Tools for Home Practice
Recommended
- Pencil
- Music Stand
- Lesson Book(s)
- Chair (for cello)
Recommended Tools
Instrument and music book are the bare minimum for practicing at home. A pencil should be nearby or kept in your case to make notes in your music. Every student should purchase a music stand. If you have more than one child taking lessons, having a music stand per child is helpful to have tandem practice times.
Cellists need a flat hard chair with no arms for practice. A kitchen chair or folding chair will work. For younger students, a stool may be a better choice. The chair height should be so their feet can be flat on the ground, with your knee as close to a 90 degree angle. Sorry, no practicing sitting on the couch or sitting on your bed.
Supplemental Tools
- Metronome
- Tuner
Supplemental Tools
Metronome
A metronome is a tool to keep a steady tempo. It is a great tool for practice at any level. There are many metronome apps for free through Apple Store or Google Play Store. I recommend finding one with a manual tempo selection and a “tap the beat” function. If you are using a laptop You can use metronomeonline.com
Tuner
A tuner is used to tune your instrument to a precise pitch, or frequency. Some tuners tell you the note you are currently playing by the frequency in hertz (Hz), but will not guide you on how to get to the desired note. Other tuners can provide the sound of the exact pitch or string you wish to tune and you can match your instrument to the pitch. Many beginners prefer to hear a tone to tune. Similar to metronomes, there are many free options for tuners in the Apple Store and Play Store that work great. You can also use Youtube for pitch reference.
Tuning at home
Instruments are tuned at the beginning of each weekly lesson and should remain relatively in tune over the week. However, during seasonal temperature changes and long school breaks, you may need to tune at home. If an instrument gets severely out of tune where it has disrupted practice, you may need to tune using our top pegs. Here are some guided videos on how to tune your instrument at home.
Video for tuning Cello
Video for tuning Violin
- Full length mirror
- Recorder (audio or video)
Other Tools
Using a mirror or a recorder are not required tools for practice, but can make a huge difference in taking the next step in practice. Practicing in front of a mirror can help with self- assessing your posture and bow angle. In similar vain, recording yourself audio-only or of video can help give you a different perspective on what to work on in a piece and hear or see what needs improvement. Recording yourself is a fun way to hear how much you have improved over time!