4 songs You can Play as a Beginner Guitar student

Learning songs are an important part of your Music Education. It builds your knowledge on music and the practical skill of all the techniques and theory you have been learning. As a beginner student it can give you a sense of achievement and encourage your interest towards the instrument. It can be as simple as chord playing or a melody of a certain song, everything helps in your progress. In this article, we would like to suggest some songs that, may sound difficult to learn, but actually with little commitment and practice, can do wonders in your playing.

Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Although the original song is in G# minor/B major scale, you can turn the song into simple A minor/C Major scale and attempt the plucking of the song. The melody of it is really sweet and you will see a whole new perspective of using chords in a different manner. If you have a friend who can play the guitar as well, then a duo performance of the song with one playing the chord and the other plucking the melody will just boost your credential as an amateur musician and take up your performing skills up a notch.

Pani Da by Ayushman Khurana  (Vicky Donor)

This song has a very interesting strumming pattern, although you might find it hard to cope up with the speed in the beginning. But with everyday practice and a little commitment, you can get up to speed. Start practising it in a slow tempo and slowly increase it to the actual tempo. This song will not disappoint you in terms of sing-along or just showing off your skills. The strumming pattern sounds itself sounds complex but if you break it down and start from a slow speed building up the right technique, you can get this song within 2-3 weeks.

Sweet Child of Mine by Guns ‘N’ Roses

This song might sound really beyond your reach but just hear this out. The intro is a very clever use of pattern playing where most of the notes are the same, only the first note changes after every second round of one set of pattern. You can start off with just the chords itself and sing this famous number just for yourself. After you have sung the song, try picking the intro melody. This will surely improve your finger independence and give you a real look into the techniques of making a melody. Start with a slow tempo and gradually increase your speed, and in no time, you are set to become the next Slash amongst your peers.

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton

If you are someone who wants to start playing solos, there is no better song than ‘Wonderful Tonight’ to start soloing. The intro or the melody line uses a very simple use of bend and easy to access notes on the guitar. The melody itself is used in the song in very selective parts and will incorporate the idea of soloing and playing chords together in a song. Besides, it is a beautiful song with such simple but romantic lyrics, it can just attract any crowd. 

We hope you enjoy these songs and try them out on your guitar. Write to us for more such tips and fun songs to play. Keep watching this space for more suggestions and music learning information.

BlueTimbre is a unique Music Company that provides Music Education and  Recording Studio services. BlueTimbre also works with schools to provide end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. 

The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running Structured Businesses, Music Curriculum Development, Music Education and Performance.

5 Things you Learn from Performing Music

Everyone wants to play music to perform. Performance plays an important part in learning your instrument and can teach you a lot of things that you need to do to become a better musician. Here are a few things you can expect to learn from your performances.

1. Band dynamics

The best part about performance is that you play with your peers or fellow musicians. Performing is a team sport and everyone has to be on the same wavelength to be able to put up a solid performance. Everyone should understand each other’s roles and what they bring to the performance. That is why practice is such an important part of performance. Song dynamics, sound level and tightness are the things that you work on during the jam sessions. Understand your role in each of your performances and executing them along with your bandmates will lead to a satisfying performance.

2. Use of techniques

You have been practicing your technique and now it is time to showcase them. It is during these performances that you understand how it actually sounds with everyone and adjust it according to what the song needs. It should not be too overpowering and neither should it be lost in all the noise. Finding the right settings, tone and volume beforehand is important to get the best of your instrument or voice. The techniques used should be able to enhance and complement the song and other instrument that is being played and not the other way around.

3. Stage Presence

Performance is not just about showing your skills. It is also about engaging the crowd. If you are too focused on playing/singing, the audience will never be able to connect with your performance. Learn few tricks to engage the crowd. Make eye contact. If you can engage them you feel their energy and it gives a different dynamic to your performance. It is important that you make your presence felt, not just with your playing but with communication and showmanship.

4. Feedback

Learn to take honest feedback from your bandmates or the audience. After the show, listen to how they felt about your performance. In fact, make sure you record your show and play it back. Be an honest critique of yourself and see where do you need to improve and what could you have done better. Learn from each performance and strive to do a better performance next time. Performance is all about getting your audience back again and if you can work on what they have to say, they will surely return to hear your improvements.

5. Confidence

Everyone gets nervous when they get on stage, especially the first few times. So, by figuring out the things that made you nervous and correcting your mistakes, you will become more confident each time. Everyone has a few tricks that calms them down and everyone deals with it differently. So, you have to find your mantra and exercise them before you get on the stage. Being confident is a key factor to showcase your skills efficiently. Nervousness can kill your performance and the audience can feel it. Always show your skills with authority, even if your performance is not entirely perfect.

BlueTimbre is a unique Music Company that provides Music Education and  Recording Studio services. BlueTimbre also works with schools to provide end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. 

The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running Structured Businesses, Music Curriculum Development, Music Education and Performance.

4 Ways to find Time for Practice in your Busy Schedule

In this fast paced world, time management has become the most important skill to have. You may be a working adult or a student learning in school - however, you still have a number of chores to complete every day. By the end of the day, you are completely exhausted and can't assemble any enthusiasm or energy to practice your instrument. So how do you still follow your interest in music in between these exhausting tasks you have in a day? In this blog, we discuss some of the ways you can find time to practice:

1. Start the day with music:

What can be a better way to start your day! Remember the era of walk-mans and Disc-mans? You woke up to songs and somehow you already felt good about the day to unfold. Do the same with your instrument! Think of it like your daily workout. Practice the exercises and drills given to you and by the end of each practice session you will feel like you already have accomplished something in the day and this positiveness will reflect in your attitude throughout your day. With regular practice, you will see progress in your playing really quickly.

2. Stress Reliever:

Having a tiring day? With all the stress, deadlines and burden of expectations you carry at work or school, life is stressful. There is no better stress reliever to this than music. Listen to songs because that also plays an important role in your development. Then just take your instrument and start playing with it, and you will see you get in the mood of practicing it. Take the help of that and start practicing your exercises and if you know a song, end the session with that. You will feel much better about your day and ready for a good night's sleep.

3. Show dedication:

If you are serious about your music, you will find a way to give time to your instrument. May it be an early morning, afternoon or a late night practice, you can always dedicate a certain period of the day to your instrument and make sure you are committed to that. Once you keep doing it, it becomes a habit and practicing your instrument will come very naturally to you. For students, you can use those study breaks to play your instrument which will relax your mindset and as you have heard a lot about how music can enhance your academic performance, it’s time to practice that saying. 

4. Not more than 2 Classes a Week:

It is almost impossible and not advisable to take classes every day. Classes are meant to be a lesson day and you should learn something new every class, however you also must have seen how your mentor starts the class with exercises you have previously taught and then move to the new topics. However you can approach your practice session like the way classes are structured. Go for lessons TWICE a WEEK and then use the days between those lessons to master the exercise giving the same time as your lesson classes. Also you can use the class timings as your practice time of the day. This way you are attending class everyday but in a much more effective manner.

BlueTimbre is a unique Music Company that provides Music Education and  Recording Studio services. BlueTimbre also works with schools to provide end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. 

The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running Structured Businesses, Music Curriculum Development, Music Education and Performance.