Learning how to sit properly at a piano is essential if you want to play for long periods of time. If you constantly slouch, use poor wrist and finger placement, or place your feet poorly, playing will become less enjoyable than it should be.
I don't like being a stickler many things, but I do think that it's important to get the basics of how to sit at a piano down sooner rather than later. There's a reason that teachers get up in arms about this sort of thing!
Check out the video below for a brief overview of how to sit at a piano. I cover seating, hand and finger placement, and foot placement.
Be sure to like the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel if you find this information helpful! And leave comments with any questions or requests for topics of future videos :-)
What other music resources would you find helpful?
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
Unfortunately, it's not always as clear how to get started playing one, let alone how to hold a guitar!
While it may not seem like a big deal at first, learning how to properly hold a guitar is important to make playing (shredding?!) easier and more comfortable, especially if you hope to play for long sessions!
In the video below, I talk about the basics of how to hold a guitar. I use an acoustic guitar, but the same principles will also apply for electric guitars. I also discuss the importance of using a well-placed guitar strap!
Check out the video, and be sure to like if you find it helpful, leave a comment or question, and subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep up with more useful tips!
What other music resources would you find helpful?
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
It's easy to rush into things. Playing a fun instrument like the bass is no different. Those reverberating low notes can be exciting to play, hear, and feel, especially when the amps are turned up to eleven! (reference, anyone?)
However, it's important to start well so you can finish well. While it's easy to overlook, the way the bass is placed and held against the body makes a big difference in the functionality and enjoyment of playing down the line.
In the video below, I talk about how to get started holding a bass guitar. There are also a few other tips thrown in along the way, so give it a watch!
(If you like the video, be sure to give it a like, say so in the comments, and to subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep up with all the new things we're doing!
What other music resources would you find helpful?
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
One of the most intimidating things about starting on an instrument is not knowing how to start. Drums are no different. I went years being interested in drums, but never starting because I wasn't shown a basic skill like how to hold a drum stick!
The good news is that this isn't a hard skill to learn. It's simply a matter of becoming familiar with was once unfamiliar, and this is done by imitation and repetition.
In the video below, I give an overview of how to hold drum sticks with a "matched" grip (vs. "traditional" grip). Give it a watch to get started learning how to hold drum sticks for use on a practice pad, and later on a drum set!
If you like what you see, be sure to like the video and visit my YouTube channel to subscribe for more tutorial videos!
What other music resources would you find helpful?
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
About two weeks ago I recorded my first long(er) form video for my YouTube channel. It's a concise explanation of where I come from as a musician, what I've been doing recently, and what I hope to accomplish with Jack of All Staves going forward. You can view it below.
(Remember to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and ring the bell for notifications!)
Leave a comment on the video and let me know what you think! I'd also love to know what instrument(s) you play (and/or want to learn) and any other questions you have.
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
I remember being at a local battle of the bands show when I was in high school. I loved the energy and mood. I loved the people I was there with. I loved the music.
Usually.
On this particular day, I was anticipating an epic show. The guitar and bass players had top-shelf instruments, enough pedals to make anyone dizzy, and amps bigger than their bodies. I awaited what was sure to be a life-altering performance.
And my life was altered, but not in the way I had expected.
The band sucked. Completely, utterly, and totally sucked. I mean, I'm sure they were nice enough guys, but they barely should have received a participation trophy. All the glitz, glam, and splendor of their rigs couldn't make up for the absolute lack of true musical skill demonstrated that day. But hey, at least Mommy and Daddy's money made them look good, right?
I wish this were an isolated case, but it happens all the time in so many areas of life. People want to start something new, so they go out and spend, spend, spend on the latest and greatest equipment thinking it will help them get there. In reality, about 1% of that equipment might be necessary at the outset; the rest is just...frosting.
Yes, frosting: the part of the cake that is the prettiest to look at, but lacks substance. Sugar. Pretty colors. Maybe some butter, if you're lucky.
Think about it: if you make a cake with just frosting, it's just a...um...blob of frosting. Now, I'm sure there are people out there just salivating at that thought, but I, for one, am not. Gross.
If I'm going to eat cake, I want it to be about 5-10% frosting (if that) to complement the overall flavor and texture of the cake itself. Solid, simple, and delicious!
The guys in that band from earlier had fallen for the frosting effect: good looks, but no musical substance.
Now, it's important to note that I have no problem with nice instruments, cool effect pedals, and giant amps. In the right hands, these things are tools to create amazing works of musical art. However, it's a losing game to think that just by possessing them someone will magically be a good musician. Some thinks like skill, feel, and musicality can't be bought on a shelf.
