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Learning a new instrument is no easy feat. You’ll spend countless hours practicing, but the payoff is incredible when you can play for yourself or others, learn songs, or even write your own music.

If you want to get started with a musical instrument but aren’t sure where to start — or you’re ready to branch out and learn a second (or third!) instrument — consider learning ukulele as one of your main options. It’s an instrument with a rich history, that has relevance today more than ever! Let’s explore the different reasons why learning how to play the ukulele for beginners is incredibly beneficial and where to find the best ukulele for beginners.

Consider Learning Ukulele-What You Need to Know

It’s a great starter instrument

Many teachers and experienced musicians recommend ukulele for beginners. Its small frame fits snugly in the arms of almost anyone who holds it, making strumming a breeze and minimizing wrist tension. Plus, its soft nylon strings are easier on your fingertips than other stringed instruments.

They’re incredibly portable

Are you constantly on the move? The ukulele’s compact size makes it the perfect instrument for the traveling musician. This means you can take online lessons wherever you go — as long as there’s an internet connection. Whether you’re headed to the beach or a business conference across the country, your ukulele can be right there with you every step of the way. Make sure you read up on our guide for traveling with an instrument before you go on your next adventure.

The chords are easy

If there’s one thing beginner guitar players struggle with, it’s chords. It can be difficult to remember all of the necessary finger placements, especially with six strings. However, chords on the ukulele are quite easy to remember, since they only have four strings. Chords that normally require three or four fingers on guitar are often played with just one finger on ukulele, so you’ll master them in no time. Easier chords mean you’ll be spending less time worrying about finger placement and more time learning new songs! 

Songs of all genres can be easily translated

Here’s a fun challenge: type your favourite song into YouTube followed by “ukulele” and see how many results pop up. Chances are you’ll see at least a handful of bedroom musicians strumming along to a delightful rendition. Whether you’re into rock, pop, jazz, or anything in between, it’s incredibly easy to translate songs to the ukulele due to its four strings and simplified chords. If you’ve always wanted to jam along with to your favourite music but aren’t sure where to begin, consider picking up some ukulele lessons.

They’re incredibly affordable

Let’s face it, instruments can oftentimes cost you an arm and a leg. A decent guitar can easily reach the $500-$600 range, and that’s before factoring in cables, an amplifier, or pedals. On the other hand, it’s possible to find a decent quality ukulele for under $100. The average ukulele is much smaller than a standard guitar, which means less materials are required for building one. This creates a cheaper product for the curious musician, and offers potential learners a low cost of entry. Plus, you don’t need any cables or amplifiers; your only additional costs are a fresh set of strings every once in a while.

They’re incredibly fun

Everything about the ukulele just screams fun. Between its happy-sounding, upbeat tone and association with the gorgeous islands of Hawaii, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who won’t smile when your ukulele is brought out. No matter how sour your mood is, a few strums on your trusty four-string will be all it takes to lift your spirits.

They’re a great option for players of all ages

Ukuleles seem to be one of the only instruments perfectly designed for kids (second only to the triangle, of course). The instrument is the perfect size for small hands, meaning even young children can learn their chords. Older players will have an easy time as well, plus it’s a great way for them to build finger dexterity!

Choose CRISTOFORI As Your Go-To Place For Ukulele Lessons

Consider learning ukulele at the best music school in Singapore for strong and solid foundation in learning how to play the ukulele for beginners.

We have prepared a curriculum that combines the instrumentation and technical recording components, beneficial for every student that aims to hit that ukulele mastery they always longed for.

It’s never too early or too late to get that ukulele course in Singapore, so click the “register button” and start training yourself to become a Ukulele player.

In the world of music, the guitar is undoubtedly the most popular (and also most accessible) instrument out there. In fact, you would know quite a few guitarists who have taken lessons, and several others who have not. John Mayer, for example, started learning the guitar on his own before studying music!

While there are plenty of prodigies and rock stars out there who shun guitar lessons, they are still the best way to learn how to play guitar for beginners step-by-step of the way. Guitar lessons can turn a competent guitarist into an excellent one – so here are some reasons why guitar lessons are still the best for learning how to play the guitar!

Reasons Why You Should Take Guitar Lessons

You’ll Get A Good, Solid Foundation

Yes, you certainly can learn the basics by looking at books. But are you sure you are holding your guitar properly? Are you positive you are holding down the strings effectively? Is this book you’re using even the best kind for your learning style?

Nothing beats an in-person, tactile learning environment. An instructor can start you off on the right foot by demonstrating proper technique and help you get a good foundation without falling into bad habits, which can inhibit your playing and require extra work to “un-learn.” Better to have an instructor help you adjust your strap and help you with finger placement now rather than having to put in extra work later.

Playing in Your Preferred Style

It’s a sad, but true, fact that many instruction books and videos simply don’t have the types of songs you actually want to learn. “You Are My Sunshine” is all well and good, but what if you want to learn The Beatles or John Mayer instead? A good guitar teacher will be familiar with your preferred genre, and can actually help you find songs you want to play, at your current ability level. There’s even a good chance that he or she may have tabulature or sheet music that they themselves use when they perform. This personalization will keep you interested in playing and accelerate your progress.

Get Instant Gratification and Feedback

A book or a video cannot tell you how you are doing. An instructor can give you valuable information, praise and suggestions for improvement on the spot. Once again, this will help you avoid blocks in your learning that you would need to get rid of later. Plus, it’s always great to have a captive audience.

Keeping You Honest and Working

When you hit a snag in your learning (musical or otherwise), it’s tempting to simply let that learning go if it’s not mandatory. You can set a book down and not play music again for a few days – or forever. When you are taking lessons you know you are responsible for advancing yourself in the eyes of your teacher. In addition, putting your hard-earned money down for lessons puts some “skin in the game.” You want a return on your investment, so you are more likely to continue during those times when the going gets rough. (By the way, almost every student goes through this occasionally, and there is always the other side of it when you have a major breakthrough. Never give up!)

Rational and Continued Progression

No matter how good an instruction book or video is, there’s always an end. In the one-on-one learning process, a good instructor can take you to a new level of learning and playing seamlessly. They can help you connect concepts (chord progressions, notes, etc.) more quickly and easily than a book or a video ever could.

