Tips for Aspiring Violinists and Violists

Signing up to Play the Violin and Viola

As we learned in our other “Getting Started” blog articles, the process of learning an instrument varies significantly between the piano, percussion, and guitar. The violin and viola have their own unique distinctions that lend to a slightly different learning process as well!

Violin and Viola Recruitment and Places to Play

Many school districts recruit students in elementary school, with most initial recruitment between 4th and 6th grades. Quite often, this recruitment process takes place the year before initial enrollment. Once they’ve enrolled in orchestra, string students will often begin by learning in a small group environment before migrating to a large group rehearsal environment within a month of first picking up their instrument.

What Will First-year Violinists and Violists Learn?

The first step in learning a string instrument involves right and left-hand development. The right hand and arm are the most important to master, as they produce the tone of your student’s violin or viola. The left hand controls pitches and allows the musician to play in tune.

First-year students will also begin to learn to read music, although very young musicians may wind up learning to read music at a later date. The goal for novice string musicians is to learn to make a good sound.

Where Can Violin and Viola Students Perform?

A new string musician’s first opportunity to perform will be at a concert in December or perhaps January. This is traditionally followed by a second concert toward the end of the school year, and some school districts may include a third performance at some point during the school year.

Making Sure Your String Instrument Makes the Grade

One common pitfall novice violinists and violists may encounter when first starting is purchasing an inferior-quality instrument. Subpar string instruments may feature poor parts and materials, making it difficult for a student to play. If the pegs aren’t set up properly, your instrument may be impossible to tune. Fiberglass bows are a decent option for the beginner string musician, but they also need to be designed properly to achieve a good sound.

The sides, back, and neck of your student’s instrument should be made from maple, while the top is typically made from spruce. A quality fingerboard will be produced from harder woods like ebony. Manufacturers such as Yamaha, Eastman, Mathias Thoma, Glaesel, Kohr, Christopher, Lewis, and Scherl & Roth produce good quality rental instruments for beginners. When it is time to consider purchasing a student or step–up orchestra instrument, please visit The White House of Music’s String Shoppe or speak to any of our sales associates at our many locations.

Violin and Viola Accessories and Supplemental Materials

A beginner string student normally needs several accessories to ensure their violin or viola is played properly and remains well-maintained throughout the instrument’s life. Rosin, a cleaning cloth, a shoulder rest (beginner students will normally start with a sponge substitute, while middle school musicians will migrate over to a regular rest), a carrying case, a bow, and a music stand will typically be required to maintain good posture during practice. White House of Music offers accessory packs as an option for the beginner musician.

Each school district will have its own selection of method books, which are stocked on the White House of Music database. Just visit one of our stores, mention the name of your teacher and your student’s school, and we’ll pull the right books off the shelf for you!

Practicing With a Violin and Viola

As with many instruments, it is typically recommended that beginner musicians spread their practice sessions over multiple short periods of time rather than practicing a few times a week for extended periods of time. Students will likely receive excellent instruction from their orchestra director, but private lessons always offer a welcome opportunity to enhance a musician’s abilities.

There are a few things to keep an eye on during your student’s practice sessions:

• Ensure the bow stays at a right angle to the strings as it is drawn. The elbow and wrist being able to flex is an important part of keeping the bow straight and at a good angle to the strings to achieve a good tone.
Your student’s left hand and wrist should not collapse and remain fairly straight to help with playing in tune.
• The hair on the bow should be tightened before practice and loosened after each practice session. 3-4 turns should be sufficient.
• Avoid over-application of rosin, but be sure to apply with each practice session.
• Wipe off the instrument with a rag after playing, especially under the strings where rosin may collect.
• During winter months, make sure your student has a humidifier in their case to keep the instrument’s wood from separating and allowing it to maintain its good tone.

If you have any questions about instrument maintenance, private lessons, or violin and viola accessories, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local White House of Music store. We’re more than happy to help your student Make Music For Life!

The Fundamentals of Piano Playing

The Piano: A Great Instrument for New Musicians

While many band and orchestra students pick up their instrument from fourth grade through middle school, their first exposure to the world of music is often tied to the piano! It’s not unusual to see students starting their musical journey with piano lessons in first or second grade. Depending on the child, we’ll even see some students pick up the basics of the piano as young as four years old!

The best time for a student to learn the piano depends on the individual child. If your child can sit down and keep their attention on a task for up to a half-hour, they’re probably ready to start taking lessons. For children under five, they may benefit from group music classes where they can sing and learn rhythm basics.

Making Music for Life as a Pianist

Learning to play the piano is a skill that can help guide a child’s musical journey throughout the rest of their lives. Many of the abilities taught (like learning to read music) can benefit a student looking to migrate to other band or orchestra instruments. Quite often piano students will continue to play for the rest of their lives, taking advantage of opportunities in teaching, playing in churches, or performing in other public venues.

