Let’s talk monologues! Often when you audition for a musical, in addition to being asked to perform a song, you will be asked to present a monologue. What can you do to stand out from all the others? Here are some tips to help you get into character and nail that audition!
It’s a good idea to have at least one dramatic and one comedic monologue in your back pocket ready to go at all times.
Here are some tips for delivering monologue magic.
Pick a monologue that is unique, reflects you as a person, and they haven’t seen a thousand times before
If you show casting directors something fresh, the panelists will like you better already. If you bore them with something they have seen way too many times, you just put one nail in your coffin. While some of the classic monologues in Shakespeare are classics for a reason, it can be risky to take on something that many others in your age range/casting category are also likely to attempt. Think carefully about your type, your personality and the kinds of characters you are really drawn to. There will be something out there that can represent you and set you apart.
Also, be sure to pick a monologue from a play. Don’t do a song or recite a poem, or do anything else that is not a play, unless that’s what has been asked for. A scene from your favorite film is also probably inappropriate. Stick to the brief! And pick a monologue that you love so it turns your light on.
Find a “hook” to make you stand out
It could be the monologue itself, or it might be a backstory choice or that you have lots of crazy movement, or that you have no movement and control with deep inner power. It could be your voice. A hook is anything they don’t expect. Basically, it is a classy gimmick. It is something that surprises them and makes you light up and have fun. Make something magical.
Get their attention at the very beginning
Wow them at the very beginning. Surprise them. It might be the way you start with your back to them and then flip around. It could be a sound you make or an audible breath you take. Do something different; something they don’t expect, something weird. Obviously, it should go along with the interpretation of the monologue.
Create something magnificent
Pretend that you are creating a tiny little special event that people would want to buy tickets to see. And then, make it look like it just accidentally happened.
Shift and change
Make it seem like the first time the piece has been spoken, every time. That’s the big challenge for all actors -- so it should be your focus! Take the time to discuss the piece with somebody else if you can and compare interpretations. It’s vital to really break down and think about the way the piece flows, how emotions are changing or what is being realised, discovered or dissected in the language.
Monologues are long. Think about the levels of emotion in the piece; where does the character start? Where do they end up? You need to find motivations to shift and go different directions constantly. Imagine what the character to whom you are speaking is doing and let that push your buttons. Let your voice be flexible and more interesting.
Body Language & Focal Point
Make sure you’re aware of how you are behaving before you even get started. Panellists notice how people present themselves, so make sure you’re ready and appearing as professional as possible. Once you start your monologue, don’t stand there and say lines from a “dead” body. Even if you are barely moving, there should be life energy through your whole body. Think of it as dance. Your body tells the story, too.
Also, decide who you are directing the monologue to - is it someone in the audience, is it a spot on the wall? Wherever you need to direct it, keep it consistent. You’re only ever talking to one of four things: yourself, the audience, another character or god - be clear who you are speaking to. And don’t eyeball the panelists! Your panelists will want to make notes, so staring them down may make them a little uncomfortable, however looking above the panel’s eye-line is fine.
Don't go over time
Seems very obvious, but it is essential. Make sure you time yourself before you get to the audition. Do not go over! You might very well be stopped before you have a chance to finish. Remember: there are likely a lot of other people being seen on the same day, so make your first impression a professional and respectful one. Only take the time you’ve been allocated.
Take on any direction
Often, a panel will offer you some direction or ask you to repeat sections. Don’t deliver the monologue the same way again - show that you have taken comments on board and are working to adapt or show new sides of the material. Your adaptability and willingness to try is more important than whether you deliver the new direction perfectly.
Don't worry about mistakes
Mistakes are fine, just as long as you keep working through them! The ability to pick yourself up and keep going, or quickly get back into the zone, are helpful for your audition and will show you in a favorable light. So don’t let a slip up stop you - everyone makes mistakes! The ability to be resilient is very important and an attractive quality in any drama school candidate.
Always have a great ending
The ending is the last thing they see of you. Surprise them. It is what they will remember most. For example, on the last line, just do the exact opposite of whatever you were just doing. So if you were screaming, whisper. If you were intense, go catatonic.
