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What can you do to stay motivated as you practice on your guitar? How can you increase and maintain the joy of playing? Here are some tips on how to keep that joy that made you start playing the guitar in the first place!

What can you do before setting goals?

The reason why we don’t keep our guitar playing goals might be that we haven’t been honest with ourselves before the goal setting process.

Before actually setting goals you have to decide why you want to play guitar or want to be a better player. Make an honest survey of your assets and wishes in the area of guitar playing.

Your inner wishes will probably conquer your goals if they are not the same.

How to set goals

In order to set goals that you will actually work towards you might ask yourself:

Do I really want to accomplish these goals?

Will I really feel good when I reach my goals?

I guess you will agree with me that the only goals that are really meaningful are the ones that will take you in that direction that leads to a place you want to be at!

I think that a part of your guitar playing goals should be focused practicing melodies you want to play in front of other people.

One common reason for starting to play the guitar is to be able to play the pieces of music you like.

This means that as you learn to play guitar, a goal might be to learn a number of songs or melodies by heart so you can play them in any setting.

These songs or melodies are to be learned so well that you don’t have to worry if you are asked to play.

One reason for having a repertoire with guitar pieces thoroughly rehearsed is that you can feel that you perform at the top of your ability when asked to play.

Remember, it should be guitar pieces you like to play.

If you do not like what you play you run the risk of memorizing these feelings together with the material you play.

When you practice a guitar piece you will memorize much more than the melody. At least these things will be memorized:

1. Hopefully the melody

2. Your attitude

3. Your level of body tension as you play

4. Your posture

5. The pressure you apply when pressing down the strings or holding your pick

If you like what you practice this joy will probably be transmitted to the audience when you perform.

In order to keep your motivation to practice on top and be able to stick with your guitar playing goals I suggest that you consider the following tips:

1. Ask yourself these questions to evaluate your future ability to stick with your goals:

Why do I want to be a better guitar player?

Is it because I like to play guitar?

Is it because I am “forced to”?

Is it because I want to impress my friends?

What things do I like to play on the guitar?

2. Set goals that take into consideration what motivated you to play in the first place. If you like strumming chords and sing your favorite songs your goals should probably be in that area.

3. Learn pieces that you feel good about and let other people listen to them and feel good too.

Peter Edvinsson at Capotasto Music invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Just how do I go about getting my demo heard? This is a famous question among aspiring musicians looking for a recording contract. Honestly, the bigger the label, the lesser your chances become of them listening to the demo you send them.

To solve this problem, call the company and ask if they even accept unsolicited demos. If by chance they do, get exact instructions on how, where and to whom it should be sent. Then all you can do is hope they hear you, love you and offer you a music business contract.

You can also take another approach. You can try to gain the attention of an A&R Rep. Take a look at the company and who they have signed recording contracts with. Then ask yourself what the A&R rep may be looking for.

You are going to have to in some way or another demonstrate your ability to be marketable enough to offer a music contract. Do you know any club owners that will give you a solid recommendation? Do you have a fan club of 1,000 or more? Have you created a powerful promotional pack? You should try to answer yes to all these questions, if not, you have some work to do.

You need to get noticed and can do so through local media outlets. Showing that there is a positive buzz about your band or music can help you get one step closer to a music business contract.

Be persistent but keep in mind that there is a fine line between a persistent person and a stalker. Remain professional at all times but let them know that you are interested in contacting them for personal success and success for their label.

Make a list of solid researched companies that you believe you would fit in well with. Make these particular companies top on your list of prospective recording contracts. While you are on the road, network. Meet as many people you can when performing because you may get lucky and run into someone of importance.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to talk to independent labels. These days, Indie labels offer recording contracts and music contracts and the profits can be nice. If you want to succeed you should explore every option out there. And don’t worry, if you don’t find success then you always have the option of starting your own independent label and releasing your music on your own.

Owner of Platinum Millennium publishing, former record label owner & national music industry seminar speaker/panelist. Author & creator of best-selling music biz books, courses, audio products & “How to” resources that helped 1000s. Go to http://www.order-yours-now.com/ for more.

If you are a musician then you are a business yourself. You are in the business of marketing yourself or figuring out how to promote your CD. This requires a lot of work and sometimes it may seem endless. You are constantly trying to solicit new “customers” for your business, your fans. Not only do you want your fans to enjoy your music but you also would love to turn some profits in the process. Marketing is going to be your best musician’s resource out there and you should take full advantage of.

You marketing ideas need to go beyond just a t-shirt and a CD because that is unoriginal. You want something that is distinctive and fresh. Don’t get me wrong, some of the best music promotional ideas are CD’s and t-shirts but you can do so much more now-a-days.

1. Have you considered an email address list? Each visitor to your website and your shows should have their email address collected. This will allow you to send them information like when your next show is going to be or when you new album will be released.

2. MP3 ringtones are hot music promotional ideas and you should definitely have some recorded. They are an awesome way for people to advertise your music every single time their phone rings. You also have the possibility of bringing in some profits from the sale of these.

3. Another hot music promotional idea has to do with the new mini DVD’s called pocketreels. Not only would you look technologically up to date when handing these out, but people are going to be super impressed. Look no further for ideas on how to promote your CD because these little mini DVDs are it. You can put your bands music video on there or anything else you think of. Be creative!

4. Sure, everyone has pictures of their band but have you ever thought of using a professional photographer. The price range varies immensely depending on what you are looking for. But, there is good news. You can try hiring a student photographer for relatively cheap. This way you will have a plethora of photos or videos to use for all types of marketing.

