Please welcome our newest advertiser, Making Music Magazine! If you haven’t already, you can check out their ad in the right column of this (and every!) page here at PartTimeMusician.com. It looks like this:
Making Music Magazine is a print publication that caters to people who play music as an avocation, not as a vocation. Many of us PTMs fall into that category, and for those who do, MMM is an excellent (additional!) resource.
Our goal here at PartTimeMusician.com is to provide quality information to those who “work a day job to support their playing addiction”, and this extends to our advertisers. Our bar is high on your behalf, and we feel MMM fits right in.
Please let us know how we’re doing! After all, this is your site, too.
Whether you’re learning a new instrument or returning to an old one, you want more than anything to play music. Scales and etudes are necessary and helpful things, but they weren’t what inspired you, spur-of-the-moment or after years of vacillating, to pick up that instrument. No, it was the music you heard – the music you decided you were going to play.
So how did you get to this point? Night after night of scales, etudes, technique drills, exercises. You can see improvement, and that’s good…but it just aren’t as fulfilling as you might have hoped. What now?
Enter play-along music. Many brands exist from various publishers (Music Minus One, for example), but they all provide a book with the “lead sheet” for you to play along with an accompaniment CD. Accompanists range from piano or synth to full orchestra, and books of play-along music are available for wide-ranging musical genres and ability levels. For anywhere from $10 to $30, you can have a group of great musicians back you up while you play your favorite pieces – all in the comfort of your own home!
When I returned to the trumpet a few years back after a couple of decades away from it, I bought a Dixieland jazz play-along book and CD combo to encourage myself. Although my primary playing has always been in “legit” band and orchestral environments, Al Hirt and Herb Alpert first inspired me to play the trumpet so many years ago, and the light-hearted fun of Dixieland jazz and Mariachi music still calls to me. Play-along books have given me opportunities to play various types of music when an actual group is nowhere to be found.
You can find play-along books/CDs online and (hopefully) at your local music store, but SheetMusicPlus has a selection that’s hard to beat. If you do decide to order your music, be sure to follow the “smart PTM” advice for buying music mail-order to get what you want quickly!
For those times when a string ensemble, jazz group, or orchestra is nowhere to be found (or if you’re just not ready for that yet!), play-along music fills the gap beautifully. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Our recent article about flying with a musical instrument drew a lot of responses and some great added advice from our ever-resourceful readers. While the initial list was limited to seven tips in order to focus solely upon the key points, here are a few more things that are good to know when preparing for a flight.
Thing 1: Oils, greases, and sprays belong in a bag
If your instrument requires liquids or semi-liquids to operate, those items must be in a clear plastic bag…just like your shampoo and toothpaste. Having your valve oil, slide or cork grease, and slide lubricants in a clear plastic bag makes life easier for those screening baggage and helps make the process go more smoothly for everyone.
Thing 2: Be ready to perform
Airport security personnel are trained to be suspicious, and that is a good thing. They may ask you to demonstrate that your instrument really is an instrument and that you really are a musician. To avoid uncomfortable moments, have something in mind that you can play “on command” to demonstrate that all really is as it seems.
Whatever you play doesn’t have to be fancy, and you shouldn’t get nervous about it. Look at it as a chance to show off that fun little piece you secretly delight in playing at the end of your practice sessions. No one expects you to be a Perlman, Marsalis, or Van Halen; just have fun with it! And once the applause dies down, put it quietly back into the case. No encores.
Thing 3: Sending it ahead might be a good idea
Another option for flying with your instrument is to avoid it entirely. In some cases, it makes sense to send your gear ahead via private carrier. If you absolutely must have your valuable cello or guitar with you at your destination, this provides a way to skip all worries of your baby being “bumped” to the cargo hold. Compared to the cost of buying a ticket for your larger instrument, it can also be a cost-effective alternative. (NOTE: Pack properly and purchase insurance if you choose this option…just in case.)
Thing 4: Ask the attendant to stow your instrument behind the cockpit
Most planes have a small storage closet, specifically for bulkier items, located just behind the cockpit. A kind attendant often will offer to stow your instrument there if room is still available, but don’t be afraid to ask if no one thinks to volunteer it. This is the best of both worlds: your instrument is in the cabin, but it’s safely stored out of your way for the duration of the flight.
Thing 5: In case of emergency, appeal to the Captain
The word is that the pilot has final say on what stays in the cabin and what goes. If a flight attendant insists that the instrument for which you bought a seat must now be moved to the cargo hold – and just won’t have it any other way – politely ask to speak with the Captain. No one wants to delay a flight, and pilots often are more accommodating than well-meaning, but often passenger-stressed, attendants. Give the attendant a break and plead your case with the final (flight) authority prior to taking any further steps.
Thing 6: The case must go
If the pilot says your instrument must move to cargo, there may yet be hope. More than one reader reported that they were allowed to remove their instrument from its bulky case and send the case to the cargo hold sans instrument. Wrapping their instrument in a T-shirt, jacket, or cloth bag and placing it under their seat resolved the situation to everyone’s satisfaction. (NOTE: This only works for smaller instruments, and only then if pilot/attendants agree that the carry-on/instrument doesn’t have to fit completely under the seat.)