Many music-loving little kids aspire to play stringed instruments, such as guitar and bass. However, larger string instruments are generally not recommended for children less than 8 years old because they require a larger hand size and finger dexterity that little kids typically do not possess yet. Luckily, the ukulele is a small, cheap, and easy gateway into more advanced stringed instruments and is a very suitable instruments for children as young as 5 years old. In this month’s blog article, we’ll discuss just how simple and accessible ukulele for young beginners can be.
Stringed instruments are extremely popular in every culture and most musical genres. For any younger student who embarks on this particular musical journey, the ukulele is a the perfect instrument for a few great reasons, especially if you want to eventually move to the guitar as you grow older.
1. Ukuleles Come in Five Different Sizes
The ukulele comes in five distinct sizes. From smallest to largest, they are the pocket ukulele, the soprano, the concert, the tenor, and the baritone. The soprano (pictured here) is the ukulele size and type most commonly used and associated with the instrument. You have lots of options to choose from for the optimum variety to suit your hand size and preference.
A small child can comfortably hold and play the pocket or soprano in the same way that a full-sized adult can hold and play a tenor or baritone. In terms of portability, even the baritone is extremely convenient for traveling on foot, by car, or by plane.
2. Ukuleles Only Have Four Strings
The ukulele only has four strings, unlike a six-string guitar, a five-string banjo, or an eight-string mandolin. This provides a refreshing sense of simplicity, both mechanically and conceptually, to many younger students. At the same time, the range of creativity and musicality is not limited since most of the chords anyone will ever play only contain three or four notes each.
3. Ukuleles Are Tuned Like a Guitar
The strings are actually tuned identically to the four high-pitched strings on a guitar. This means that as students are learning chord shapes and scale patterns on the ukulele, they are actually learning how to play the same shapes and scales on the guitar.
Many varieties of chords and scales on the guitar only incorporate the four high strings. In fact, many of my ukulele students spend their time learning songs that are written and played with the guitar.
4. Ukuleles Are in the Easiest Key The four strings are centered around the easiest, most understandable key in all of music, the key of C major. This means that the first time you are exposed to the concepts of a major scale, a key, and how chords are constructed, the focus stays primarily on notes that only come from the white piano keys.
The result is that every note is simply named after one of the first seven letters in the alphabet, and you don’t have to immediately learn sharp or flat notes. This provides a very understandable atmosphere when learning notes, scales, and chords, for the first time.
As a music school staffed with experienced professional musicians, North Main Music appreciates the valuable characteristics and accessibility of this instrument for younger children. We feel that the ukulele is a great first stringed instrument for anyone,but especially for younger kids.
Is your youngster interested in learning ukulele? Click here to learn more about our fantastic ukulele instructors!
This article was inspired by and adapted from this article on takelessons.com.
We’ve been getting a lot of questions around the music studio lately about acoustic v. electric guitars, such as “Is it better for a beginner to learn on an electric or acoustic guitar?” and “What are the differences in terms of sound and cost between electric and acoustic?” So we’re taking time in this month’s blog to really break it down for you!
Which guitar type is better for beginners?
Starting lessons on an acoustic guitar means spending a little less money, but electric guitars tend to be a bit easier to play. That's certainly helpful to know, but there are several things you need to consider when making your decision.
The instrument you choose as your first guitar depends on your goals and your budget. There is no right answer that works for everyone. Deciding what is best for your specific situation means learning more about each type of guitar, and understanding the differences between them.
The difference between acoustic and electric guitar may not be clear to new guitarists.You might not understand how they compare when it comes to sound, tone and difficulty. Add in terms like “semi-acoustic” and “acoustic-electric” and it can be downright confusing.
Guitar newbies have to negotiate a minefield of bad or misleading information and complicated terms in order to figure out what is best for them. Doing your research on the internet can certainly help, but even so, it’s not always easy to find clear answers to your questions.
That’s where this article can help. Here you’ll learn about the difference between acoustic and electric guitar when it comes to tone and construction. You’ll find out which is easier to play, and be able to choose the right guitar for a beginner. Most importantly, by the time we’re done you will hopefully have a clearer idea of which instrument can get you on the right musical path.
So, let’s get to it!