In an academic environment, elementary students can participate in talent shows and recitals. In middle school, a piano student may be proficient enough to accompany their school choir, while high school students can participate in jazz band, theatre productions, etc. Many parochial schools offer private lessons and opportunities to perform pre-service music in church.

There are plenty of opportunities for students to showcase their talents outside of school. From recitals offered at most White House of Music locations to the Federation and Wisconsin School Music Association contests, there are venues available for students of all skill levels. Learning to play the piano develops more than simple musical skills. Research has proven that musical training enhances verbal memory, spatial reasoning, and literacy skills which will reap benefits in other academic disciplines.

Picking up a skill like piano playing and performing in front of an audience can boost a shy child’s self confidence. Other life skills enhanced by studying the piano include the ability to set goals and the discipline to follow through to reach those goals.  In addition, learning to play the piano provides an outlet for a child’s creativity and self expression.

Musical Development for a Beginning Pianist

While the fundamentals of playing the piano can be learned within a year, it normally takes 4-5 years of lessons for a student to establish a base proficiency. Once a student has reached this level of skill, it will be much easier for them to recall this knowledge in the future.

Mastering the Basics of the Piano

Training on basic piano technique (correct hand position, posture, articulation, fingering, etc.) involves good coaching and repetition so that correct technique feels natural and becomes a habit.  Proper technique will lay the foundation needed to learn harder repertoire as a student progresses.

A teacher should create a practice plan and write down detailed instructions at weekly lessons to help the young pianist stay focused while practicing. This will also help the parents become their child’s mentor at home. Communication between the teacher and parent is essential in order for the student to accomplish their musical goals.

Substitute Practice With Play

It is important to keep the “fun” in learning to play the piano. Teachers and parents should come up with meaningful incentives such as rewards or contests. This mindset is similar to youth sports in that most children would rather scrimmage than do tiresome drills.  Instead of telling your child to practice, encourage them to play for other family members, their friends, or even the household pet! These practice or “performance” sessions can be done live or remotely through an online platform for out-of-town relatives.

As your student’s abilities progress, encourage them to play pop-culture tunes they enjoy. Have a “fun book” of sheet music featuring songs from their favorite movies or TV shows that they can play during each practice session. There are plenty of options for students of all interests and skill levels!

Piano Practice Sessions: Determining Frequency and Duration

As with many other instruments, it’s always better to have regularly scheduled short practice sessions, rather than the occasional long practice. If your student practices two hours a week, it might be best to have six twenty-minute sessions each week rather than two hourlong practice sessions! It also helps to schedule a practice session the day after a private lesson for improved recollection.

For younger students who are working on fundamentals, 10-15 minute practice sessions offer a good starting point. After 3-4 years of training, practice sessions can increase to 20-30 minutes each day. For High School Class A level pianists, practice sessions may be as long as one hour each day, for five days a week. Your piano teacher can provide feedback on what frequency and duration are appropriate for your student, as this number may vary depending on their goals and ability.

What Kind of Equipment Does a Beginner Pianist Need?

Music Books and Sheet Music Downloads

Piano teachers will typically recommend 3-4 books for new piano students to get them through their first year of study. Faber Piano Adventures, Alfred’s Basic Piano Library, and Bastien Piano Basics provide some great starter material. If a student is interested in learning a specific song, White House of Music can also help provide you with a digital download.

Selecting a Good Starter Piano

It’s important for a student to learn on a 88 note piano. A 61 note keyboard will hamper your student’s development, as they will run out of keys to work with once they have begun to expand their repertoire of music.

An 88 note weighted action digital piano like the Yamaha P-125 offers an excellent portable solution for beginner pianists. If you’re worried that your student may give up on the piano early on, White House of Music offers a one-year buyback guarantee!

Some Final Advice for Parents of Beginner Pianists

Successful student pianists require assistance from teachers and parents alike! It is important that you are actively involved with requiring regular practice sessions and that you understand your student’s assignments. Kids sometimes have a tendency to forget to bring their music books to class, so it always helps to make sure they have all their learning materials for each lesson! Try to schedule student practice and playtime regularly, like brushing teeth or making their bed to ensure accountability and provide structure to their training.

We often hear adults lamenting over the fact that their parents allowed them to quit piano lessons. Realize that your student will hit plateaus during the process of learning the piano. Encourage them to work through these plateaus as they will be rewarded eventually. Someday your child will thank you for giving them this lifelong gift of music!

If you have any questions about private lessons or the learning process, contact your local White House of Music store today!

White House of Music: Your Local Guitar Shop

Why Do Guitarists Often Own More Than One Guitar?

There are many reasons a guitarist might own more than one guitar. Guitars come in a variety of colors, styles, and configurations. Guitars have personality. The same make and model can have a different feel and sound so playing the one you want beforehand is paramount. Also, guitar players tend to play many different styles of music. If you want to play classical, a Spanish style guitar fits the bill. If you want to play the blues, you might be looking for a steel string acoustic or electric guitar and amp.

Let’s dive in and get to know some of the different types of guitars available through White House of Music.

