Sample issue

Hi there,

This month's tip: find your clean tempo

Pick the hardest bar in the piece you're learning. Set a metronome slow enough that you can play it with no mistakes, three times in a row. Then add a few beats per minute. Write the tempo down each day. In a couple of weeks, that tricky bar will be the easy part.

More in Practice slowly.

Music basics: the treble clef

The lines are E, G, B, D and F, from the bottom. The spaces spell FACE. That's the start of reading most melodies.

Reader question

"Should I rent a violin or buy a cheap one online?" Very cheap instruments can be hard to play. Renting from a music store, or buying used with a teacher's check, is often a better start. See rent or buy?

Keep playing,
Everyday Lark