Learning How to Play Guitar Within Your Comfort Brings Many Benefits

Playing the guitar relives anxiety and stress. Even doctors recommend that you should find at least one hobby that you can have some fun and relieve stress with. Doing this leads to enhanced mental and physical health.

It increases your thought-process, exercises your mind, and protects it from future deterioration. Learning new things makes new connections in your brain, and the challenge of learning to play the guitar is great for better cognitive development. Doing so has been proven to be helpful for your long-term mental health!

Choose CRISTOFORI for Your Beginner Guitar Lessons

Guitar lessons at CRISTOFORI is the best way to learn how to play guitar for beginners step by step in Singapore, hands down. With over 40 years of teaching and 200,000 successful students, we have created an education philosophy that takes the Whole Person Theory approach that focuses on three aspects: academic skills, learning skills and the awareness of the training process itself.

In other words, our students are trained not to be spoon-fed but to seek knowledge and help actively. They find out how to concentrate, learn and organise information into knowledge. As such, students will gain analytical skills, concentration, and abstract thinking skills.

Over the years, we also held firmly to our belief of producing quality musical instruments and selling them at the most reasonable prices.

Find out more about our guitar lessons in Singapore!

If you’re thinking about buying your first piano, you’ve come to the right place. Shopping for a piano is comparable to shopping for a car. You’ll need to look for an instrument that can satisfy your individual needs while also meeting your budget!

Common things to consider will be the size of the instrument, how old it is, the condition it’s in, and ultimately how much of an additional investment needed for restoration efforts. Buying a piano for the first time can seem like a daunting task, however, it’s quite easy once you know what to look for.

In this article, we’ll provide you with all of the knowledge you need to confidently make a purchase at a trusted piano shop in Singapore. Whether it’s a Steinway, Yamaha, or even a keyboard, the same basic principles will apply. We’ll also show you where to buy a piano in Singapore as well as a second hand piano dealer.

Where to Find Trusted Piano Shop in Singapore

While there are plenty of piano shops in Singapore for you to consider, here are a few key reasons why you should only buy pianos from a reputable and trusted piano shop in Singapore.

• You can expect support and services from the shop

When you purchase a piano from a trusted piano shop in Singapore, you can expect services and benefits such as:

• Free transport of piano to location
• Tuning services
• Guarantees or warranties
• Buy-back schemes and etc
• You can choose from trusteed and well-made brands

A number of brands have consistently produced reliable acoustic pianos. These brands have earned themselves a good reputation and are generally considered as safer choices. If you have no idea where to look, start with these brands:

• Yamaha
• Steinway & Sons
• Kawai
• Baldwin
• Bösendorfer

Recommendations for First-time Piano Buyers

1. Decide Between An Upright, Grand or Digital Keyboard

Whether your kids are enrolled in piano lessons or perhaps you’re playing the piano as a fun hobby, it’s important to decide which instrument best fits your needs. To start this process you need to understand the 3 main instrument types, their positives, and drawbacks of each.

• Digital Keyboard

The lowest possible entry point for a piano is a digital keyboard. Ranging from $100 all the way to $3000, there’s plenty of options to choose from. These keyboards come in all shapes, sizes, number of keys and more.

Digital keyboards usually feature a kind of “hammer action” needed to replicate the touch, resistance and response of an acoustic piano. In addition to touch and feel, portability, and price, digital keyboards offer plenty of entertainment features.

While it’s true that these pianos offer a wealth of features, but they’ll never feel exactly like an acoustic piano. Sometimes technical issues can develop from practicing too much on synthetic keyboard hammer action which makes the transition to an acoustic piano difficult.

If you’re tight on space they are definitely more compact than an upright or grand. There’s also little to no maintenance cost associated with these, and depending what kind you purchase you can certainly travel with the instrument.

• Upright Piano

The upright piano is the median choice. It has a much lower investment point than a grand piano but still offers an authentic touch that keyboards often try to replicate

Upright pianos are designed to save space due to their vertical design. For a beginner or intermediate pianist, upright pianos get the job done. They use real hammer action, real copper strings, and are great developmental instruments leading to a grand piano.

The more you invest in an upright piano, the better the sound quality will be. High-end uprights by Yamaha and Steinway are known for their rich tone, responsive action, and durability even in humid climates.

• Grand Piano

Grand pianos are the cream of the crop, sporting the most cosmetically appealing look of the three options. One can expect to spend north of $10,000 for a low-end grand piano, but more budget options are being made available.

Used grand pianos are a great bargain, but often need to be inspected (more on this in a minute) to ensure their quality and authenticity. When purchasing a grand piano you should consider the amount of space needed.

As far as touch and tone are concerned, grand pianos are the best. Many are designed to allow for quick repetitious passagework and make piano playing more effortless.

Steinway and Yamaha are considered to be the leading piano manufacturers in the world, however, there is worthy competition out there. Kawaii, Brodmann, Young Chang, and Fazioli are all reputable piano makers.

Grand pianos are generally going to require more care and maintenance, but they are built tough. Due to their large size, they are also very expensive to move, so do keep this in mind if you’re living in temporary housing.

2. Understanding Your Budget

At this point in the piano buying process, you should have an idea of what you want. All of these pianos come in different sizes and have their own benefits. After considering how much noise you want to hear in the home, whether you can fit the piano into a room, and technical development, it’s time to look at what you can comfortably afford.

3. Consider the Maintenance Costs

Before making a piano purchase it’s important to understand the future maintenance costs. If it’s a new piano it may need less work done, but a used or rebuilt piano might need a few extra things done to it. Here’s a couple of common repairs pianos need.

• Tuning
• Voicing
• Pitch Regulation
• Lubrication
• Buffering
• Key Replacement
• Cleaning

That’s a big list, but most of what you’ll need to be done on a consistent basis is the tuning and voicing. Tuning is good practice because it helps maintain the pitch of the keys and gives your technician a chance to see what else is going on with the instrument. Tuning also keeps the parts firmly fastened so nothing loosens up or falls out of place.

4. Test Playing the Instrument Multiple Times

To help make the investment decision easier, it’s important to give your future piano a good test run. It is highly advised against purchasing a piano without first playing it. Not just once, but multiple times! Every acoustic piano has a unique character to it. Steinway, for example, is built by hand, so each piano they produce is completely different.

