Music Lessons near Oak Forest, IL

Do you want to get more out of your violin practice? Below, violin teacher Montserrat P. shares some common violin mistakes students often make when practicing and how to fix them... You don’t think Lindsey Stirling or Jascha Heifetz got to where they are without practicing the violin, right? In order to prefect your violin skills and progress further, you must frequently practice. After all, practice does make perfect. Unfortunately, many students don’t know how to properly practi

If you're taking the stage to perform at your upcoming graduation ceremony, you'll want to pick a great song to sing! Continue reading for 30 good graduation songs to check out, recommended by voice teacher Molly R...   Spring has sprung! And one of the things many of us attend in late Spring is a graduation ceremony or two (or more, if you’re super social!). If you're a singer, you may even be asked to perform at a graduation ceremony or party. And the toughest part isn't gett

Do you have a need for speed? Piano teacher Ryan C. shares the best piano finger exercises below that will help you work your way towards extremely fast piano playing... What makes a great pianist fun to watch? Is it his or her sense of musicality and his or her ability to play gorgeous music with apparent ease? I think both. However, there is another skill that really makes a pianist great…speed! Have you ever watched an amazing pianist play ridiculously fast and wondered to yourself

Don't let anyone tell you the bass is easier than a regular guitar just because it has less strings! Bass guitar teacher Kevin S. shares the unique challenges you face as you learn bass guitar... 1) Capos are Misleading Any bassist who has regularly played with a guitarist who uses a capo has discovered that this simple tool can be confusing to deal with at first. This is a where good transposing skills come in handy, especially if the guitarist is referring to the chords they are play

When you’re first learning to play guitar, it's important to develop the dexterity and coordination of your left and the right hands. To be able to use both hands is our initial goal and this takes a good amount of practice. If you’re going to spend hours practicing, you might as well use that time to learn something that you like to play. After all, it is much more fun to practice songs in a genre that you like, rather than practicing a piece in a style that you don’t like. So, if you

One of the greatest gifts we can experience in our lives is the gift of music. Whether you’re an adult who has decided to learn an instrument, or a parent getting your child started on a lifetime of musical discovery, learning to play an instrument is a great goal. If your instrument of choice is the violin, it’s important to find a good teacher, especially when you’re first starting out. The violin can be a challenging instrument to master, and working with a good teacher early in your

Test your knowledge of music with this innovative music theory quiz - and then keep reading to find even more fun quizzes you can take! A knowledge of music theory is absolutely indispensable to musicians. For beginners, it can seem intimidating, but experienced musicians will attest that theory is well worth the effort needed to master it. While you can certainly acquire proficiency on an instrument without a knowledge of theory, you’ll miss out on the depth of understanding that

Do you want to liven up your practice routine and add new sounds to your existing repertoire? Violin teacher Julie P. shares some new violin techniques that will take your playing to the next level... As a beginner or intermediate violinist, you’re probably familiar with the basic bowed sound of a violin. However, there are a number of other techniques you may not have heard of yet. Today's more modern composers are continuing to come up with new bowing techniques to create new and ex

Do you sing with a band? If so, you may have been wrongfully accused of one of the many stereotypes lead singers face -- even if you're always on your best behavior! Here, St. Augustine, FL voice teacher Heather L. shares her tips for proving them wrong...   I'm the lead singer -- uh, make that the only singer -- of two bands, an acoustic duo and a guitar/drum/piano/mandolin group. And as much fun as I have in each rehearsal, and as well as I get along with my bandmates, being a lead si

Are you curious about whether you have songwriters block - and what to do about it? Chances are, if you’re any kind of creative professional - be it a songwriter or a novelist - you’re going to struggle with writer’s block at some point in your career or another. Fortunately, songwriting writer’s block is something you can conquer - and once you know how to deal with it, you’ll be able to continue writing creative, inspiring songs many years into your career.  In this post,