Basic Differences Between Acoustic and Electric Guitars
It’s easy to see the similarities between acoustic and electric guitar. Both have strings, a neck, frets, tuning pegs, a bridge, and many other comparable physical attributes. In essence, electric and acoustic guitars work the same way. Plucking a string causes it to vibrate. Pressing down behind a fret shortens the effective length of the string. This causes it to vibrate at a different frequency and produce a different note.
However, each type of guitar has a very different and distinctive sound, and this means each guitar is better suited for certain types of music.
One of your challenges as a new guitarist is to figure out what kind of music you want to learn, and choose the right instrument to inspire you.
So, let’s get into some of the reasons why these guitars are different. The method used by each to amplify its sound is one reason, and is inherent in the design of the guitar.
Acoustic Guitar Sound
Acoustic guitars depend upon a sound chamber to amplify the sound of the strings. When an acoustic guitar string vibrates it is the construction of the guitar itself that amplifies the sound. You don’t need to plug into any external amplifier to be heard. This is why acoustic guitars have large, hollow bodies. This sound chamber plays a big role in the amplification and tone. This also tells us that the size and shape of an acoustic guitar body has an impact on the volume and sound of the guitar.
The tone of a guitar is also greatly influence by the wood used to build the instrument. In the guitar world, these are called tonewoods. For an acoustic guitar the most significant tonewoods are used for the guitar top, back and sides, plus the neck, fingerboard and bridge.
There are important design techniques incorporated into the body of the guitar as well, and this is called bracing.
All of these factors work together to create the sound you hear when you strum your guitar.
With time and experience, you may come to prefer certain tonewoods and styles of guitar bodies.
Acoustic guitars are great for beginners who are interested in genres such as country, bluegrass and folk. They are used in rock music as well, but primarily by guitarists who play electric instruments the majority of the time.
They are also great tools for writing your own songs, particularly if you plan to sing as well. You can learn a few chords, and begin creating your own music.
If you are looking to purchase an acoustic guitar, we recommend this starter pack. You can hear typical acoustic guitar tones being played by North Main Music instructor, Danielle Arena, in the clip below:
Electric Guitar Sound
When an electric guitar string vibrates it doesn’t sound very loud. Solid-body guitars do not have sound chambers like acoustic instruments. In order to amplify the sound, electric guitars use pickups. Pickups are essentially magnets wrapped in wire, and they create a magnetic field in the immediate area surrounding your guitar strings. When you pluck a string the vibration disrupts this magnetic field, and a signal is sent from the pickup to your amplifier. Electric guitar pickups create a magnetic field and send signals to your guitar amp. This is why electric guitars do not require large, bulky bodies like acoustic guitars. But that doesn’t mean the construction and woods used in electric guitars aren’t important. The vibration of the string is colored by such factors as the size and weight of the guitar, the woods used to build the guitar, and the method used to connect the neck to the guitar body. However, it is easy to see how the aspects like pickups, amplifier, and even the electronic components within the guitar, play a huge role in the sound of an electric guitar. Compared to acoustic guitar, you have much more control over your sound, and a much wider palette of tones and effects to work with.
Electric guitar is the primary choice for beginners who plan to play rock, metal, blues and modern country. Most bands in these rock-related genres rely on the electric guitar as the primary instrument driving their sound.
You can purchase an electric guitar in 3/4 size or full size. Below you can hear what electric guitars sound like, courtesy of our Guitar Army group:
About Distortion
One key difference between acoustic and electric guitar is the use of an effect called distortion or overdrive. When you listen to almost any form of rock music, you are likely to hear a distorted guitar. Most guitar amps include on board distortion, but there are also countless effects pedals that offer all kinds of different distortion sounds.
Distortion is simply an alteration to an audio signal to the point where it is no longer clear. The sound is literally “distorted”. For guitar this typically means increasing the strength or “gain” of the input signal. This creates a desirable effect for electric guitar, but it is not so desirable when it comes to acoustic guitar or pretty much any other audio application.
For veteran guitarists the terms distortion and overdrive have slightly different meanings, but as a beginner you can consider them the same thing for all intents and purposes. These effects have become a huge part of the rock guitar sound.