5. An awesome musician’s resource is a publicist. Of course, there prices can be a bit expensive but honestly, there services are worth it. They really know how to promote your CD and your band. A great publicist can get your band in magazines and newspapers all over the place.

If you have the opportunity to use any of the above marketing tools then you are guaranteed some results. The trick to all any music promotional idea is that you have to be persistent, consistent and creative. Constantly be searching for how to promote your CD in innovative ways. Technology is the key and will give you ideas you are looking for. Don’t get lost in the dust!

Owner of Platinum Millennium publishing, former record label owner & national music industry seminar speaker/panelist. Author & creator of best-selling music biz books, courses, audio products & “How to” resources that helped 1000s. Go to http://www.musiccontracts101.com/docs/products/002/ for more.

One great way to create motivation to practice on your guitar is to perform in front of other people in different ways. Do you like to perform in front of others? Let’s see how to enjoy performing and also give other people enjoyment!

Performing really doesn’t need to be so formal!

A way to create momentum to practise your guitar repertoire is to set up an informal concert with a couple of pieces in the setting of your own home.

The members of your own family could be the public.

There are many occasions when you can perform and play your music in the home and maybe you will also encourage others in your family or among your friends to play on their instruments in such a setting.

Of course you have to plan ahead in order to suggest a performance and in order to prepare yourself.

But if you don’t like to perform?

You can actually practice the art of performing on your guitar without people present. One way is to use your imagination and pretend that you perform in front of others.

If you want to help your imagination a bit you can put empty chairs in front of you representing the audience. One step further is to put your children’s teddies on the chairs.

On such an occasion you have to exercise self discipline and play those pieces in your actual program from beginning to end. If you would make a mistake in front of a public, what would you do?

Probably you would want to minimize the effect of this mistake and just play on. This is what you have to practice even in this relaxed setting.

What will happen is that you create self confidence in your ability to handle mistakes and you will also find weaknesses you can improve upon in your guitar playing.

This is also an excellent time to record your performance for later evaluation.

Don’t make this recording thing to complicated. In these days with cell phones and mp3 players it’s an easy task to accomplish.

The act of recording is like having a critic in the public.

Listening to other artists recordings will also be of great benefit.

You have to look upwards in order to climb to a higher level in your guitar playing and this will be accomplished by listening to guitar players on a higher artistic level than yourself.

When you practice and memorize your guitar pieces or songs remember to always play your music at the same artistic level as when you perform.

As you memorize your music you will also memorize your attitude, posture and your tension level.

The joy you feel when you practice will probably be present when you perform the piece of music in front of public and will also reach your audience.

Peter Edvinsson at Capotasto Music invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Pianos, for beginning musicians, are one of the essential, first instruments to learn. Just about every type and style of music can be played on a piano. This gives a student a wide variety to choose from and learn from when starting out.

For many students, however, purchasing a traditional piano can be a little out of their budget and they can be quite large. This makes it difficult for someone in a small living space to find room for them. There are other alternatives, such as a digital piano. This is one space saving option. A digital piano comes with the feel of a regular piano but takes up considerably less space. There are also smaller versions for those just beginning.

Types of Pianos

There are a wide variety of digital pianos. Digital pianos range from small keyboards with minimal options like volume and on/off and nothing else to larger digital pianos that can handle remixes and allow synthesized playing, as well as everything in between. There are plenty of different makes, models and variety so that a student can get exactly that he or she needs.

The Advantages of a digital piano

There are a number of advantages of a digital piano that you won’t find with traditional ones. First, of course, is the fact that a digital piano can be a real space saver. It also has the features of volume control and usually comes with a place to put a set of ear phones in. This is great with small apartments or if you want to play without any background noises. It also keeps the piano from being a distraction.

Digital pianos also come with the added benefit, in some models, of allowing you to save your music directly from the machine, either to its internal memory or an external data storage media. Digital pianos often come with additional instrument sounds. This allows you to experiment with different sounds without having to get the different instruments. Another useful feature is that digital pianos, because of their smaller size, are easily transportable.

Disadvantages of a digital piano

There are some disadvantages of having a digital piano. The first and major one is that the sound will always be electronic and never sound as good as the real thing. The value decreases rapidly because every few years a new model comes out. Compared to a real piano, a digital piano’s keys have a lighter touch and a different balance, sometimes making transitioning from digital to real and vice versa, more difficult.

The case for a digital piano can be easily damaged and expensive to repair. So extra care has to be given when moving it around. A digital piano is an electronic device. Like all electronic devices, if something breaks, it can be impossible or very costly to repair.

What to look for when buying a digital piano

When looking to purchase a digital piano there are a few things that need to be considered. First, take a look realistically at what you are going to need and what features you are going to use. There is no reason to spend extra money on a set of features you’ll never touch. So it’s a good idea to figure out what features you are really going to use.

Depending on the type of student you are, you may want to consider features that offer you a full keyboard range or offer a variety of instrument types in order to allow for experimentation. Also, you might want to consider music saving features, so that you can record the music you make for classes. It’s also a good idea to check out the warranty of the digital piano. Most come with limited warranties and only for a short time. If you know you might be hard on your digital piano, getting a digital piano with a longer and more extensive warranty might be something to look into.

Conclusion

Digital pianos are a great way to bring the music of a piano into your home at less expense. They are also great for students to be able to learn on especially with their space saving options and easy transportability. Make sure you know the features you need from your digital piano before you purchase. This is to make sure you get the digital piano that is just right for you.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development. http://www.musicianhome.com