Acoustic, Acoustic-electric, and Electric Guitars

Here’s a brief look at the three most popular guitar types.

Acoustic
Acoustic guitars can offer more standalone volume than their acoustic-electric and electric counterparts. What does that mean? It means you don’t need to plug it in to get a nice full sound. Acoustic guitars are great for playing around the campfire or picking up for a quick practice session. Acoustic guitars can be mic’ed to amplify their sound, but you want to avoid feedback (a humming sound that can be very unpleasant). This can be a problem with amplifying an acoustic guitar. And of course, you’ll need to purchase a microphone.

Acoustic-electric
Acoustic-electric guitars are great when you need more volume. Offering a wide variety of different shapes, styles, and body thickness options, acoustic-electric guitars can be plugged into an amplifier or soundboard. There’s no need to purchase or set up a microphone for this type of guitar. They’re excellent for playing in a band or for an impromptu jam session.

Electric
From heavy metal to blues performances, electric guitar players can plug in and crank up their guitars with less worry about unpleasant feedback. Perfect for playing with a band. When it comes to electric guitars, the guitar amplifier is just as important as the guitar itself. The Fender Mustang GT40 and GT100 guitar amplifiers come with sounds built-in, so you can experiment with or dial in the sound of your choice.

Electric Guitar Body Styles

The electric guitar comes in a variety of different body styles including hollow, semi-hollow, and solid body options. The body of an electric guitar helps shape the sound of the instrument.

Hollow and Semi-hollow Body Electric Guitars

Hollow and semi-hollow body guitars feature a sound box (a hollow body) with at least one pickup. The pickup takes the sound generated from the strings and transforms it into an electrical signal. The rounder, fuller tone of a hollow or semi-hollow body guitar makes them a perfect choice for blues and jazz guitarists.

White House of Music carries both hollow body and semi-hollow body electric guitars:

AF75OLM: Ibanez Hollow Body Olive Metallic
AM53SRF: Ibanez Semi-Hollow Red Flat Burst
AS53TF: Ibanez Semi-Hollow Tobacco Flat

Pictured is an Ibanez Hollow Body in Olive Metallic.

Solid Body Electric Guitars

Solid body construction is a popular and common electric guitar body design. Popular models like the Ibanez RG series and Fender Squier incorporate solid bodies into their design. The body of the guitar is solid wood and not hollowed out like a hollow body or semi-hollow body electric. This type of guitar allows for increased sustain and can play at higher volumes without feedback. Solid body electric guitars are popular with rock and metal guitarists because of their ability to play at louder volumes. This allows players to create a more distorted or crunchy tone.

White House of Music carries solid body electric guitars from Ibanez, Fender, and Yamaha:

RG421EXBKF Ibanez Black Flat
PAC212VQMTBS Yamaha Tobacco Sunburst

Pictured is an Ibanez RG421EX Black Flat Solid Body Electric Guitar.

Selecting the Right Electric Guitar Pickups

Pickups take the vibrations of the guitar’s strings, change them into an electrical signal, and transmit them through a cable to an amplifier. Amplifier selection is extremely important when playing an electric guitar. The pickup serves as the audio input while the amplifier serves as the output.

Single-coil Pickups

Single-coil pickups are popular with musicians for their clean tones and overdriven sounds. These tones could be described as glassy or having more twang. Typically, these pickups are not used in hard rock or other genres requiring a heavily distorted tone. They can produce too much hum and buzz for louder applications.

Humbucker Pickups

Great for heavier “Led Zeppelin” style tones, Humbucker pickups reduce hum at high volume levels. Guitarists using these pickups can crank the volume and get a chunky distorted tone without the buzz of a single coil. Humbuckers are not just for distortion. They tend to produce a thicker and warmer tone than single-coil pickups. This type of tone is popular with many blues and jazz styles. However, the true test is with the ears of the player. Come in and try out both.

Certain guitar models have both a single-coil and a Humbucker-style pickup. The guitarist can switch between the different pickups depending on what style of music they are playing.

The guitars below are all available through White House of Music. Which one will you play?

Guitars with both Humbuckers and single-coil pickups:

GRX55BVRD: Ibanez Vivid Red

The Ibanez GRX55B in Vivid Red is a White House of Music fan favorite.

Guitars featuring Humbuckers:

RGA42FMDEF: Ibanez Dragon Eye Burst Flat

You’re guaranteed to get a thick, warm tone with this semi-hollow body guitar featuring two Humbucker pickups:

AS73AA: Ibanez Artcore Antique Amber

Ibanez Dragon Eye Burst Flat Guitars feature a Flamed Maple top and a Meranti body.

Active Pickups

Another option is the active pickup. Unlike their passive pickup counterparts (the single-coil and Humbucker), active pickups require their own battery to function. They have a preamp built-in to help shape the sound going into the amplifier. The active pickup also provides a louder signal.