Acoustic-Electric Guitars
Sometimes we get asked whether it is okay for a beginner to start out with an acoustic-electric guitar. This is fine, as long as you understand what you are getting. These guitars are not a cross between an electric and acoustic guitar, so if you are hoping for the best of both worlds you’ve got the wrong idea. Acoustic-electric guitars are acoustic guitars with the addition of electronics that make it easier to amplify your sound. In fact, many guitar companies make acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars that are essentially identical, aside from the addition of these electronics.
You can play acoustic-electric guitars unplugged like normal acoustic guitars. Or, if you choose, you can plug into an acoustic guitar amp or sound board to further amplify your sound. This kind of guitar has a pickup that sends your signal to an onboard preamp, which allows you to control your volume and tone.
An acoustic-electric guitar will not sound like an electric guitar. In most cases, you should not use an acoustic-electric guitar with an electric guitar amp.
Semi-Acoustic Guitars
Hollow-body and semi-hollow-body guitars are sometimes referred to as semi-acoustic guitars. This is because they possess some of the same attributes as an acoustic guitar. Both are actually electric guitars, utilizing pickups and an amp just like any other electric guitar. However, the construction methods used in each do make them quite different when it comes to sound.
Hollow-body guitars are built in much the same way as acoustic guitars. The difference is the addition of one or more pickups. The very first electric guitars were constructed in this manner, based on the acoustic jazz guitars used by big-band players. Of course the technology has come a long way since then, but they are still built in basically the same way. These guitars typically have a rich, warm sound and are most often used in jazz and rockabilly music.
Semi-hollow guitars have a solid center block with two hollow wings. They tend to handle overdrive better than hollow-body guitars, and so are a little more popular among rock guitarists. Semi-hollow-body guitars are used in just about every genre of music, aside from extreme metal. They do especially well in country, blues, jazz and classic rock.
Classical Guitars
Classical-style guitars are just like other acoustic guitars, with a few key differences.
For one, they have nylon strings instead of steel. This creates a soft, mellow sound. Nylons strings are also a bit easier on the fingers, which may be important for beginners.
Classical guitars also have somewhat wider, flatter fingerboards, and smaller bodies. They are typically plucked finger-style, not strummed with a pick.
As you probably guessed, these instruments are intended to be used in classical music. They are not designed to have the projection and volume of most steel-string acoustic guitars.
Studying classical music is a very demanding discipline, and if you intend to do so this is the kind of guitar for you.
However, many people feel that classic-style guitars sound great for any style of acoustic music meant to be played finger-style. They have a warm, rich sound, and musicians often find their fingerboards extremely comfortable.
Should Beginners Learn Electric or Acoustic?
We get this question quite often at North Main Music. Here's our answer:
Most acoustic guitars, especially ones in budget price ranges, are physically a bit harder to play compared to electric guitars. This just comes down to the design. Electric guitars don’t feel as stiff, and usually have lighter-gauge strings. While both kinds of guitars can be adjusted at the bridge, neck and nut, the fine-tuning of an electric guitar is an easier process.
So, from a physical standpoint, playing acoustic guitar is a little bit harder. But, you shouldn’t let this stop you if that's what you really want to do!
As far as which is easier to learn, that really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If all you want to do is learn a few chords and strum away, an acoustic guitar is your easiest path to doing so. You don’t have an amp and other accessories to worry about, and you can play and practice anywhere you want.
If your goal is to be the best guitarist you can possibly be, you shouldn’t be asking which is easier to play. Mastering either is hard work that will take many years. Instead, spend your time figuring out which inspires you the most. Then, get to work.
Where Do You Start?
Most guitar players play both acoustic and electric guitar, and have one or more of each in their collection. That’s important to realize when you are first starting out and trying to decide which to get as your first guitar. Whichever you start out with, if you are like most guitar players, you will eventually play both.
Our advice: Put some thought into what you’d most like to accomplish as a guitar player so you can decide which instrument best gets you on that path. Everything else will sort itself out later. You're going to be playing for a long, long, time--so remember no decision you make today is set in stone.
We hope that this article helped you better understand the differences between types of guitars. Good luck, and remember that this guitar thing is supposed to be fun!
