Tips/Mindset
Breaking Strings
Breaking strings is a natural part of learning and totally normal. Don't let it discourage or scare you; it's an opportunity to learn and practice how to replace and tune new strings.
Why do strings break?
Old Strings
Strings get old or have been used too much. Their elasticity and strength are lost over time. They wear out.
Too Tight/Too Much Tension
Too Tight/Too Much Tension. If you wind a string too much, it gets really tight and has a lot of tension. If it's too tight, it can snap, just like a too stretched-out rubber band.
Rust
Steel strings can get rusty if they touch water or sweaty hands too much. Rusty strings are weaker and can break easily.
Weather
Strings can be sensitive to weather, like if it's too hot or too cold, or if it gets dry and then wet (humidity). This can make them weaker and more likely to break.
Playing Style
If you play really hard or rough, the strings have to work hard too, and sometimes they break.
Embrace Mistakes
There’s plenty of it and lessons to learn. Mistakes are a point of view. Sometimes, you might hit the wrong note, or play a bit off key, that doesn't mean you are doing something wrong, it just means it doesn't match this music but it can match other music. Every mistake can be an opportunity to learn and improve.
Play with Confidence
Trust yourself and the music will follow. Doubt less, play more.
Deliberate Practice
Everyone is different. Don't have to be so rigid; tailor your time in a way that fits you-can be structured, yet spontaneous. Being intentional on what you're working/playing on is important.
Flexible Practice Plan
Make a list of what you want to work on, but it's okay to mix it up. If you feel like starting with the last item on your list, go for it! Even if everything is not check off after a session, it's totally ok.
Focused Sessions
When you practice, give it your full attention—like a laser! Turn off the TV/Social Media and games, and let your Đàn Tranh be the star of the show.
Set Clear Goals
Before you start, know what you're aiming for. Maybe today it's about bending a new note cleanly or getting the rhythm of a song just right or learning another phrase of the song.
Step by Step
Move up slowly. Start with what you can do, then add a little bit more—a tougher technique or a faster pace. It's like climbing stairs, one step at a time.
Break It Down
Learn in small sections, then stitch them together.
Reflect and Adjust
After trying something, listen back. Did it sound good? If not, what can you change? This is where you can learn a lot. After a session, can ask questions about what needs more work, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
Quality Counts
It's not about how long you practice, but how well. Ten minutes of good practice is better than an hour of just going through the motions.
Celebrate Effort
Every time you practice, it's a big deal! Pat yourself on the back for a job well done, even if it's just for getting through a small part.
Start and Keep Going
Make practice a habit. Whether you're motivated or in the mood or not, play a little each day, and mix in fun pieces (you can use your ears too to try to pick out the melody of your favorite songs) to keep it interesting. Motivation and mood are feelings. Sometimes you feel motivated to practice, sometimes you don’t. It’s unreliable.
Take Breaks
Rest and breaks help your brain and fingers stay sharp and ready for the next time you play. It can also help you focus better. So pause, recharge, and play on or leave for the next time.
Ask for Help or Reach Out
Everyone needs it sometimes. If you're stuck or curious, asking questions is a smart move.
Tuning
- Swallow: Move right, frequency goes up and note goes up. Move Left, frequency goes down and note goes down.
- Tuning Peg: Turn right, frequency goes down and note goes down because you are looseing the peg. Turn Left, frequency goes up and note goes up because you are tightening the peg.
- Can download chromatic tuner to tune if your physical tuner is out of battery
Free vs Rest Stroke
Free Stroke: Pluck the string freely and let your finger bounce off, going towards the palm of your hands. Quieter and helpful to let strings ring out
Rest Stroke: Rest your finger on the next string after plucking. Louder and can be more efficient
Efficiency: Be efficient when you play, saving energy, using movements as needed, relaxing, and remembering to breathe. Often using the largest knuckle joint or MCP (circled in red in the picture) to play helps save energy and is easier to play.
Multiple Ways to Play: Just like there are many ways to solve a math problem, there are many ways to play a note or a piece of music. Try different methods to see what works best for you and the sounds it makes. Use both techniques, and experinement with it. Important to be relax too when you play.
Rhythm
Tempo: Think of tempo like the speed limit of a song. It tells you how quickly or slowly to play. If the beats per minute (bpm) number is high, you play fast, like you're in a hurry. If it's low, you play slow and relaxed.
Beat: The beat is like the ticking of a clock or the tapping of your foot when you're keeping time with music. When you count "1, 2, 3, 4," the "1" is usually the strongest, where you would nod your head or stomp your foot the hardest and metronome usually ticks.
We play and think mostly by phrases instead of measures.
Time Signature: Shown with a fraction. The top number shows how many beats in each measure. The bottom number shows how long each beat is.
Examples:
- 4/4: 4 quarter notes per measure.
- 3/4: 3 quarter notes per measure.
Note
Pitch and Duration: Every note has a pitch (how high or low it sounds) and a duration (how long it lasts).
Pitch: This is how we hear the 'highness' or 'lowness' of a sound, measured in vibrations per second or hertz (Hz).
Note Names: People gave names to different pitches using the first seven letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. In Western music, we use twelve notes in total, including both natural notes and sharps/flats.
Frequencies: Each note has a specific frequency. For example, the A note above middle C (A4) vibrates at 440 times per second (440 Hz).
Octaves: When a note's frequency is doubled, it's the same note in a higher pitch. For instance, 880 Hz is also an A note, but it's one octave higher (A5).
Intervals: The distance between any two notes is called an interval. In Western/classical music, the smallest step is a half step, and a whole step is two half steps.
Microtones: Microtones are intervals smaller than a half step, not typically used in Western classical music but found in other musical traditions and contemporary music explorations. You often will hear those sounds when you bend the strings on the Đàn Tranh.
Đàn Tranh Music Theory Basic
What is Music Theory? Music theory is like giving names to different sounds. It is the study of principles/elements of how music is put together, kind of like grammar in English. Learning music theory helps us talk about, understand, and make our own music. Creating music is absolutely possible without knowing music theory, but understanding some basics can be really helpful and make the process even more enjoyable.
What's a Scale?: A scale is a set of musical notes ordered by pitch. Think of it like a ladder you can climb up or down with sounds. Scales follow a specific order or pattern or formula, often made up of a mix of half steps (semitones) and whole steps (whole tones).
Pentatonic Scale: The Đàn Tranh often uses the pentatonic scale, which has five notes.
Major Scale Formula: Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step (W-W-H-W-W-W-H)
Major Pentatonic: In the key of C, this would be C (1), D (2), E (3), G (5), and A (6).
- C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, B
- C, D, E, F, G, A, B
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- A chord is when you play three or more notes together at the same time. You make chords by following a recipe that tells you which notes to put together, and these recipes are called 'chord formulas'. For example, the starting note or root note can be C, and we add a major 3rd interval, minor 3rd interval, and we get a CEG which is a C major chord which usually sounds happy.
Resources
Metronome
Enhance your sense of timing and rhythm with the help of these metronome tools. Explore the classic Google Metronome or try the feature-rich Soundbrenner Metronome app.
Ear Training
Develop your ear for music with these ear training apps and online resources. Perfect Ear offers comprehensive exercises, while Tone Dear and Teoria cover broader music theory.
Basic Music Theory
Dive into the fundamentals of music theory with interactive lessons and exercises at Musictheory.net. Includes ear training too.
Classical Music Theory
Explore classical music theory in-depth with resources from Puget Sound Music Theory, Open Music Theory, and concise summaries by Toby Rush.
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