Thing 7: Plan for the worst…but it probably won’t happen
All of the initial Top 7 Tips and these “other things” assume the worst because it pays to be prepared. In all likelihood, however, you will have a smooth and pleasant, incident-free flight…especially if you are prepared. Do your homework, and be ready with polite responses and maybe even a short selection – but don’t stress over it. The earlier advice still holds: plan well, pack well, and play well.
Have a comment? Please leave one below, or email us! We’d love to hear from you.
Keep playing (and flying!),
Mark
Acknowledgements
A tip of the hat goes to the following PTM readers who provided many of the above points: Jeff Helgesen, Ellis Workman, Dr. James Klages, Denny Schreffler, Ann Frederking, and Virginia “Ginger” Lawrence. Thanks to all!
A question that comes up quite often is, “How do I fly with my instrument?” Between the government and the various commercial airlines, rules seem to change almost daily. Run afoul of any of them and you could face a very frustrating, time-consuming, and potentially expensive outcome. There are, however, ways to boost your chances of a hassle-free flight.
Before we dive into this, let me first offer the following disclaimers:
As mentioned above, rules change ridiculously often. For the latest information, please check your government’s up-to-the-minute rules and restrictions for flying with musical instruments.
For the same reason, please check your carrier’s current rules prior to buying your ticket(s).
If the ticket agent or gate guard is in a bad mood and you remind them of their ex (uh oh!), you just might encounter difficulties no one else has ever seen – and hopefully never will again. We’ll discuss that, too, but if that happens, all bets are off.
No one knows everything. We’ll share our advice, but ultimately, there is only so much we, or you, or anyone, can control. Read all you can, prepare the best you can, and be flexible. Prayer helps, too.
Ready? Pull up a chair and let’s get down to business.
Tip #1: Compare airlines
Airlines vary significantly in how they handle musical instruments as carry-on items. According to this document from the Transportation Safety Administration, the TSA allows an instrument in addition to your carry-ons for US flights. That only gets you to the gate, though. I’m not aware of any airlines that allow an extra carry-on, even if it is a musical instrument – so unless you find one that does, figure on counting yours as one of the two you’re usually allowed.
Check which airlines operate from your airport, then visit their websites to compare their rules for musical instruments/carry-on baggage. We had to fly with a violin recently, and we discovered that while Southwest Airlines allows a larger carry-on than most other airlines, the dimensions are fixed (currently 10″x16″x24″). American Airlines’ overall measure was smaller, but dimensions could vary (45 total linear inches, i.e. length+height+width). Due to the length of the violin case – which was made long enough to accommodate a bow, of course – we flew American.
Tip #2: If you’re close on measurements, buy a smaller case
We purchased the smallest case we could find for a violin…and just barely met the maximum dimensions. The standard, larger/heavier case would have exceeded the airline’s maximums. You can take your chances, of course, but luck favors the prepared.
Tip #3: If you have a large instrument, drive
I’m only half joking about this. If you have an instrument larger than a viola, your options are:
Drive, take the bus, or take the train.
Pay for a seat for your instrument. Please note that this doesn’t guarantee that a ticket agent or flight attendant won’t ask – or insist – that you check your instrument.
Buy the best travel case you can find and check your instrument.
Depending upon circumstances, the last option may be the only viable one. Before you start pricing expensive travel cases, though, you should watch the video below; it’s enough to make a musician sob uncontrollably…and rethink their travel plans.
Tip #4: Wear your instrument to minimize its profile
If your instrument is straining the high end of the allowed measurements for your airline, you’re far more likely to go unchallenged if you’ve strapped your instrument onto your back and thus minimized its profile. Many instrument cases have shoulder/backpack straps; use them! An instrument that is securely strapped to your body just looks smaller than something you’re lugging in one hand while trying to pull your other carry-on behind.
On the whole, airline personnel are generally pretty friendly folks, and they don’t like to challenge anyone if they don’t foresee a problem. Don’t make it look like your instrument will be a problem, and you’ll be far more likely to board without a hitch.
Tip #5: Don’t worry, be happy
In today’s travel environment, airline personnel are trained to watch for suspicious actions. This is a good thing, but if you cast frequent, nervous glances at the ticket desk and/or gate guards, there’s a very good chance they’ll wonder what you’re up to. Wouldn’t you? This can only increase the scrutiny you and your baggage receive, and if you’re pressing the limits for carry-ons, you’re not necessarily looking for extra attention.
Tip #6: Bring documentation
Print the airline’s rules for musical instruments/carry-ons and bring them with you. In the event you are challenged about your instrument, producing that airline’s rules/policies/guidance demonstrates that you have done your homework and want to discuss the published guidelines, rather than one person’s potentially more-restrictive interpretation of them.
