What makes a child fall in love with an instrument? What gives a working adult the willpower to add musical practice into their busy schedules? Lessons In Your Home strives every day with a staff of dedicated teachers to help people of all ages traverse their musical journeys. Whether you’re looking to take Guitar Lessons in Seattle, or another instrument, Lessons In Your Home can help. We provide compassionate and experienced private guitar teachers that care about the success and happiness of each and every one of their students.
Your Guitar and You
As any musician can tell you, regardless of age, learning an instrument is a profoundly wholesome and enriching life experience. Playing the guitar can become a place of refuge for children and adults alike. It becomes a conversation starter and a social connection for young adults. It can be a form of entertainment for friends around the campfire. Sitting in your room after a long day and picking along to your favorite song might even be your version of self care. The best part? There are even more instruments to learn that are quite similar to the guitar!
Why Stop at 6 Strings? Why Not More? Or Less?
There are quite a few instruments that are a natural transition for guitar players. Their level of difficulty will vary between instrument and also the musician! You should always consider what exactly you want from learning a new instrument. Are you looking for a light hearted hobby? Or are you looking to commit to getting performance ready?
That being said, don’t let an instrument’s reputation scare you away. Lessons in Your Home is here to help guide you in all your musical endeavors. Let’s discuss a few natural transitions from the guitar.
The Bass Guitar
Have you ever been hooked by the low thumping of a hypnotic rhythm in your favorite song? Ever wondered what that groovy sound leading the charge through a piece of music was all about? If you answered yes, then the bass guitar is for you! While sharing the same lower for strings ( E, A, D, G) with the guitar, it is a natural transition from it’s six stringed friend.
A great deal of musicians actually learn the bass guitar before they learn guitar. The two go hand in hand. There are a few key differences though. It is played in a much more rhythmic way than the melodic pickings of a guitar. A guitarist will find they can drop the idea of forming chords and shift into playing single note rhythmic lines to carry the beat of the song. The biggest transition between the two is simply the style that it is played. While the bass can be picked, it is mainly played in a “finger picking”pattern with your middle and pointer finger. The Bass guitar is a great transition for beginner to advanced level guitarist to consider if they are looking to pick up a new instrument.
The Ukulele
If you love singing along while playing guitar for your friends and loved ones, then the ukulele is a great next step for you. This Hawaiin four string is perfect for people who want a light hobby or even those who want to become proficient in a new instrument. The learning curve on this whimsical string instrument is lower than the guitar, but it still boasts satisfying results!
The ukulele comes in many different forms ranging from baritone to soprano. It is typically played with the thumb or pointer finger in strumming and picking patterns. It is also an appealing next step for younger guitarists due to its smaller shape and easy to fret strings. It is light, portable, and great for taking on a road trip! If your teacher knows ukulele, you could even ask to do a few lessons alongside guitar just to try it out. Lessons in Your Home also has plenty of ukulele teachers in Seattle to help you make your transition full time as well!
The Mandolin
If you love bluegrass or folk music then you’re familiar with the mandolin. Its 8 strings sound as sweet as a summer wind blowing through the Cascades. Each string is in unison with the one other directly above it creating four distinct doubled pitches. It is a moderately simple transition from the guitar or even the bass guitar. It’s strings are actually tuned just like a bass guitar except they are doubled and in the opposite order (GG, DD, AA, EE.)
It is played in a similar style to the guitar, but with only a few key differences. A mandolin player will apply similar picking and strumming patterns just like a guitarist. The biggest difference is the speed at which the instrument is played. With smaller frets and a shorter fretboard, the mandolin is played at a significantly faster pace. The player must also get used to holding down two strings per single note, but this isn’t as daunting as it sounds! Of course, Lessons In Your Home can help with all your mandolin needs!
Whether it’s eight strings, six strings, or four strings, Lessons In Your Home Seattle is here for you. If you or a family member want to know more about the wonderful world of string instruments, learning to transition to a new instrument, or are even first time musicians please reach out to us at Lessons In Your Home! Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we offer virtual music lessons, too. However, our online music lessons are being taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child! Contact us today to learn more.
By: Wilson Taylor