Different Guitar Designs

Steel String Guitars

An excellent choice for folk and bluegrass musicians, steel string guitars offer more volume and and harder string tension. This can make these guitars a bit harder on the fingers, requiring stronger hands to play without discomfort. Most steel string guitarists play with a pick or both pick and fingers, although finger style play is becoming increasingly popular. Dreadnaught, Parlor, Lap Steel, and Resonators are common types of steel string guitars.

Dreadnaught Acoustic Guitars

Dreadnaughts are a larger-size acoustic guitar well-suited for singing and playing. Considered the standard guitar of bluegrass music, the larger body provides the Dreadnaught with a bold and rich tone. Dreadnaught guitars can be immediately identified by their square shoulders and bottom.

Dreadnaught guitars available at White House of Music include:

DX1AE Martin Dreadnaught Acoustic Guitar
D-18 Martin Dreadnaught Acoustic Guitar

Martin D-18 Dreadnaught Guitars incorporate classic design aesthetic and a timeless sound.

Parlor Size Acoustic Guitars

Parlor guitars offer a mid-range tone, historic sound, and a smaller size. They’re popular among old-school blues, folk, and fingerstyle players.

Example of parlor size guitar carried at White House of Music:

CSF1MVN Yamaha Parlor Guitar CSF1M Vintage Natural

Resonators

Another excellent option for slide guitarists, the resonation offered by these guitars lends itself to cool overtones and a unique sound. The spun metal cone takes the place of the wood top when conducting vibrations. These guitars are popular in louder bluegrass and blues roles. Some models feature a square neck designed to be played like a lap steel guitar, while others are designed to be played like a conventional guitar.

Nylon String Acoustic Guitars

Nylon string guitars work great for classical and flamenco music. Hybrid nylon string guitars work well for someone wanting to add a nylon sound to a more rock ‘n’ roll style. The hybrid is a more standard acoustic guitar design with nylon strings instead of steel strings. In my favorite part of the blog, find out what makes the Spanish and Flamenco guitar stand out from the crowd.

Spanish Style Guitars or Classical Guitars

The traditional Spanish style guitar is meant for playing pieces from the renaissance, baroque, romantic, and modern time periods. Playing this type of music on the guitar takes years to master and usually requires a guitar of a higher quality. A wider neck provides room for more intricate playing. Players can end up playing the melody, harmony, and bass lines all at once. Reading music and memorizing pieces is also paramount for this type of music.

Some high-quality Spanish guitars available through White House of Music are listed below. Note: The C5 Cordoba classical guitar is a high-quality instrument for beginners to intermediate players.

C5 Cordoba Classical Guitar
C45CO Cordoba Classical Guitar Cocobolo

Each Cordoba C5 guitar is handmade in the classic Spanish style.

Flamenco Guitars

Another type of nylon string guitar is the flamenco guitar. These guitars offer a fast action (low string height to the neck) and can produce some buzzing due to the low string height. The flamenco guitar has a more percussive sound and is designed to cut through with more “attack.”

Bass Guitars

Electric bass guitars typically feature solid-body construction with 4 steel strings (although hollow body and 5-6 string options also exist). While most bass guitar designs are electric, White House of Music also carries an acoustic-electric Ibanez model as well.

GSR200SMNGT: Ibanez Bass Natural Gray Burst

Check out this eye-popping Ibanez bass model featuring their Natural Gray Burst finish.

Any Other Guitar Questions?

There are many things to consider when selecting your new guitar. Stop by White House of Music and check out our selection of Martin, Ibanez, Yamaha, and Fender guitars. Contact us to schedule a guitar experience or ask about model availability today!

How to Become a Skilled Percussionist

My Experience As a Beginner Percussionist

When you first get started with your musical career, you’ll never know where it might take you! I spent my entire career as a percussionist, but when I first signed up for band, my plan was to play the trumpet. My braces wound up being an issue, so when I was offered a choice between the trombone, alto saxophone, and percussion in sixth grade, I decided to pursue the latter and haven’t looked back since! At first, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being a percussionist. At that time gender roles were still a big influence on which instrument you wound up playing, but it didn’t take long before I found my inspiration in Karen Carpenter (of The Carpenters). A critically acclaimed drummer, she proved that you could be both a girl and a skilled percussionist!

Our high school went through three different band directors in four years, each one offering their own specialty. It wasn’t until my first high school band director (a trumpet player) was replaced by a percussionist that I realized how important it was to have a specialist providing one-on-one feedback regarding technique and play style. It wasn’t long before I discovered I had been gripping my left snare drum stick incorrectly, a frustrating bad habit that took me nearly a year to fully correct. Had I not received that valuable feedback from this percussionist, my skill level would have almost certainly not peaked, taking my life and musical career in a completely different direction!

With the ever-increasing teaching workloads, it’s even harder for students to get quality one-on-one time with their band directors, so I highly recommend students invest in private lessons to help avoid running into similar pitfalls. By identifying my shortcomings early on I was able to adjust my technique, continue to major in Percussion at UW-Stevens Point, performed professionally with a number of different bands and orchestras, and spend more than three decades as a band director with various schools across Wisconsin and Tennessee!

