Greetings to all music enthusiasts!

In our latest content release, we bring you an instructive video featuring the talented James Manuele. The focus of this tutorial is on the bass string of your Antonio Giuliani Dreadnought classical guitar.

Dive into Bass String Exercises

James takes us through a series of carefully curated exercises for the bass string, each designed to hone your skills and bring out the best tonal qualities of your instrument. These exercises are not only useful for practice, but they also help deepen your understanding of the classical guitar’s bass capabilities.

Tailored for Antonio Giuliani Dreadnought Classical Guitar

While these exercises can certainly be applied broadly, they have been specifically designed with the Antonio Giuliani Dreadnought classical guitar in mind. This guitar, known for its rich and resonant bass tones, stands to benefit greatly from the exercises presented.

Questions? We’re Here to Help!

As always, if you have any questions about the exercises, your Antonio Giuliani Dreadnought, or any of our other products and services, we’re eager to assist. Our dedicated team at Kennedy Violins is committed to providing you with superior customer service. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at support@kennedyviolins.com.

We hope this video tutorial with James Manuele inspires you to explore the depths of your bass string and take your classical guitar playing to new heights. Happy practicing!

The post BEST Exercise for Bass Strings (Classical Guitar) appeared first on Education Center.

Mastering Guitar Techniques: Exploring Accidentals and Melodies

Welcome back to our guitar tutorial series! In this lesson, we will dive into the fascinating world of accidentals and explore how they can enhance your guitar playing. By incorporating accidentals, such as sharps and flats, into your melodies, you can create captivating musical arrangements. So, let’s pick up our guitars and embark on this musical journey together!

Exploring the Chromatic Scale

NOTE: In this article we use the notation for classical guitar fingering:

• Pulgar = Thumb (P)
• Indice = Index (I)
• Medio = Middle (M)
• Andular = Ring (A)
• Chico = Pinky (C)

To understand accidentals, we begin with the chromatic scale. The chromatic scale consists of twelve notes, each separated by a half step. It serves as a foundational exercise for mastering accidentals. As you follow along with the book, we will start on the sixth string of the guitar, using the I and M fingers of our right hand. Remember to maintain a relaxed hand position with a gentle arch.

While ascending the chromatic scale, pay attention to the transition from the third string to the second string. We introduce an additional note, G#, on the third string fourth fret. By carefully navigating the chromatic scale, you’ll familiarize yourself with accidentals and develop dexterity in your playing.

Applying Accidentals in Melodies

Now, let’s move on to applying accidentals in melodies. We’ll begin with the renowned “Minuet by Bach” from the notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach. This beautiful piece in 3/4 time will help us practice string crossing and melodic playing.

As we play the Minuet, we encounter our first accidental—a sharp note. Follow the written music and play the sharp notes as indicated. Focus on alternating the I and M fingers of your right hand. It’s worth noting that the melody includes the B note, which we can play with the open B string or the closed position B on the third string fourth fret. Both options offer different tonal qualities, allowing you to explore the expressive possibilities of the guitar.

Diving Deeper with Duet: “Brother John”

To further develop our musicality, we’ll delve into the traditional French folk song “Brother John” in a duet format. Playing duets is a valuable exercise for improving timing and coordination. In this duet, we’ll echo each other’s melodies in different octaves, creating a harmonious interplay.

As we embark on this musical journey, remember to pay attention to the accidentals present in the melody. In particular, there’s a C# in the first measure. Begin with your right hand’s thumb for this note, and then continue to echo the same line. The inclusion of accidentals adds depth and complexity to the overall sound, giving the piece a distinct character.

Expanding Horizons: High A Note

In our final chapter, we explore the high A note. Located on the first string fifth fret, this note is considered an extension as it moves beyond the first position. While we’ve focused on natural notes in the first position so far, the high A introduces a new tonal dimension to our playing.

To familiarize yourself with the high A, we’ll engage in exercises and melodic patterns incorporating this note. Embrace the challenge of playing beyond the first position and notice how the guitar’s timbre changes. This extension opens up exciting possibilities for creating melodies with a violin-like quality, enhancing your overall musical expression.

Conclusion:

Congratulations on delving into accidentals and expanding your musical horizons on the guitar! By incorporating accidentals into your playing, you’ll infuse your melodies with richness and versatility. From mastering the chromatic scale to exploring melodies with accidentals and embracing higher notes, each step in this journey brings you closer to becoming a proficient guitarist.

Remember to practice regularly, focusing on finger placement, string crossing, and maintaining a consistent brand voice as you develop your unique style. Stay tuned for our next tutorial, where we’ll explore new techniques to further enhance your guitar playing skills. Until then, keep strumming and let your music soar!

The post BEST Exercises for Practicing Accidentals on the Classical Guitar appeared first on Education Center.

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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.

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.

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