You Can Trust CRISTOFORI’S Range of Pianos for Sale

CRISTOFORI aims to supply a wide range of top quality and reliable instruments at reasonable prices so that everyone can gain access to musical instruments for learning and playing music. CRISTOFORI has grown to become one of the most trusted piano shop and music school in Singapore.

Over the years, we’ve satisfied 80,000 piano customers and taught over 200,000 students to play music. Here, you will find the finest quality pianos at some of the best piano prices in Singapore.

At CRISTOFORI, you will find pianos of very fine quality and affordable prices, which range from $699 and upwards depending on the functions and features.

Discover our range of pianos as one of the best piano shop Singapore has to offer.

Falling in love with music is a natural phenomenon for millions of people in the world – and the piano is one of the most popular ways that music is expressed. If you’ve got yourself a new piano, it’s time to learn how to make some beautiful music!

However, that’s often easier said than done – there are so many things to learn before you will be able to play a complete song on the piano! If you’ve ever wondered what is the best way to learn piano by yourself, or what is the best piano learning app for adults, this article has got you covered!

Piano Lessons: Still The Best Way to Learn Piano

You can learn a lot about the piano on your own. But this can limit your progress, and you’ll soon find that your learning curve is slow or even hindered. Sometimes it helps to find a teacher to help you learn!

Finding an expert will give you a partner in your learning. They know the tips and tricks that can help make your learning process easier.

You also have someone that can look over your shoulder to make sure you are doing things right. Sure, you may be producing the sound you’re going for when playing your music. But are you using the proper technique?

A teacher will be able to make sure you do things right, so you don’t have to correct yourself in the future. It’s easier to learn the right way to do things the first time around!

What are the Other Best Ways to Learn Piano?

Learn The Basics

It may seem obvious but start with the basics. Sometimes we want to jump straight in and try to see how far we can go in the beginning. But if you don’t start simple first, you can burn yourself out from failure or injure your hands because they don’t have the stamina to handle more complex music.

The first thing you need to focus on when playing is posture. You will be doing a lot of repetitive motions. Good posture will help reduce the strain on your hands and wrists when you are playing.

Once you are sitting correctly, focus on learning the basic techniques. You need to perfect your form in the beginning.

Once you have learned proper form, focus on learning the primary rhythms and cords that make up the songs you want to practice.

Set A Practice Schedule and Stick with It

Practice makes perfect. If you don’t invest the time to learn a skill, then you aren’t going to go anywhere with it.

If you want to become good, then you need to put in the hours. Try to practice the same amount of time every day and don’t stop.

The more work you do, the better you’re going to get.

Apply The 80/20 Principle

The 80/20 principle has become popular in business and skill development. It’s a simple principle when you take a look at it.

The idea is that 80% of your progress will come from 20% of the work you do. How does knowing this help though?

Don’t put all your efforts into learning every piano skill you can. Only focus on the skills that once you master will make everything else you learn easier.

You can also use this principle to play the music you want to focus on. Chances are what you want to play only uses a subset of the types of playing out there. Focus on what you need to know to play the music you enjoy.

Play In the Beginning

You aren’t a master musician yet. It’s okay if you don’t play your music fast.

Before you start working on speed, make sure you are accurate. Spend your time making sure you hit all the right notes.

As you rack of practice time, muscle memory will start kicking in. When this happens, you should see your speed begin to get better.

Until then, take things slow and do things right.

Practice with Music You Enjoy

You didn’t start to learn a new instrument to have a miserable time. You want to have fun. When you practice, make sure you are working towards progressing with the songs you love.

Pop is an easy genre of music to pick up. This music has simple melodies that aren’t hard to understand. They’re catchy too and won’t be too dull to keep playing.

There are also several beginner piano songs that are catchy and good for practice. Learn what these are and use them to practice your technique.

Choose CRISTOFORI for your beginner piano lessons

Piano lessons at CRISTOFORI is the best way to learn piano in Singapore, hands down. With over 40 years of teaching and 200,000 successful students, we have created an education philosophy that takes the Whole Person Theory approach that focuses on three aspects: academic skills, learning skills and the awareness of the training process itself.

In other words, our students are trained not to be spoon-fed but to seek knowledge and help actively. They find out how to concentrate, learn and organise information into knowledge. As such, students will gain analytical skills, concentration, and abstract thinking skills.

Over the years, we also held firmly to our belief of producing quality musical instruments and selling them at the most reasonable prices.

Find out more about our piano lessons in Singapore!

A piano is an acoustic, stringed musical apparatus that originated in Italy around 1700 by Bartolomeo Cristofori. Struck by wooden hammers coated with a softer material are their strings, while modern hammers are with dense wool felt. Some early pianos used leather. They played it on a keyboard, a row of keys (small levers) that the performer presses or strikes with their fingers and thumbs on both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings.

Aside from the gift of listening to your young child plays a song that they’ve mastered from piano class for kids, there are numerous advantages to your young child learning piano. Playing the piano and taking lessons can certainly help you how to teach a child to play piano.

What Age Can A Child Start Piano Lessons

Typically, the best age to begin piano lessons is between age 5 and 9 years old. While older students may have an easier time learning to play, students as young as six years old can also go for piano class for kids because the piano keys are simple to use. Even very young children under the age of five can begin to explore the piano, depending on the student. After all, Mozart famously began playing the piano at the age of three!

Piano Lessons for Kids aged 3.5 to 5 Years Old in Singapore

Piano lessons are more than just an opportunity for children to learn about music; recent research has shown that learning to perform the piano has a significant impact on a child’s brain and provides them with various benefits that will last a lifetime. By learning how to teach a child to play piano, you can boost a child’s chances of success later in life.

Piano Lessons for Kids Singapore

New students begin with a foundational series of lesson books. Each book takes a student through another stage of learning how to read music, understand music theory, and play the piano. Additionally, for fun and variety, special music such as classical, jazz, and popular songs are interspersed. Introducing new music allows the teacher to learn more about the student’s musical interests in the class, Piano lessons for kids Singapore for future improvement and personal enjoyment.

In fact, CRISTOFORI uses the much-awarded Piano Adventures® lesson book for our children’s piano lessons! It is the teaching method of choice at leading university programs and music studios around the world. This student-centered approach uses analysis, creativity, and expression to develop a “musical mind and heart.”

