joy of playing be belittled by your pride or hunger for pay.
• Connect with local schools. I decided to call and e-mail local orchestra teachers offering to conduct a free masterclass for their bass sections. It turned into a very fruitful experience. Give it a try! And who knows, maybe they’ll even ask you to come back. Regardless, reaching out to the youth in school and community music programs is a great way to make a name for yourself as a teacher. Be sure to get your name on the list of private teachers the orchestra directors provide for their students.
• Don’t just teach lessons—take lessons. Even the most experienced professional musicians can benefit from taking lessons into their old age. Musicians can always benefit from the perspective of another performer with fresh ideas, techniques, and style.

It might be challenging to find the gig of your dreams. But don’t wait miserably for a Golden Ticket while throwing away the chance to enjoy that delicious Wonka Bar right in front of you. There is music to be played, players to meet, and stages on which to perform. So have at it! Make a connection! And keep us posted along the way.

The post How to Find Gigs: Musical Networking appeared first on Education Center.