A Percussionist’s First Steps: The Selection Process

While each band director will have their own method of helping students choose an instrument, my approach always involved a two-step process.

The first step provided students with the opportunity to test out every instrument. Each student would attempt to play a few notes in front of their classmates, at which point they would complete a simple peer and self-evaluation. I would always have the students play the percussion instruments last due to their high level of demand. Students would often select a different instrument before reaching the final stage of this test, narrowing the field of candidates for the percussion section.

The second step of the selection process involved some basic coordination exercises. One simple test to evaluate coordination and rhythm is to have the student perform a Single Paradiddle pattern (right, left, right, right, left, right, left, left). I would also gauge student interest in the various percussion instruments and tried to determine their level of serious commitment toward comprehensive percussion study.

Percussionists Are More than Just Drummers!

Why is it important to screen percussion candidates more than most other band members? While many students sign up intending to play the drums, there are many more primary and auxiliary instruments they’ll have to learn as well!

First-year percussionists will typically learn to play the following instruments:

• Bells (Xylophone)
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Crash Cymbals
• Bass Drum

Percussionists will normally pick up the following instruments in their subsequent years:

• Timpani
• Marimba
• Drum Set
• Vibraphone
• Chimes

Other instruments commonly used by percussionists include the following:

• Tambourine
• Bongo Drum
• Cowbell
• Gong
• Conga
• Woodblock
• Hi-hat
• Triangle

With this vast selection of instruments, the learning process will vary more for percussionists than for most other musicians. The best music books for beginner percussionists will list the same piece of music on opposing pages (We recommend Premier Performance by Ed Sueta, a music book offered by the White House of Music).

To the left of the fold, the student can find the music for the snare drum, while the right side features the mallet notes. By reviewing both pieces simultaneously, the students learn treble clef, keyboard, drum technique, and sticking at the same time. These combination books will be a bit more expensive than standard books, but the additional investment is well worth it for the budding percussionist.

Once your student has mastered the fundamentals of these basic percussion instruments, they will need some one-on-one guidance from a percussion teacher on the technique required to play each of the auxiliary instruments they might encounter. It’s best to get that feedback early on to avoid developing any bad habits down the road.

The Tools of the Trade: What Do Beginner Percussionists Need to Purchase to Get Started?

The exact list of items needed for beginner percussionists will vary from school to school, depending on your band director’s needs. Typically, the band director will collaborate with White House of Music to create a “Rental Kit” featuring snare sticks, bell mallets, a drum pad, and a small bell kit.

There is typically a slight cost saving when considering percussion rental kits over most other instruments. Still, we highly recommend purchasing a metronome and music stand to properly display sheet music when practicing at home. By the end of a student’s first semester, they will likely have acquired a stick bag including basic snare drum sticks (we recommend Vic Firth SD1 Generals), a set of hard rubber or plastic bells mallets, a set of timpani mallets (we also recommend Vic Firth T1 General and T3 Staccatos), and yarn mallets for the suspended cymbal. All of the above instruments and accessories are available for purchase through White House of Music.

Mallets and sticks should be considered disposable accessories, requiring occasional replacement due to normal wear and tear. Most band directors will have sticks and mallets available for student use, but having a backup set on hand never hurts!

What Kind of Instruments Do Schools Typically Provide Percussionists?

Schools typically provide most of the larger instruments, including timpani, concert bass drum, concert snare drum, drum set, marimba, and bells. Auxiliary instruments are also typically provided by the school. However, the aspiring college percussionist will want to acquire their own over time.

As a student progresses in their skills, they may want to purchase their own instruments for practice at home or at private lessons. Most practice for novice students can be accommodated with their rental kit.

Caring for Percussion Instruments

Unlike wind and string instrument maintenance, care for percussion instruments is fairly straightforward. Beginner students will be required to keep their equipment and instruments well organized. Students should cover the Xylophones with their dust covers, mallets should be placed in their bag, and timpani should be covered to ensure the heads are protected.

White House of Music: Your Local Percussion Resource

If you have any additional questions regarding beginner percussion lessons, instruments, and accessories, please don’t hesitate to stop by your local White House of Music store. Many of our employees are former band directors who would be more than happy to help provide valuable feedback.

White House of Music Retail Stores can be found in the following locations:


• Waukesha
• Brookfield
• Watertown
• West Bend

Additional print resources available through White House of Music include:

• Premier Performance Series by Ed Sueta
• Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone
• Rhythm Vocabulary Charts by Ed Sueta
• Modern School For Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone by Morris Goldenberg

The Tangible and Intangible Benefits of Band Participation

It’s well known that music students typically outperform their non-music peers academically. Past studies have indicated that SAT students who participated in music scored an average of 31 points above average in reading, 23 points above average in math, and 31 points above average in writing. Researchers have also demonstrated a strong relationship between individuals who participated in school arts experiences and higher academic success as demonstrated by grade point averages.