The delightful, pianistic pieces and creative theory pages, combined with an outstanding technical approach encourage practice and progress—with adventure!

Transfer Lesson

Typically, it appears to be necessary to continue using the same lesson books from previous teachers simply. Then it is decided what It should add additional music, theory, exercise, and sight-reading materials to help student progress.

Adult Lesson

Adults can go through the same process as beginners and transfers. Furthermore, adults can have a more significant say in the pace of lessons and the types of music played. Adults are not required to join in performance classes or recitals unless they choose to do so. We encourage everyone to share the knowledge of music by performing recitals for family and friends, which can be very rewarding.

Virtual Class Lesson

To build a safe environment during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, all students will have access to virtual lessons. Online classes will continue for as long as it is necessary for the health and safety of all students and the instructor.

Once everything is back in the studio for in-person lessons, the piano teachers will use this teaching method to meet various needs, including lousy snow days, health issues, and attendance concerns.

This method of taking piano lessons has proven to be very effective and is relatively simple to set up and maintain for students. Participants will often be given a Student Set-Up Checklist along with preparation instructions for beginning their online lessons. It is critical to have the appropriate device, internet speed, and video calling system requirements met for the first lesson.

CRISTOFORI’s Graded Examination System and one-of-a-kind academic structure curriculum is designed for holistic well-being in body, heart, and soul, utilizing Cristofori’s 3-Step Learning.

CRISTOFORI hosts over 100 events per year, ranging from masterclasses to competitions to concerts. Every CRISTOFORI Music School student has the opportunity to perform in at least one Student’s Piano Recital each year. Cristofori also allows students to compete in competitions such as the Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition and others.

Famous International Piano Competition for Youths

The regular piano practice provides players with a variety of physical and physiological benefits. It improves dexterity and hand-eye coordination while sharpening fine motor skills. Music has also shown lowering heart and respiratory rates and cardiac complications, lower blood pressure, and boost immune response. Aside from developing mental and physical capabilities, pianists also enjoy the most famous international piano competition made for them.

Japan Piara Piano Competition

The Hamamatsu International Piano Competition was started in 1991 in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of Hamamatsu City. Since then this international cultural program has been held every three years to celebrate the history and tradition of the city of music and musical instruments!

This competition is open to all who are born after 1991!

Singapore Asia Youth Piano Competition

This is a competition that is suitable for all piano students. Fun tip – there are also categories based on ABRSM grades, not just ages!

Winners will often be given the chance to join the Finals of Japan’s PIARA Piano competition. Your child can perform their free choice of piano pieces, and/or the ABRSM category and showcase their exam pieces!

Online Popular Piano Competition

The Popular Piano Competition aims to bring together young aspiring piano players of all nationalities in a celebration of music and passion amid global hardships, and to spread joy and hope into the world!

The Online competition medium seeks to overcome all physical boundaries by utilizing technology to its purpose of connecting people around the globe.

The categories include Children (8 years and below), Junior (9 to 13 years) and youth (14 to 25 years)!

International Festival and Competition for Young Pianists and Piano Teachers “Bartolomeo Cristofori”

The festival competition included artists under the age of 25 (the age group up to 11 years, 12-15 years, 16-18 years, 19-22, 23-24, and “teachers” at the age of 26 and above with no age limit).

Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition

https://www.rs-event.sg/main/2021-kayserburg-international-youth-piano-competition/

Compete against pianists from all over the world in the finals in Guangzhou. There are over SGD 75,000 in total prizes to be won! All ages and nationalities are welcome.

Sydney International Piano Competition

The Sydney Piano Competition is proudly ranked among the world’s best. The competition will return in 2021, with 32 incredibly talented young competitors worldwide, career-changing prizes and opportunities, and thrilling, rigorous competitive rounds – but this time online.

These competitions emphasize the academic rigor in a student-centered approach, focusing on theory, performance, and general musicianship. Through activities and personal exploration, they foster creativity. They tailor lessons to individual learning styles, monitor progress, and teach accordingly.

The Ukulele is a four-stringed wooden musical instrument that resembles a small classical guitar. Although English speakers pronounce it “you-ka-ley-ley,” the spelling is an anglicized version of the original Hawaiian pronunciation, “ju-ke-lei-li.”

The ukelele is a fun, light-weight, easy-to-learn instrument that can also serve as an excellent introduction to learning to play the guitar. The instrument has a long history and is regaining popularity. Ukelele is also popular with children—ideal for people with small hands.

Tips on How to Learn Ukulele

A good ukulele practice routine should be adequate, challenging, and fun, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. This CRISTOFORI ukulele practice schedule can help you master a wide range of ukulele skills, regardless of your level of ambition.

Start with stretching

Stretch your fingers on both hands before you even begin to warm up. Straighten your elbow and extend your left arm out in front of you, palm facing out. Your fingers should all be pointing straight up at the ceiling. For a good stretch, gently pull the tip of your index finger back toward you with your right hand. Hold the stretched area for 10 to 20 seconds before repeating with your middle, ring, pinkie, and thumb—switch, as well as the fingers on your right hand.

Warm-up with single-string exercises

Begin by playing the first string (the A string) open. Then, using your index finger, press the string down on the first fret and pluck it once more. Rep with your middle finger on the second fret, ring finger on the third fret, and ring finger and pinkie on the fourth fret. You just performed a chromatic line. Play the chromatic line backward. Repeat this with a metronome, gradually increasing the speed over time. Repeat the pattern on the second (E string), third (A-C string), and fourth strings (G string).

Work on strumming patterns

With your left hand, hold a single chord shape. Cycle through strumming techniques with that ukulele chord in place. Work on the following patterns: down-up-down-up, down-down-up, down-up-down, and down-down-up-up. You can practice these strumming patterns with both your fingers and a pick.

Go to ukulele Singapore to learn fingerpicking patterns

The best ukulele players are also masters of finger-picking in addition to strumming. Like a banjo or acoustic guitarist, a good ukulele player can hold chord shapes with their left hand and pick individual notes with their right hand, providing rhythmic momentum and variety. Begin with a simple learn ukulele Singapore course for beginners then move on to arpeggios, playing each chord note in ascending and descending order.