Feeling nervous about an upcoming performance? It’s a completely normal feeling! Getting used to being in the spotlight takes time. Learn how to sing with confidence using the tips in this article. How often do you listen to your favorite bands and pop stars and imagine yourself in their place, singing to an adoring crowd? Lots of people dream of unleashing their inner rock/pop star, but few actually take the bold step of doing so in real life. It takes a lot of courage to learn how to sing and, whether you’re an experienced performing artist or planning your on-stage debut, it’s always helpful to practice a few tips and tricks that will help make your performance the best it can be. 1) Be Patient--Give Yourself a Minute It’s natural to get nervous or feel overwhelming anxiety before you perform. This simply means that you care about what you’re about to do! The problem is, anxiety tricks your body into a fight or flight state—your heart beats faster, your breath quickens, and your muscles tense up. When this happens, find a quiet place, close your eyes, and take a slow, deep breath. Hold it in for 10 seconds and then let it out. Repeat 2-3 times until your heart rate slows. A shorter version of this is helpful on stage, too. Take a second before your song starts (your audience won’t mind a 5-second delay) to center yourself and it will make *all* the difference. 2) Practice Often and Be Technically Prepared Think of practicing as an insurance policy for you voice--the more you practice, the more you know your voice. The more you know your voice, the more confident you are singing in any situation. Preparation is the backbone of self-confidence. Well ahead of your performance, think about your strengths and weaknesses, and work with your voice teacher to create a plan so that you feel fully prepared. Fumbling around with your instrument? Practice your piano or guitar parts until they become muscle memory. Worried about forgetting lyrics? Hand write them over and over until you don’t have to think about them. Not feeling vocally consistent? Break down the issue with your instructor in lessons leading up to the performance. Feeling like your song just isn’t clicking? Workshop them with a mentor or fellow musician. At North Main Music, we host Performance Workshops a couple of weeks before our student concerts, to give performers an opportunity to test out their song ahead of time and get valuable feedback from the workshop facilitators and attendees. Most importantly, be sure to warm up your voice on performance day! 3) Take Risks You may have heard the quote, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” When applied to singing, the same rings true! We often hear this voice in our head when we first start singing that sounds much different than the voice that actually comes out. When applying the building blocks in practicing scales, exercises, and simple tones and in mastering them one step at a time, we then feel comfortable enough to take risks in the creation and formulation of new exercises. If you hear something in your head, but don’t know exactly how to create the sounds, try anyway. Taking risks in singing means stepping into uncharted waters of sound and testing all of the different sounds available to you. This can be as simple as humming a line to your favorite song out loud. Every great singer has to know how to hit the “bad” notes a few times before they understand what it means to hit the “good” ones. In the end, confidence in singing comes from knowing both the “good” notes and the “bad” notes and how to move more fluidly and comfortably between all of them. The truth is, you will never know unless you try and it takes more courage to try than not to. Having the courage to take risks will build confidence in knowing your voice.’’ 4) Remember Your “Why” Connect with your song and your purpose, and the audience will feel you. Whether it’s a cover song or an original, we must remember the emotion, experience, or memory that brought us to the song in the first place. As singers, we’re often performing the same song over and over. It’s easy to fall into a routine and go through the motions, but your audience will see right through this. There’s nothing worse than watching a performance and the singer is clearly just phoning it in. No matter how many times you’ve sung a song, dig deep each time and remember *why* you wrote these words or *why* you were drawn to this particular song. Find that emotion and use it to express yourself—That is your job as a singer. 5) Enjoy Yourself For one song, you’ve got 2 to 4 minutes on stage, so make the most of it! If you spend the entire time rushing through, or focused on what could go wrong, you’ll miss the magic. Be present for these moments, enjoy being on stage and connecting with your music and your audience. This is what being a musician is all about!
When it comes to voice lessons, it takes patience, practice, and a little bit of risk-taking! Ultimately, you are the captain of your own ship. Learning how to sing is an art and a balance of all of the above tips and advice. With the combination of all of them, you will find yourself well on your way to singing even more vibrantly and confidently in no time. Want to put these tips to the test? Then sign up to sing at our next Student Concert! Talk to your instructor or stop by the front desk to learn more.