Additional studies have confirmed that students engaged in music programs outperformed their peers on every indicator, including grade-point average, graduation rate, ACT scores, attendance, and discipline referrals. Overall, the University of Kansas study demonstrated that the more a student participates in music, the more positive these benefits become.

Equally important to the academic benefits of participation in music and band programs are the intangible qualities that come along with the full band experience.

A Sense of Belonging

It can be tough fitting in as a kid! Band provides students with a place to belong, both inside and outside of a school environment. It provides a home where kids can feel confident and safe, providing an opportunity to build friendships and skills to carry through life, regardless of where it takes you!

Creativity and Expression

Band enhances creative thinking and provides an enriching creative outlet. It gives students an opportunity to create beauty, elicit emotion, and create a work of art. Participation in band offers a unique opportunity to foster creative thought and growth. Artistic expression is something our society is sorely lacking in the midst of the digital age, so it’s always nice to see students channeling their creative energy through something other than their phone or computer!

Collaboration, Teamwork, and Accountability

Band is collaborative in nature! It provides students with a means to learn patience, persistence, and responsibility. Every member of a band plays off of one another. Both what you do, and don’t do will have a profound influence on others in the band. If you miss a note or two, the impact on the surrounding musicians is discernible. When all of the pieces fall into place, band offers a remarkable opportunity for students to collaborate with one another, creating a beautiful musical harmony.

Perseverance

In a world of instant gratification, participation in band is a rare outlet that teaches students how to handle failure and keep on going. Mastery of an instrument requires years of hard work, and can typically be considered a student’s first apprenticeship opportunity.

Mental and Physical Acuity

Abilities learned in band extend well beyond the academic environment. Physical attributes include improved audio and visual perception, enhanced fine motor coordination, and a well-defined muscle memory.

Mental dexterity is also improved through band. Increased cognitive reasoning, collaborative skills, emotional balance, and creative thinking are fostered through the band program. It provides a foundational discipline that can be applied to the learning of all other subjects. Simply put, band can provide social and emotional development that teaches students how to be better people through music.

Building Life Skills in Band

Participating in band provides students with a solid foundation that they can build off of for the rest of their lives. Whether tied to mental acuity, physical dexterity, or a variety of career paths, the band experience is just as vital to academic success as any other scholarly pursuit. Feel free to visit your local White House of Music store to learn more about music lessons and instrument rental opportunities in your area. We would be more than happy to play a part in helping your student Make Music For Life!

Taking Your First Steps Toward Becoming a Successful Guitarist

How Do You Learn To Play The Guitar?

People always tell me that they wish they could play the guitar. I smile and tell them it is a great experience and you’ll probably play for the rest of your life. You will play at Christmas, around the campfire, or when you get together to jam with friends. Some of the best experiences in my life have been with a guitar in my hands.

In my experience, the best way to start learning is with private lessons. Private lessons will accelerate the learning process. There is no substitute for a good guitar teacher. A teacher can help guide you with feedback and tips on how to quickly become a better player. YouTube tutorials are fun but new players will benefit greatly from an experienced teacher.

Selecting Your First Guitar

My first guitar was a canary yellow Fender Stratocaster copy that came with a small practice amp. I was inspired by Brian May of Queen and could not wait to plug in and rock out.

Your first guitar might be an electric or an acoustic. It really depends on what kind of music you are interested in playing. Do you like screaming guitar solos or want to sing and play? When you come into the store, we will ask you some questions about the style of music you like and what you want to play. It is about finding the right guitar for you.

Guitar Size and Comfort

Having a guitar that’s comfortable to play is important when selecting your first guitar. You want to find a guitar that is the right size for you and has a lower action. The action is the height of the strings above the neck of the guitar. If you are just starting out, we can help you find a guitar that will feel good to play and fit your style. For children, a 1/2 or 3/4 sized guitar can be a great option.

Choosing Between a New or Used Guitar

I recommend the purchase of a new guitar for a beginning player. You can get a solid guitar for $300 to $400. We look at every guitar that goes out on the floor. It will be set up and ready to play. This way, you know you are getting a quality instrument. You need a guitar that feels good and that you are excited to play. As a new player, you might miss something on a used instrument and end up with a guitar that is hard to play. A good guitar helps you stick with it and accomplish your goals.

Recommended Guitar Models

When you are ready to buy your first guitar, it is time to try out a few different models. Come in and talk to our staff and ask plenty of questions. White House of Music is a unique buying experience. I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and it’s a great place to really hear the instrument you are buying. As I mentioned earlier, $300 to $400 is a good starting point. However, we have some lower-priced guitars that sound good as well.

There are many types of guitars out there and some are built with a genre of music in mind. An acoustic with steel string lends itself to folk and rock n’ roll. An acoustic with nylon strings works well with classical and flamenco styles.