Practice chord changes with a metronome

Make a chord progression with a mix of major and minor chords, then add dominant seventh chords, diminished chords, and augmented chords. The goal isn’t to make beautiful music but to push yourself to improve your fretting and transitions. Set the metronome to a comfortable rate and begin by playing one chord every four metronome clicks. Cycle through the progression until you’re comfortable with it, then double your speed by changing chords every two clicks. Change chords on every click if you want to test your ukulele strumming abilities.

Perform a few songs

You’ve now progressed to the point in your practice routine where you can play through entire songs. You could work on songs you already know or start from scratch with a new song. You can use CRISTOFORI ukulele songbooks to follow chord charts or play along to recordings and learn the songs by ear. Playing new songs can assist you in mastering standard chord fingering, introducing you to new chords, and improving your strumming patterns.

Create a new ukulele song of your own

Finish your practice session with some songwriting if you want to create original music. The best songs take ideas from established music and add something new to them, whether melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, or structural.

It will take 3-6 months, so keep it in mind to become more comfortable playing songs, possibly less for more accessible tunes. You’ll also have plenty of room for improvement after that. To play this unique instrument, you must first master two skills: chord formation and strumming.

The Best Ukulele for Beginners

https://eshop.cristofori.asia/collections/ukulele

Soprano Colorful Ukulele

The Soprano Colourful Ukulele line is an excellent first ukulele to dive in with. They come in an assortment of colors with a classic look that sounds great.  An exceptional value to get anyone playing for the first time!

Suzuki-SUK4 w/ Case, Strap, Picks and Tuner

A trusted ukulele from the Suzuki brand, this is the most popular education musical instrument brand in Japan!

This well-known student model comes in soprano size with full sapele body, stylish black strings and is packaged with a tuner, strap, picks and a Suzuki original bag.

Moana Series Ukulele

Another well-known brand, whose name is now associated with a cartoon, is Moana. They make some of the best quality beginner models of ukuleles. Their ukulele are made from a combination of quality tone wood that expresses fuller, rich tones that’ll amaze most audiences!

Greg Bennett UK70 Ns Ukulele

Set up and strung with Premium Aquila strings, the Greg Bennett UK70 Concert Size Ukulele is an absolute joy to play! Designed in the USA by Greg Bennett, a renowned designer from Nashville, Tennessee, the UK70 not only looks great, it sounds fantastic and plays great!

Beautifully handcrafted from Select Spruce, Rosewood, Ivoroid and Abalone, the UK70 has the tonal quality and appearance of an instrument that should cost twice its modest asking price!

The Takeaway

At CRISTOFORI, as at other sites offering online CRISTOFORI ukulele instruction, we offer lessons to help beginners get started. Our ukulele school stands out for our technique, theory, play-along songs, and complete tabs for every song!

CRISTOFORI regularly runs ukulele lessons during the school holiday season – take the time to kickstart you or your child’s love for the ukulele! In fact, we provide ample perks such as free ukulele materials! Our ukulele group lessons are the perfect way to get started with playing the ukulele and fall in love with the unique music it makes. We offer both online and offline lessons – so get started at https://cristofori.asia/main/ !

The violin is a bowed stringed instrument that evolved during the Renaissance from earlier bowed instruments such as the medieval fiddle, the lira da braccio, and the rebec. The violin is most likely the most well-known and widely distributed musical instrument in the world.

Many adults want to learn to play the violin. However, there is always a preconceived notion that prevents them from doing so: I am too old to learn music. Learning music is frequently misunderstood as being only for children. In fact, adults can learn quickly and thoroughly too which is why it is recommended to learn violin Singapore.

Violin Lessons in Singapore for Adults

Violin class for adults improve memory and cognitive abilities. Many studies show that even a year of playing the violin (or other musical instruments) improves your brain’s memory capacity. It can also help you with your reading, language processing, speech, and attention span. Children and teenagers who play the violin have better verbal and visual pattern abilities than those who play other instruments.

Technique instruction

Another important aspect of playing music is a technique, or how you approach an instrument to produce high-quality sound. It is an essential part of learning to play. Look for video instruction where instructors take the time to demonstrate proper techniques for playing your instrument.

Bit by bit

Music elements are taught bit by bit in most traditional classrooms. An approach that allows you to grasp the elements by building as you go gradually. However, until you have studied for a long time, you will never get a big picture view of how all these points of the elements relate.

An approach for you

Violin instructors often designed the information presented at the workshop on essential music theory elements to give you a bigger picture of the studied component. You will begin with a big picture or overview of the element before delving into each component that makes it up.

Then you’ll begin applying your knowledge and putting it together in a way that allows you to assimilate the pieces quickly. It accelerates your understanding of these music theory elements.

Learning to play a musical instrument is always a rewarding experience. Playing an instrument can help you improve your memory and attention span, improve your posture, relieve stress, and develop your sensory abilities. You will be amused to know that there are many excellent, lifelong benefits to playing the violin and that learning to play it, like any other endeavor, requires the right tools and the correct instruction.

The first step in becoming a violin beginner is to obtain a violin. The violin is available in a variety of sizes, depending on the age of the student. When buying a violin, it usually comes with a violin bow, a violin case, and violin rosin. Other accessories, such as a violin shoulder rest, music stand, and violin mute, will also be helpful.

Learn Violin Singapore: The Basics

Due to the physical demands of the instruments, the violin has a steeper learning curve than all other instruments in the beginning, possibly even more so for young children. Below are a few essential tips to keep in mind that must master early on to ensure a smooth learning journey on the violin.

Posture

When learning the violin, it is critical to hold the instrument correctly. It is critical to have good posture when holding the violin and the bow because it is the foundation of a good violinist. Be sure your shoulders are relaxed and not raised. Tilt your head to the left slightly so that your violin rests on your left shoulder. Check that your right thumb is curved, your pinkie is on the bow, and the rest of your fingers are relaxed while holding the bow. If the weight is too heavy, use a pencil to practice the right-hand posture.

Pizzicato and Arco

The four strings are one of the fundamentals of violin playing that you will learn. When practicing holding the violin, you can do a few pizzicato exercises, which involve plucking the string with your right index finger to become acquainted with the four open strings on the violin. G D A E is the open strings on the violin (Left to Right). A mnemonic: Great Danes Are Enormous is an easy way to remember.

