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Guitar lessons improve your brain power
Recent research suggests that music related lessons improve your brain power The research states that musicians have more grey matter in parts of the brain which are important for playing an instrument such as a guitar and they can use this improved capability in other areas of their lives. This added capability could be of benefit for speech, reading, attention span and the ability to learn a foreign language.
Scientists North Western University situated in Illinois reviewd research from around the world and report that the effect of music and instrument training suggests that similar to physical exercise and its effect on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain.
The researchers indicated that learning nuances of pitch, timing, and rhythm leads to the formation of new connections between brain cells,. They also commented that the beneficial effects of music training on sensory processing confer advantages beyond music processing itself.
These improvements also seem to aid in other walks of life, facilitating easier understanding of speech and judgment of emotions being conveyed.
You can take advantage of these benefits by booking guitar lessons with us. East midlands Guitar Tuition offer guitar lessons and tuition for anyone from the age of 8 upwards in Bramcote, Beeston, Stapleford, Wollaton, Toton, Nottingham and Derby.
Some tips on learning to play guitar
If you want to become an accomplished guitarist it is very important that you maintain a frequent practice routine. However, you also have to make sure you develop good habits and a good posture or you could have problems playing your guitar in the future. If you are not constantly practicing to better yourself on the guitar, you will quickly find that you hit a brick wall and will be unable to progress satisfactorily. Listed below are a few tips as an aid for your practice regime.
Make Time to Practice Every Day
You will find it more beneficial to practice every day rather than a couple of intense sessions a week. Obviously it is not always possible to find time to practice every day but you should try and find at least 15 minutes to practice what you have learnt and of course don’t forget scales and mode. Remember the more you practice the better a guitar player you will become.
Warm Up
Warming up before you play is quite important. warming or loosening up your fingers will feel more comfortable when beginning to play. Warming up will not only help to prevent injuries, it will also allow you to get the most out of your practice session. A good warm up technique is to start by stretching your fingers out as wide as you can then make a fist. You should do this for about 30 seconds. Also start your practice by playing a chromatic run up and down the fret board. This is a great way to get your fingers nice a supple.
Practice Good Technique
Make sure you are holding the guitar and the pick correctly, as well as fretting the notes accurately with your finger tips just in front of the frets. If you are sitting down, sit up straight and hold the back of the guitar against yourself. If you are standing up, adjust the strap until the guitar is hanging at a comfortable picking and fretting position, usually somewhere around your lower stomach area. Hold the pick between your thumb and your index finger. This is the correct way to hold a pick. When fretting notes, make sure they ring out cleanly and are free from fret buzz. If you find you are getting fret buzz try re-positioning your fingers. Practicing good technique is vital to gaining fast progress and playing the guitar well.
Play with a Metronome
Metronomes are a great way to maintain steady time. Playing along with a metronome will teach you keep better time keeping and, in the end, it will make you a much better guitar player. Keeping time is absolutely essential when playing any instrument. You could play the fastest, most technical licks and solos in the world, but if you are not in time you will not sound good. The sooner you learn to practice with a metronome, the better.
Have Fun
Playing guitar is essentially all about having fun. If you find yourself getting bored of practicing exercises and scales etc., ask your tutor to learn how to play one of your favourite songs. Or, if you get bored practicing alone, try to find a fellow guitarist or musician to jam with. If playing other peoples’ music is no longer fun, try to write some music of your own.
If you are struggling with your practice regime and would like some tips please feel free to email me at andy@eastmidlandsguitartuition.co.uk
East Midlands Guitar Tuition provides guitar lessons and tuition in Bramcote, Beeston, Stapleford, Wollaton, Toton, Nottingham and Derby
Your First Guitar
Buying your first guitar is an exciting, but possibly daunting, experience for any beginner. The same is true for anyone thinking of buying a guitar for someone as a gift. The choice usually is Acoustic or Electric guitar? How much should be paid and what brand of guitar should you buy. These questions and more are common but the notes below may help in forming a decision! There are three main tips you should take into consideration when you start looking to buy that first guitar.
First of all you should consider buying any guitar from an established guitar shop or online store instead of buying privately. This way you will get a guarantee with your purchase and also usually advice from professionals or enthusiasts who will be happy to help make your choice. You should have an idea of what type of music you want to play and tell the shop assistant and they will help you make your choice as to whether to buy acoustic or electric guitar. Also if you have any friends or family that play guitar ask their advice and add it to the information you find for yourself. East Midlands Guitar Tuition does recommend every beginner starts on an electric guitar as this is a much easier instrument to learn, is more interesting as you play it through an amplifier and can use effects pedals and you can see results much sooner, however the choice is yours.
Secondly, you should start out with a realistic budget and try to buy as close to the top end of your budget as possible as this will get you the best guitar and brand that your money can buy. It is usually true that the better guitar you can afford to buy the more inspiration and motivation will transfer to your lessons and playing.
Thirdly, try the guitar out first! Even if you can’t play a note on the guitar just hold it, put your fingers around the neck and make some noises. If you dint feel comfortable playing in a public place such as a guitar shop then ask one of the assistants to demonstrate your preferred guitar. You need to consider how comfortable the guitar feels as this will be the instrument you will be taking to your guitar lessons so comfort should always be preferred before looks because if you choose a guitar that looks cool but is awkward to play this may hinder your progress in lessons and could put you off completely. However, the look of the guitar is also important and will obviously reflect your personal taste.
Below are listed some tips you can use to help you make a happy choice when trying out guitars.
- Play every note and make sure the guitar is free of fret buzz. Ask the assistant to show you how or get him to do it.
- Make sure the neck is not warped. This will affect the intonation and in most cases cannot be rectified easily if at all. You need to look along the neck, both along the frets and along the side, to check that it is straight, ask the shop to confirm that it’s OK. Even though a warped guitar neck would normally be covered by the manufacturers guarantee if you don’t know it’s warped it may affect your playing and you won’t know why.
- Check the action (how high the strings are from the fretboard) isn’t too high as this will make it harder on your fingers to press down. But, the action cannot be too low as this could cause fret buzz. If you are not sure about the action then ask the shop assistant to advise what is best for you and about guitar set-ups.
- Try the volume, tone and pick up controls to make sure they are all working correctly. Check for buzz or scratching noises as this could indicate a faulty control.
Above all don’t rush in deciding which guitar to buy but try to make sure you are happy with your purchase as it will affect how quickly you make progress in your guitar lessons.
Of course East Midlands Guitar Tuition would be very pleased to offer you guitar lessons and tuition particularly if you live in Bramcote, Beeston, Stapleford, Wollaton, Toton, Nottingham and Derby.