Did you know that teaching others is one of the best ways to learn piano -- as well as continue learning, if you're at an advanced level? Here, St. Augustine, FL teacher Heather L. shares what it takes to teach...   Being a piano teacher can be tremendously rewarding and fulfilling. The art of guiding a student on a journey of learning is one that comes naturally to some, but can certainly be learned by others who have the right skills. The phrase "piano teacher" brings to mind d

No matter your vocal ability or skill level, practicing scales for singing is vital for taking care of your voice.  Scales help to warm up and tone your vocal muscles, and they can also help you identify problem areas in your singing. By working on scales every day, you'll be able to make faster progress with your voice and avoid any long-term damage.  So don't skip the scales - start practicing today! Which Scale is Best for Singing? To become a better singer, you should learn t

When you're looking for the perfect beginner acoustic guitar, there are lots of factors to think about. For many students, finding a great guitar for a low price is a huge part of the search. Guitar teacher Jeff S. sent us his recommendations for the best acoustic guitar under $500, and we put them together into this handy chart to help you find the best guitar for your buck! 10 Best acoustic guitars under $500 | Create Infographics Is there anything we missed? What do you think is the bes

As a beginner I often told myself I would know I am a really great cellist when I could play Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee at full speed. To my young ears, this simply had to be one of the hardest cello pieces with its high range, chromaticism, and famously fast tempo. As my musical career continued I worked on these and other skills to reach a point I could begin learning the piece confidently, and it was only a matter of time before I achieved my goal. Of course, this wasn’

Are you a beginner violinist looking to purchase your first instrument? If so, you may be wondering where is the best place to buy a violin online.  In this blog post, we will give you some tips on how to choose the right violin and what to look for when making your purchase.  Happy shopping! Should I Buy a Violin Online or In Store? If you don’t have a musical instrument shop near you, or their selection of violins is limited, you may look into the option to buy a violin online

So you've mastered and memorized all the different scales on the piano - what now? Here are some awesome musical ideas to try next, courtesy of Corona, CA teacher Milton J...   One of the best ways to improve your piano playing is to practice your scales. Once you’ve got them mastered, however, there are plenty of other things you can do to further improve your skills.  In this blog post, we’ll explore some of these things. So read on for some ideas on how to take your playin

Learning the Dm ukulele chord on a ukulele and its neighbors, D & D7, can help you quickly expand your ukulele repertoire. After all, the sweet tone of the ukulele really comes out when the right chords are played. This guide will teach you how to play D minor on a ukulele along with D major and D7 as a bonus! To understand the unique quality of each essential chord type, it’s helpful to practice chord variations that are based on the same root note. For example, you can work on the D m

Here on the TakeLessons Blog, we've discussed general piano practice tips, and well as how to structure and plan out your practice time. But if you don't have your practice space set up just right, you still could be costing yourself valuable time and energy. Fortunately, we received a sneak peak of an eBook designed to help you set up your space for success, so you can practice piano at home efficiently and comfortably. We're excited to check out the eBook, written by Allysia over a

Interested in learning how to sing jazz? Here, Ann Arbor, MI singing teacher Elaina R. shares how to get started...   Jazz is the cool cat of the music world. She sits in the back of the room wearing sunglasses and red lipstick. She doesn’t sing, she croons – soft and sonorous, drawing the ear in. It’s no wonder so many people want to learn how to sing jazz! At its most basic form, jazz singing is just like any other kind of singing. All singers carry their instruments inside of

As a singer, you'll come across songs in Italian or other languages that are great to practice and perform. Here, Pittsburgh, PA teacher Jennifer V. shares her tips for tackling songs as you learn to sing in a foreign language...   Imagine walking into a voice lesson and your teacher casually places a book on the table that reads “24 Art Songs”. You open the book to see where the pretty pictures of paintings are and… you see a bunch of unknown words. Your teacher gives you a big sm