Fingerings

Following a series of lessons on the open strings (G, D, A, E), one of the next steps in violin playing will be some fingerboard exercises. Your teacher will mark your violin to help you identify where you place your fingers on the fingerboard. Placing your fingers incorrectly in the fingerboard can lead to poor pitching, so check frequently and try to memorize it by listening.

Finally, when learning to play the violin, it is critical to developing good practice habits. Developing good practice habits will speed up your learning process. It is critical to practice daily, even if only for 20 – 30 minutes a day if possible, rather than only once a week. Slowly perform your practices, recognizing the exercises and patterns that your teacher has assigned you to work on before playing them at a faster speed. Accuracy always takes precedence over speed.

Affordable Violin Lessons in Singapore

You will learn your violin technique faster if you begin with slow daily practice. Please pay close attention to what you want to achieve in practice, whether it’s sound, articulations, dynamics, or phrasings.

Beginner Level

This is recommended for people who have never played the violin before. The curriculum is to teach beginners how to play the violin. Typically, it is a one-on-one class. It is an effective learning method for both children and adults. These CRISTOFORI violin lessons fee cost between $45 and $65 per lesson.

Pre-Intermediate Level

These are lessons for the pre-intermediate level, and they are usually one-on-one lessons as well. It would help if you mastered scales such as C major, A minor, and G major. Aural assessments are included, as well as more information about arpeggios and scales. Students must practice scales in opposite motion (such as E- central) and scales in similar motion (like A majors).

Intermediate Level

These are intermediate-level classes. Adults and children should only apply if they have studied the foundation and basics of violin playing. Non-instrument-specific criteria are examined, with the emphasis placed on the musical outcome. It entails mastering all previous levels and a greater emphasis on aural tests and progressive music at an advanced level.

Advanced Level

Students would need to pass the intermediate course to take the advanced lessons. They must pass aural tests and must perform three piano compositions flawlessly. You need to expect precision and fine-tuning. It must master broken chords, arpeggios, and scales.

An advanced player is one that is able to play a complicated piece of play, mimicking its style with little to no technical errors. Also, an advanced violinist will be able to perform more pieces of music, possibly from numerous composers and that is why when facing a new piece they are better suited to perform it.

The Takeaway

CRISTOFORI offers a well-planned adult violin teaching program at our home violin lessons suitable for beginner and advanced adult violinists. With their knowledge and years of experience playing the instrument, our experienced team of private violin teachers will guide you.

A drum is a musical instrument whose sound is by the vibration of a stretched membrane. It is a membranophone within the larger category of percussion instruments. A drum is essentially a tube or a bowl of wood, metal, or pottery covered at one or both ends by a membrane, and the person will be playing it with a hand or a stick.

Drum Lesson Singapore: The Basics

You can improve skills that will help you become a better drummer by practicing. Drumming will also help you excel in many other areas of your life that require rhythm, memorization, and hand-eye coordination. Drumming can improve your performance as a student, partner, and employee.

Timing

When a drummer lacks timing, he throws off his entire band, and no matter how good his bandmates are, they sound terrible.

Consistency

Apart from playing a beat, a drummer must also play that same beat consistently throughout the song because the repetitive nature makes a song catchy unless you’re playing progressive music.

Dedication

Because dedication brings a drummer or any musician to the level he or she desires, there are no shortcuts. You can’t just hold a pair of sticks and expect to be Mike Portnoy; practice makes perfect. Set aside at minimum an hour per day to get started, and you’ll be rockin’ in no time.

Learning how to count music can help your child’s math skills. You should spend two hours on your drum pad for every hour spent in drum lessons. With dedication, aptitude, and hard work, you will be able to learn and play the drums properly – which is a duration of 10 months to 1 year, and to become skillful in 18 months to 2 years to become truly proficient.

High-Quality Drum Lessons in Singapore

If you’re not sure how to properly establish your drumming journey, then this article will help. To make things easier for you, dear beginner drummer, looking for advice and tips in a step-by-step tutorial. Follow these steps, and you’ll be able to play the drums in no time.

Learn how to hold drumsticks

It’s time to start practicing. To do that properly, you must first understand how to hold your drum sticks (don’t worry, it’s a simple one):

1. Start by raising your hands at your edge and placing one stick in your right hand with your left hand.
2. Next, press the stick with the flat part of your thumb and wrap the rest of your fingers around it. You can now proceed to place the next drumstick in your hand.
3. It would help if you gripped the drumsticks behind the balance point or in the middle of the stick. Although there are a few different methods to use your sticks to execute your drums, you’ll have enough time to experiment and figure out what works best for you as a beginner!

Understand rudiments

You’ll be ready to play your first essential rhythm as a drummer at this point. Don’t worry; it’s not difficult; it just takes some time to adjust. Also, don’t dismiss this fundamental. While you’re only performing the snare drum – or your practice pad or cushion – right now, you can later make this one simple rhythmic pattern sound like this.

Get to know your drum kit

Once you’ve purchased your first drum kit, become acquainted with its various components. It is required both to play them like a pro and to care for them.

CRISTOFORI is having an offer where if any of their customers purchased a Digital Drum, it comes with a complimentary 45 minutes product coaching where their staff educate on the uses and functions of the digital drum itself.

Find a good teacher

Finding a good drum teacher is perhaps the most critical step in learning to play the drums for beginners. 

Seek out friends to play with together

As a beginning drummer, it is essential to surround yourself with other drummers. It will not only allow you to share your thoughts and opinions on your progress, but it will also encourage you to play together and improve your skillset. Plus, you’ll meet new people in the process.

So look for a community drumming group, a school or community orchestra, or a brass band in your neighborhood. Then come together and let the magic happen.

Practice reading drum sheets

It is the final and optional step, as technically, you do not need to know sheet music to play the drums. On the other hand, you learned to read sheet music. Most music groups, for example, essential that every musician knows their part – and this is much effortless to achieve if every player can read what’s on their sheets. It saves you from memorizing the songs of a local band, which can take several weeks before you can even begin to play together.

Drum Lessons and Music Tutorials

CRISTOFORI’s music programs provide a supportive environment in which students of all skill levels can feel at ease while learning to play the drums. In CRISTOFORI, the drums lessons here are conducted accordingly to Rockschool (UK Accredited) Music Exam Board Syllabus, which they are focused on helping out all students from Beginner to Grade 8, to prepare for their Rockschool Graded Music Exam.