Starter packs are also a good choice for the beginner. They include the guitar and all accessories needed to get up and running. Many of the items that you will find in a starter pack include:

• The Guitar: the most important item.
• Guitar Practice Amp: a must for an electric guitar.
• Guitar Strap
• Extra Strings: you will break a lot of strings in the beginning.
• Some Basic Lessons, CD/DVD, or online access.
• Picks

Entry Level Guitar: $150-$400

A good beginner guitar falls into this category. Some quality models include the Fender Squier and the Yamaha Pacifica. These electric guitar models come in a variety of styles, colors, and configurations.

The Cordoba C5 is an excellent starter guitar for those interested in classical guitar. For $300-$400, you can get an instrument that really sings. The C5 is a great guitar at a fantastic price.

Mid-Level: $500-$1,000

In this category, you will find a more finely crafted guitar. This means a better feel to the instrument. A higher-end finish and a higher grade of wood can give you a cleaner, more refined sound. Electric guitars will tend to have higher-end electronics as well. In my opinion, these guitars produce a more “alive” sound.

Professional Grade: $1,000+

Acoustic guitars in this category will feature all-wood construction. Solid wood tops, backs, and sides are a staple in this range. An all-wood guitar will sound better as you play it and can even sound sweeter over time.

Electric guitars use high-quality wood and component selection to bring your guitar sound to life. Pick-ups (a pick-up picks up the sound of your guitar so it can be amplified) in these guitars are high-quality and can produce a better overall sound.

Lessons and Practice For The Beginning Guitarist

After purchasing your first guitar, the next step is to find a guitar teacher. Our lesson coordinators at White House of Music will pair you with a teacher that fits your style and lesson goals.

Initial lessons will vary depending on what type of guitar and style you prefer. Learning to read music is important if you plan on studying classical guitar. Practicing basic chords and proper hand positioning are some of the first things you’ll tackle as a beginning guitarist.

Once you have mastered the basics, lessons will gradually place emphasis on mental progression, including music theory, technique, and improving listening skills.

I recommend students practice a minimum of 20 minutes every day. Short but frequent practice sessions will be much more effective than long sessions once a week.

If you have any questions regarding guitar selection, play style, or lesson opportunities, stop by and see us at the White House of Music. With four locations in Waukesha, Brookfield, Watertown, and West Bend, we are always more than happy to provide any resources you might need to Make Music For Life!

A Parent’s Guide for New Band Students

First Steps: Recruitment and Instrument Selection

Congratulations! Your student is taking their first step toward a successful musical career. While it might seem overwhelming at first, your student’s band teacher likely has a well-coordinated recruitment process in place to help guide band parents and their students.

While this process will likely vary from one band director to another, most will introduce students to band at the end of the previous school year. The school will usually send out a mailer for parents at the end of the event, featuring details about the band program and a sign-up form for interested students.

Quite often, teachers will bring in older students to put on an introductory performance to gauge initial interest and will follow up with instrument demonstrations and fitting nights to help provide parents and students with an opportunity to see which instrument they are best suited for. White House of Music staff members are often on hand at these events to help explain the instrument rental process, lesson opportunities, and our Maintenance & Repair program.

On average, about half of the students who sign up for band will begin to take summer lessons to familiarize themselves with their instruments prior to the upcoming school year, while the other half will receive their instruments once school begins in September. Some band directors may help with selecting an instrument based on availability in their instrument roster (quite often a number of positions will be filled by students who began to take lessons over the summer), while others allow the students to select their instrument based entirely off of their own individual preference, regardless of the roster requirements.

Parents whose students are interested in percussion should probably sign up early, as it’s always a popular instrument category. Band directors will usually look for students with a piano background as a percussion qualifier.

Instrument Accessories

Once your student has selected an instrument, they will likely require a number of accompanying accessories to play it. It’s usually best to refer to your teacher’s guidelines on accessory purchases, as White House of Music provides a variety of different care kits based on the needs of different school districts. These instrument accessories will vary depending on the type of instrument, but we can break most of them down into three separate categories:

Woodwinds

• 3-4 Reeds
• Reed Holder
• Polish Cloth and Swab
• Mouthpiece Brush
• Cork Grease

Brass

• Valve Oil (For Trumpet, French Horn, Baritone, and Tuba)
• Slide Oil (For Trombone)
• Grease
• Mouthpiece Brush

Percussion

• Set of Mallets for Bells
• Drumsticks

One other piece of equipment essential for long term musical success is a proper music stand. Growing up, I practiced on the bed with improper posture, sliding my mouthpiece to one side in order to accommodate the odd position.

To this day, I still need to be conscious about this early mistake, as I continue to have a tendency to place my mouthpiece just a bit off center due to bad habits learned during childhood!

Instrument Care and Maintenance

When you acquire your instrument, you will want to keep it in good playing condition. Progress will be slowed or stopped (and student frustration will set in) if an instrument is not working properly. Most band rental programs offer and/or provide maintenance agreements. We would highly recommend taking advantage of this option. It may be your student is very responsible and careful with their instrument, but another student in the band class may not be. Accidents do happen, especially at a young age.

