make the most of your practice time
Prepare to Practice
- Have a practice zone away from distractions
- Get ready -- pencil for marking music, metronome, timer
- Keep a practice log and set goals
- Schedule practice time 6 days a week . . . before school or activities is best
- Warm up with technique (scales, cadences, exercises)
- Change order for practicing pieces or sections of pieces
- End practice session with something fun!
Solving Musical Problems
- Set a goal for each practice session
- Find a problem (stumbling place or "bite") in a piece
- Think how to fix this place
- Isolate the problem "bite" and practice it for 5 minutes
- Connect the corrected "bite" back into the piece (start before the "bite" and end a measure or 2 after it)
the language of music
Music Theory
Music theory is the study of how music works!
It includes music vocabulary, notation, rhythmic understanding, key signatures, scales, cadences, chords, intervals, ear training, analysis, and so much more! Understanding music theory is necessary for playing an instrument. Websites to help reinforce concepts:
- musictheory.net
- gmajormusictheory.org
- 8notes.com/theory
- music-theory-practice.com
- basicmusictheory.com
- teoria.com
Free Music ear training Apps
Ear Training Apps
Interval Ear Trainer guess the next note on the keyboard
Piano Ear Trainer recognize pitch & keys on the keyboard
Right Note learn interval numbers and quality
Functional Ear Trainer learn to play music by ear
Ear Trainer Lite compare intervals, chords, scales
music history and style
Composers
The four main musical style periods are:
Baroque (1600-1750)
Classical (1750 - 1825)
Romantic (1825 - 1900)
Contemporary (1900 to present)
Websites about musical periods and composers:
- famouscomposers.net
- classicsforkids.com
- kidsmusiccorner.co.uk