Tip #7: Be polite and respectful
Remain calm. Even if a gate guard tells you that your expensive instrument must be tossed into the cargo hold and they’ve just issued the last boarding call, be polite and respectful…but firm. If the person with whom you’re dealing won’t yield, ask to speak with their supervisor. The airline doesn’t want you to miss your flight any more than you do, and they definitely don’t want to delay it, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to resolve the issue properly. Explain your situation calmly and factually, reference the airline’s own documentation, and measure your instrument case to demonstrate that you’re in compliance with the rules. This approach offers the best possibility of a successful resolution if things get to this point…but if you’ve followed tips 1-6, chances are good it will never come to this.
Bottom Line
In most cases, it is possible to fly with your instrument with little or no added difficulty or expense. Following the seven tips listed above can dramatically increase your chances of having a hassle-free flight and a fully intact instrument when you arrive. Plan well, pack well, and play well.
Do you have a tip you’d like to share? Other governments/airlines to add to the list below? Please leave us a comment or send us an email. We’ll happily update the article so everyone can benefit from the information.
Whether you play only for fun or for the occasional paid gig, you want to play your best. One simple way to take your playing up a notch is to establish a consistent sense of rhythm, and there is no better way to do that than with a metronome.
Metronomes are not straightjackets; they are tools, and like many other tools in your musical toolchest, they are a very cheap investment in you and your lifetime enjoyment of music. Here are three things a metronome can help you do:
1. Develop a strong sense of tempo(s)
If you’ve practiced various pieces at a particular tempo – say, 100-120 Beats Per Minute (BPM) – you’ll be able to pick up a new piece of music with that tempo marking and know pretty well the desired tempo. This is a huge help when you’re sight-reading, but it comes in handy at other times, as well…like on the night of a performance when you’re distracted or have a really bad case of nerves.
2. Be a better ensemble/section player
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point, but it has more to do with keeping the tempo rather than establishing it. As your group/section is playing along, it’s very easy to drag or rush, depending upon any number of factors…or even drag and rush in different sections, if you’re accustomed to hearing your favorite performer/group playing it that way. But what if your favorite artist’s version differs from someone else’s? Practicing occasionally with a metronome, especially when learning a new piece, can help you establish a consistent tempo. This doesn’t restrain you; it liberates you, because now you can choose when it’s appropriate to change tempos, rather than follow the dictates of “that’s how so-and-so plays it”!
3. Master your part
One of the key ways a metronome helps you as a musician isn’t physical; it’s mental. While all of us know that we can master difficult passages by practicing them at a slower tempo, then speeding them up once we’ve worked out the kinks, our own minds often work against us, especially on selections we’ve heard before (and perhaps even played in the past). Have you ever tried to slow down the Barber of Seville? It’s hard to slow Bugs Bunny down, isn’t it?
Playing at a reduced tempo along with your metronome helps you start slow and finish slow…thus mastering that tricky passage more quickly than you might have otherwise. Once that is accomplished, a metronome allows you to increase the tempo gradually and retain the ground you just gained.
What we use
There are many good metronomes available, but we have two and can offer a few thoughts on them specifically.
If you like the look and operation of a “traditional metronome” – like the one your piano teacher or music director likely had when you were a kid – something like the Wittner mahogany metronome is a good choice. Tempo is set by sliding the weight up or down the pendulum, and the Wittner’s wind-up operation means never having to buy batteries. Well-crafted and beautiful, it’s both a metronome and a classy decoration for your home studio. Priced at around $100, it isn’t cheap…but it will likely last you a lifetime.
One of the best all-around metronomes money can buy, in my opinion, is the Korg KDM-2 Digital Metronome. It functions as a pitch tuner as well (providing a note to which to tune your instrument), but as you’d expect, it really shines as a metronome. It’s speaker can be heard over even a small group’s playing – you can use it with earphones, if you prefer – and it includes a flashing bulb on top for a visual cue as well. Tempo markings are on the front, and tempo can be set or adjusted via up/down buttons or a quick rotation of the large wheel on its face. You can even tap the button a few times to have it determine the tempo! And at less than half the price of the Wittner, it’s feature-packed and wallet-friendly. If I could only have one metronome, this would be the one.
Bottom line
Using a metronome helps you learn your parts better; it also helps you begin and play them more consistently. As a result, you’ll likely notice that it makes you a more respected member of any group(s) in which you play. There are few things more frustrating than trying to play with someone who can’t hold a tempo, and those who can “keep the beat” make playing that much more relaxed and enjoyable.
Break out your metronome tonight, or if you don’t have one yet, get one! You’ll be glad you did.
Making Music Magazine is a print publication that caters to people who play music as an avocation, not as a vocation. Many of us PTMs fall into that category, and for those who do, MMM is an excellent (additional!) resource.
Bass Guitar, Brass, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Strings, Woodwinds | Mark September 16, 2009 | 
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So how did you get to this point? Night after night of scales, etudes, technique drills, exercises. You can see improvement, and that’s good…but it just aren’t as fulfilling as you might have hoped. What now?