After each practice session, your student should swab out their instrument. We recommend doing this at home when free time is a bit more readily available. Woodwinds will need interior cleaning after each use. Brass players should remember to empty the water key after use (condensation from exhaled breathing will accumulate inside the instrument). Brass players should also have their instruments flushed and cleaned annually. Your student’s teacher can guide them through this process, but it is also a complimentary service offered through the White House of Music Maintenance & Repair program.

Some instruments will require more regular maintenance than others. Saxophones (both Alto and Tenor) will incorporate an octave key that you’ll want to keep an eye on. Handling instruments properly will typically help avoid key issues.

Make sure your trumpet valves remain oiled. If these instruments are run dry, some issues may occur. A dented tube or valve can cause problems with movement of the pistons and the smoothness of a trombone slide as well. While all mouthpieces should be cleaned occasionally, reeds should be kept clean and dry and rotated regularly to help make them last longer.

Instrument care is typically covered in your student’s first lesson, but it’s important to remind them to keep it in good condition throughout the course of the year!

How Much Practice Time Is Required?

We typically recommend deferring to your student’s teacher on the amount of practice they will require. One rule of thumb we recommend, particularly for less experienced students, is that the frequency of practice is more important than the duration.

Success in musical performances isn’t achieved like most classes, where your student can cram for a test by studying for hours on end. Instead, it’s built through the repetition of good habits developed over many small increments of time, through practice sessions taking place in the same place, time, and position. Playing for an audience of parents and friends can oftentimes prove to be beneficial. It’s also important that your student spends some time playing for fun!

White House of Music: Your Local Band Resource

White House of Music welcomes you to the widespread network of band players and band alumni across Southeast Wisconsin. If you have any questions about instruments, types of bands, lesson opportunities, or our instrument rental program, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here to help provide all the resources necessary to help ensure your student’s success along their musical journey. Congratulations on helping your student take their first steps toward Making Music for Life!

Protecting Your Instrument From Life’s Little Surprises

From the expected to the unexpected, conceivable to inconceivable, we have seen some interesting things happen to rented or purchased musical instruments. Whether it’s the standard wear and tear that occurs as an instrument is used over the course of a school year or your car backing over your student’s instrument on your way down the driveway, chances are your instrument will require maintenance and repair at some point.

To help guarantee the performance of your White House of Music band or orchestra instrument over the course of its life, we offer a Maintenance & Repair program that costs as little as $5 per month. This plan can be purchased on a month-to-month or annual basis.

What sort of repairs does this program cover? Anything is conceivable when the human element is involved!

Regular Maintenance

Most common is the typical wear and tear encountered after continuous use. This comes in handy with some instrument designs more than others. Trombone slides have a reputation for going out of alignment if you so much as look at them the wrong way! A few of these regularly occurring repairs include the following:

• Bridge breaks on violins
• Stuck mouthpieces on trumpets
• Dents in brass instruments
• Twisted keys or broken mouthpieces on a clarinet

White House of Music offers various other complimentary maintenance and repair services:

• An annual check-up
• Free or discounted replacement mouthpieces
• Free or discounted string replacement
• Free or discounted bow hair replacement

Saxes Don’t Wear Seatbelts

We have serviced a number of instruments that were involved in auto accidents. There was even an Alto Saxophone that was launched from a vehicle during a car crash! Fortunately, everyone in the car was safe, but the instrument was mangled and twisted. Was it covered by Maintenance & Repair? You bet!

We’ve seen cellos and baritones that were run over by vehicles. Mom was packing everything up for school and leaned the instruments up against the car before she rolled down the driveway. The instruments were totaled, but they were all still covered by Maintenance & Repair.

If you take care of your instrument, you will still get more than your money’s worth by participating in our Maintenance & Repair program and bringing your instrument in for an annual cleaning.

There’s no deductible, and no maximum. With fire and theft coverage offered for rental instruments in cooperation with your household insurance, there isn’t much this program won’t cover!

Limitations and Lead Times

The White House of Music Maintenance & Repair program is available for any band or orchestra instrument offered through our Lease to Learn program. It does not apply to most other instrument categories (guitars, keyboards, or drums) or band and orchestra instrument categories that we don’t rent (tubas, bassoons, etc.). Even if you purchased your instrument elsewhere, we can evaluate it to see if it qualifies for our Maintenance & Repair program.

Once your repairs are complete, each instrument is play tested to ensure it sounds and performs just like new. Lead times on repairs may vary depending on the time of year, but most instruments are repaired and returned within a week. During peak seasons (summer and fall), repair times can increase to 3+ weeks, but we always do our best to take your playing and performance needs into consideration with each repair job.

If you would like to chat and discuss our Maintenance & Repair program in more detail, feel free to contact a sales representative at your nearest White House of Music store. We would be more than happy to help answer any questions you might have!