To immerse all students into the full experience of fun and learning of playing a drum, CRISTOFORI’s drum lessons provide students with the full opportunity to learn by using the 5-piece drum set, instead of simply just playing on a hand drum or drum percussion which limits the learning capability.

Beginner

It provides beginners with simple yet effective drum lessons that skip entry-level pad training. Students get backing a drum kit during their first lesson to begin learning how to play the drums. Students will learn drum fills and solos fundamentals through private drum lessons, group rehearsals, and live performances.

Intermediate to Advanced

When a student advances beyond beginner drum lessons, they will enroll in one of the intermediate to advanced drum lessons programs setting them on the path to mastery. CRISTOFORI’s expert drum teachers usher students through advanced drumming techniques and training approaches during weekly private drum lessons for adults and group rehearsals to make them more skilled drummers. Intermediate grooves, shifts, and meters are taught and drilled until they master them. Drummers will eventually be assigned to bands and perform in live shows at the end of each session.

To further your drumming skills, CRISTOFORI believes that it is essential for their students to take part in recitals and competitions as this helps them to enhance their learning. They provide the opportunities for all their drum students where they can take part in drum competitions and Got Talent, which they can all showcase their drumming talents and skills.

Online

CRISTOFORI’s student’s health and safety are their highest priorities. In addition to in-person socially-distanced classes, CRISTOFORI offers online music lessons. Students who choose to take drum lessons online use the same well-known, patent-protected curriculum.

Primary Students

It is never too early to establish learning to play music. It provides a tried-and-true method for teaching even the youngest students in CRISTOFORI’s program musical proficiency. These introductory lessons teach preschoolers how to play the drums and other instruments using hand percussion and tools that stimulate their imagination.

Kids

It is the world’s most popular program for teaching children to play the drums. Children learn to perform the drums and eventually play their favorite songs in a fun, supportive, and comfortable environment through private drum lessons for kids and group rehearsals.

Teens

Learning to play the drums gives teenagers a creative outlet, making it fun, quick, and rewarding. Students learn to play the drums in CRISTOFORI’s innovative programs through private lessons, group rehearsals, and live band performances of famous pop songs.

Adults

By drumming to popular rock favorites, you learn to play the drums for adults as effectively.  CRISTOFORI’s adult program also provides the learning options of their students participating in band or solo practice, which comes along with backing track accompaniment on stage.

The Bottom Line

Learning a new skill is difficult enough. It should not be an enigma as to WHAT to practice. CRISTOFORI delivers the proper lesson at the right time, every time, thanks to an organized 10-level curriculum that takes you from your first lesson to playing anything you want!

Learning the anatomy of the guitar, the names of the guitar strings, how to tune a guitar, and the secrets of guitar posture to help improve your rhythm and musicality. Guitar scales, chords, and songs are essential—and serves as the number one secret to learning to play the guitar quickly.

Regardless of what they do, learning an instrument can boost one’s confidence and help develop an open mind to try new things! When your child first begins lessons, he or she will learn the mechanics of the instrument, basic song structure, and technical details about the type of music produced by the guitar.

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Beginners

Learning to play the guitar, like learning to play any other instrument, is gratifying and challenging. As a newbie, you will make mistakes. However, the key to transforming this into a positive is to ensure that you can recognize your mistakes and learn from them.

1. Not getting a professional guitar setup

The second frequent error is similar to the first in that acquiring a professional setup typically results in an instrument that is simpler to play and takes far less effort to produce nice-sounding notes. It would take around five years before you will learn what a professional guitar setup is.

For the first five years, playing the guitar will cause pain to your fingers, and that being exhausted after only a few minutes is typical. Typically, your progress will be modest since you will become fatigued quickly. As you may be aware, more incredible practice time indeed equates to faster progress.

2. Going too fast

Another typical mistake is playing too quickly. Mastering solid technique takes time, and attempting to play a song at pace after you’ve learned the notes can frequently result in the development of very undesirable habits. Build up to quicker tempos gradually, starting at 50% of your maximum. Slower rates allow you to focus and ensure your technique is on target, rather than merely blasting out at full speed with sloppy technique.

One thing to keep in mind is that practice makes perfect. If you practice sloppy technique, you will always have sloppy technique. Flawless practice leads to perfect technique.

3. Inconsistent practice

A large part of learning to play an instrument is muscle memory. Consistent repetition is the most excellent approach to make complicated motor abilities feel natural and automatic while performing music and many other activities that involve complex motor abilities.

Your playing will develop more if you practice consistently for 15 minutes every day, rather than cramming all of your practice into a single 10-hour period every week. Consistency is the key to muscle memory! It’s the same reason troops go through the same training every day for months on end.

4. Trying to learn too much at once

Another error committed by new guitar players is attempting to handle too many things at once. It is especially true for kids, who are highly driven and eager to learn. Being extremely motivated is not a bad thing. Still, difficulties occur when many of us decide to move on to something new before we’ve even perfected the music we were working on earlier.

Learning all of your scale shapes and modes is a terrific goal, and if you study hard and are disciplined enough, you will ultimately be able to learn them all. However, it is preferable to excel in one or two things rather than mediocre at a hundred.

5. Getting too caught up with perfection

Only machines can play music flawlessly, yet even then, would you prefer to listen to a human or a machine play the piano? Our imperfections and the little peculiarities we pick up while training is what makes us human. It explains why everyone sounds so different; we all have our eccentricities.

During performances, we frequently get overly focused on performing everything flawlessly, which tenses our entire body. If you constrain your mind by the need to perform flawlessly, your body will be constrained as well. Because you are unable to liberate your thoughts, you will be unable to move freely while playing.

Things to Consider During Guitar Lessons

It’s time to try out some chords now that your guitar is in tune and you’re holding it correctly. To begin, you should start with simple chords; the simpler, the better.

Start with learning easy songs

There’s a reason you need to learn how to tune your guitars. In addition to holding and strumming chords correctly, learning a song with a guitar is what makes it easy for us to sing songs. You don’t want to move on to anything more difficult until you’re completely confident that you can play easy songs.

Understand guitar scales

The guitar is more than a tool for strumming chords. You can also hear melodies, riffs, and solos. It would be best if you started learning more about scales are for this. A scale is a string of notes that complement one another. Scales with open strings are the best for beginners to start with.