So what's an aspiring musician to do? I believe the answer is to start simply.
Once you know what instrument(s) you want to learn how to play:
Pick up a good beginner instrument
Find a trusted guide that can get you started
Commit to small, achievable goals to grind towards
Listen intently to the music you're interested in playing
The next trick after starting simply is to simply start. Like seriously: do it. Do the work! Find time. Make time. Be consistent. Take baby steps. Improve gradually and consistently. There is no shortcut to musicality, but the way has been made clear by those who have gone before: Do. The. Work.
As you grow and become more competent on your instrument's fundamentals and get some "chops," it may be appropriate to invest in supplementary gear such as pedals, fancy sticks, software plugins, etc. However, these will only complement musicality; they cannot be a substitute for it. You've been warned.
So, will you do the work to become a solid musician, or will you fall into the frosting effect trap? The choice is yours. Choose wisely. Your listeners will thank you!
What other music resources would you find helpful?
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
I was 5 or 6 years old the first time I played the original Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I loved it (still do!), and clearly wasn't the only one that felt this way, given the franchise's success over the past 3+ decades.
So what is it that made this game so successful and beloved by fans? Strong contributors surely include its game play, graphics (8 bit is still charming, right?), and intriguing puzzles. Still, I believe the greatest appeal of this game (and so many like it) is opportunity to become the hero of an epic journey.
The Legend of Zelda begins with the player's avatar (Link) entering a cave where he meets an old man who offers him a sword and states, "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." The sword isn't fancy, and isn't nearly as powerful as the sword(s) obtained later on in the game, but it's true strength lies in its symbolism. By taking it, the players make a statement of intent to put one food in front of the other on the coming quest, and to use the sword to the best of their abilities to overcome obstacles, defeat the forces of darkness, and save the princess of Hyrule!
For most of us, the stakes aren't quite that high day-to-day. However, we all make choices each day that determine if we will advance in a given area, hold our ground, or fall back. In my life, the degree of progress I've made in various endeavors has been due to three things:
1) Personal motivation
2) The support of people around me
3) Having access to the necessary materials
This is not unlike a certain hero of Hyrule who is motivated to save the kingdom/princess, gets supported by various people along the way (such as the aforementioned man in a cave), and acquires the necessary materials for success as the game progresses, starting, of course, with the cave sword.
This same pattern is at work throughout my personal musical history. Even my false start with piano in grade school failed for lack of motivation: I wanted to spend more time playing Nintendo than practicing what I perceived to be boring.
A few years later, however, I began my musical journey anew when I started playing the baritone in 4th grade. Unlike with piano, I was motivated to practice because I wanted to make first chair in school bands. I also had the support of my teachers, parents, and my fellow students (notwithstanding the obligatory junior high bullies, of course), so I advanced my skills and managed to earn some accolades in various competitions to boot!
Even so, my musical horizons and ambitions were taken to a new level in 8th grade when I began to play the bass guitar. I had gone to a church camp the summer before and felt inspired to pick up the bass to make a difference in the world through music. Suddenly, my reason for playing music was larger than being the best baritone player in school band. The vision was personal, I was highly motivated, and the goal was clear. The only problems? My inexperience and lack of equipment.
Though I come from a musical family, no one had ever dabbled with stringed instruments before, so I didn't have ready access to a bass. However, my dad was my greatest advocate, and just like the old man in a cave at the beginning of the Legend of Zelda, he provided me with the musical "weapon" necessary for the journey ahead: a black 4 string bass. He may as well have said, "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this" when he presented it to me!
Dad bought the bass second-hand from a contractor that was doing some concrete work in our back yard, and it was a fine instrument for a decent price. Pops also managed to get me bass lessons at a local music store where I learned the fundamentals, and got exposed to a way of looking at music that made more sense to me than what I had experienced to that point.
Finally, I had the motivation, support, and materials to get me started on what would become a musical journey that would span continents, last decades, and spur me to acquire new "weapons" and skills on guitar, drums, and piano (finally!).
The years since picking up that bass for the first time have been filled with joys, achievements, and opportunities. I've met some amazing people, been challenged to grow, and (hopefully) had a positive impact on others as well. There have, of course, been trials, hardships, and disappointments as well, but they've been great opportunities to grind my skills, level up, and overcome!
I may not be the Hero of Hyrule, but I am the hero of my musical journey, and hope to inspire and equip many others to become the hero(ine)s of their own.
What other music resources would you find helpful?
*********************
Enjoy this Post? Support Jack of All Staves on Ko-fi