Practice the guitar effectively

If you’re learning to play the guitar, you’ll need to practice. The best strategy is to eat little and often. Don’t try to cram all of your practice into a single day of the week. For one thing, you’ll be putting yourself through a lot of work. Furthermore, if you only practice once a week, you will most likely forget everything between practices. Set aside a few times once a day to pick up your guitar and practice your basic chords, easy songs, scales, or whatever else you’re supposed to be practicing that week.

The Takeaway

Spend more time strumming your guitar. You’ve covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time if you’ve made it this far. There are countless possible chords and strums, and now that you know how to form chords and strum, you genuinely have the fundamental skills to play hundreds of songs.

Best Guitar School in Singapore

Cristofori Music School is one of Singapore’s most prominent music schools, with a qualified team of 500 teachers providing first-rate music instruction. Our school is adamant about producing high-quality musical instruments at reasonable prices and we have served over 60,000 piano customers and taught over a million students to play music over the years.

All of our teachers are dedicated and skilled to train young children as young as six and even adults as well. Over here in Cristofori, we have guitar courses of different levels (beginner and advanced level) dedicated for you to hone your guitar skills to becoming a great guitar player!

In Cristofori, our goal is to provide a wide range of high-quality and dependable musical instruments at the most affordable prices possible so that everyone could own a musical tool to learn and play music. If you are looking for a best suited guitar for yourself, you can come down to any of our music schools to test out our guitars yourself.

SPECIALTIES:
Pre-School Music Academy, Electric Guitar, Drum, Piano, Violin, Guitar, Ukulele, and Cajon Ensemble Course

Getting serious about learning how to play the piano is a good sign that you want to advance your music career. However, if you really are ready to embark on your new musical journey, you have to choose the best German piano in Singapore to buy. There aren’t many authentic German piano brands that you could choose from internationally, which makes it harder for you to choose one. 

But if you are one of those musicians who have a deep love for classical music, choosing a German piano is best for you. However, it would be best to consider essential factors when looking for a German piano in a piano shop Singapore offers. First, determine the piano’s sound, whether you want a bright tone, mellow tone, or round and full sound. Also, consider the overall quality of its tonal quality, length of its warranty, and of course, the brand.  

What is A German Piano?

You might be wondering why there’s this thing called “German Piano.” What difference does it have compared to other pianos? Well, German Pianos have better qualities than other brands.

Western music had been the home of pianos since 1685, when Johann Sebastian Bach influenced music history in the West. Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian musical instrument maker, advanced the piano’s development in Western music. Zumpe, Stein in Augsburg, Friederici in Gera, Gottfried Silbermann in Freiberg, and many others are among the German pioneers in piano construction.

Different Types of Piano Brands

There are different types of piano brands made by German instrument makers today that you can purchase through various piano shops in Singapore near you. The European Piano Store or manufacturers regarded as the “big four” are just some of the world’s most renowned manufacturers. They are Bosendorfer, Bluthner, Bechstein, and Steinway.

Things You Need to Know About German Piano

There are certain things that you need to know about the German Piano in Singapore. Most pianos made from Germany should always have the logo, “Made in Germany.” If you are looking for a Piano Store in Singapore, it is always recommended to look for this official stamp and authentication certificate.

Some brands pose as authentic retailers and dealers of a German Piano without this special seal, so you need to be wary. This certificate of quality would be your assurance in having a high-quality German piano. All German shops associated with this seal are distinguished by centuries of experience and tradition and a high proportion of manual craftsmanship. They also assure prestige, successful design, and excellent sound and playing quality of the musical instrument they manufacture.

Examples of German Piano Makers

German pianos used to have over 80 brands, but it’s getting fewer and fewer internationally. Behind the success of German Pianos are the master of crafts and first-rate manufacturers. Here are some examples of German piano makers that offer high-quality grand pianos at best Piano Price.

• Bechstein

Carl Bechstein founded the Bechstein piano manufacturing company on October 1, 1853. Bechstein had worked in France and England as a renowned piano craftsman before finally hitting it with his piano manufacturing company.

His primary aim in building his company was to build strikingly robust instruments to withstand Franz Liszt’s force, a famous musician. The first-ever person to give a recital on a Bechstein piano was Hans von Bülow, a renowned conductor and Liszt’s son-in-law. He played Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor in Berlin. Although, during that time, Bechstein was in a tight rivalry between Steinway and Blüthner, it still made a name when celebrities started to endorse the company.

• Seiler
  

Eduard Seiler founded Seiler pianos in 1989. He was a very accomplished pianist who used his skills and love of invention in handcrafting his first independent piano model. To this date, the one he built in Liegnitz, Germany, remains the standard of all Seiler instruments when it comes to transparency and bright tone.

Seiler has also become the largest piano builder in Eastern Germany. However, the Seiler company faced devastation during World War II. The effect of the war made the Seilers lose their home and their parent factory. Fortunately, the company got back on track and still manufactures high-quality pianos for more than 170 years now.

What Makes These Piano Brands Exceptional

Since WW2, many German piano brands had collapsed. This is the main reason why piano brands and factories become fewer and fewer down the years. However, the Bechstein and Seiler pianos managed to stay in the industry and even flourished as piano brands.

Both companies provide top-tier German piano qualities carefully handmade by their workers. Both brands even have work hours recorded for each piano made which can all be found on their official websites. They do not mass produce pianos because they take time to create high-quality Portable Piano.

Both pianos are also suitable for Singapore’s hot and humid weather because they most often use Spruce wood in producing their pianos. Spruce woods are high-quality woods usually used in manufacturing most musical instruments.

What to Look for in A German Piano Brand

• Its main factory should be located in Germany
• They create handmade pianos
• Suitable for Singapore’s humid and hot weather
• They use special woods like spruce wood
• They have a unique R&D Department
• They have official websites where you can find specifications about their Portable Piano

Conclusion

When choosing the best German piano, it is always best to consider its tone quality, responsive touch, and aesthetic looks.  These characteristics are crucial to note when looking to stock a piano.

If you find it hard to look for an authentic and high-quality German piano, you may check out Cristofori, Singapore’s leading piano shop Singapore has to offer. You can choose from their various German Piano Price depending on your budget preference and other characteristics you consider before buying one.