1. Start with Simple Shapes

Every complex drawing begins with simple shapes. Circles, squares, and triangles make up the basic structure of most subjects, so start by practicing these shapes. When you’re ready to move on, try breaking down the subject you’re drawing into these basics. The Simply Draw app is fantastic for this because it breaks each subject into simple, easy-to-follow steps, helping beginners understand how to construct their drawings without feeling overwhelmed.

2. Don’t Worry About Perfection

In the early stages, it’s all about exploration and enjoying the process—not making a perfect drawing. So, let yourself be a little messy! Try different lines, experiment with shading, and embrace “mistakes.” Drawing for beginners is all about building confidence, not creating a masterpiece on day one. The tutorials in Simply Draw allow you to learn gradually, building up from simple lines to more complex images, all without pressure.

3. Practice Light and Shadow

Understanding how light affects your drawing is key. For beginners, practice shading by drawing a simple shape, like a circle, and adding a shadow to one side. This gives depth to your art and makes it look more realistic. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be ready to apply shading to more complex subjects. If this sounds tricky, Simply Draw’s step-by-step tutorials can help, showing you where to add shadows and highlights for a more realistic effect.

4. Draw What You Love

If you’re not enjoying the subject, drawing can quickly feel like a chore. Pick subjects that genuinely interest you, whether it’s animals, plants, or even cartoon characters. When you’re having fun, you’re more likely to stick with it and improve over time. Simply Draw has a library full of fun subjects, so you can follow tutorials that match your interests—keeping the process engaging and rewarding.

5. Practice Consistently, Even for Just a Few Minutes

You don’t need hours of practice every day to see progress. Just 10–15 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Consistency is key, especially for beginners. As you practice, you’ll naturally start to improve and notice positive changes in your drawings. Simply Draw’s straightforward, bite-sized tutorials make it easy to squeeze in a little practice whenever you have a spare moment.

Ready to Start Drawing?

If you’re a beginner looking for guidance, give the Simply Draw app a try! It’s packed with easy tutorials that walk you through each step, helping you learn to draw with confidence. By practicing these five tips and exploring Simply Draw’s library of tutorials, you’ll soon be creating art you’re proud of. Remember, drawing for beginners is all about having fun, learning the basics, and enjoying the journey.

The post 5 Essential Tips for Drawing for Beginners appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

Whether you’re a professional singer or just dabble with singing in your spare time, this beginner guide is jam-packed with simple guidelines for arranging vocal harmonies. Ready to upleve your singing? Let’s go!

Implementing vocal harmonies into your song gives a dramatic effect if done correctly. 

But first, we need to understand some basic music theory. 

For instance, a solid grasp of intervals, chords, and musical scales provides you with the foundation for creating an epic vocal harmony.

Music intervals.

Music intervals refer to the spacing between notes. Understanding intervals makes assembling chords much easier. 

The musical alphabet consists of seven letters.

A – B – C – D – E – F – G

And part of playing music is knowing how these notes interact. Intervals have two parts–the interval number and interval quality. Determining the interval number is as simple as counting the distance between each note. For instance, the distance between A and E is five. Therefore the interval is a fifth. 

• The interval numbers: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Octave. 

• The different types of intervals: Perfect, Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented.

Understanding intervals helps you assemble better-sounding chords with more proficiency. In essence, chords are harmonies, and some notes work better together than others. 

What is musical harmony?

A musical harmony occurs when several notes play together as a singular musical unit. A harmony includes two or more sounds–in different pitches–that add an aggrandizing effect to a song.

Harmony refers to building chords, chord qualities, and chord progressions. Notes in a harmony are a pitch above or below the melody. You can also play both the higher and lower pitch at once. 

We typically see the power of harmony through instruments such as pianos and guitars, and many of our favorite songs also use vocal harmonies. 

Vocal harmonies

Vocal harmony is the same as musical harmony, except it refers to two or more vocal tones reverberating in unison.  Just like chords, there are additional vocal inputs that support the lead vocal. They serve as background vocals to add texture to a song. Because of the unique timbre emanating from vocal harmonies, their effect on a song differs from instrumental harmonies. 

Whether you’re just starting out or not, vocal harmonies are essential for any songwriter–they’re in every kind of music genre known to man, from R&B tracks and folk songs to classical music.

The building blocks of harmony 

When designing a harmony, you need to replace the chord’s name with a roman numeral with the corresponding scale or pitch of the root note.

The three categories of harmony include:

• Tonics Chords–The base or root of the harmony. 
• Dominant chords–Place these on the fifth or seventh degree of the triad.
• Pre-dominant chords–A bridge between the tonic and dominant chords.

Knowing which notes work well together is crucial for assembling chords and harmonies. This template will help you find the correct tension between the tonic and dominant harmonic progressions.

The motion of harmony

There is also the chords’ motion or vocals to consider when it comes to harmony. As a song progresses, so do the notes that people sing and various ways it can happen.

In sheet music, harmonies can move in four different types of motion:

• Parallel—Two voices move in the same direction while maintaining the same interval number.
• Similar—Two voices follow the same melodic contour.
• Oblique—One voice moves while the other stays in place.
• Contrary—Two voices move in opposite directions.

Now that you understand the building blocks of harmony and how they work, it’s time to refine your technique. 

How to use harmonies.

While there is a mechanical element to the music, ultimately, it’s an art form. There’s no universal rule on how to use harmonies. However, some practices produce better effects than others. 

Here are some things to consider when creating your harmonies.

Wrapping up

Understanding and knowing how to use vocal harmony can be tricky. There’s a lot to account for, and assembling a vocal harmony is much easier if you understand intervals, chords, and musical harmony.

And what better way to practice musical harmony and chords than on your piano? With SimplyPiano, you can learn all about chords, intervals, and ultimately musical harmony in small, doable steps.

Once you grasp the various parts that make up harmony and the different ways they can move, you can start to explore the effects they can produce.

Harmonies add a unique texture to your song and add layers of complexity that can drastically impact your music. 

FAQs

The post How to sing vocal harmonies appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

Nailing harmonies requires a trained ear and solid timing. Learn how to skillfully sing them with these helpful tips.

Practically every genre of music harnesses the power of harmonies, from holiday carols and hymns to your favorite pop song. You can recognize harmonies when two or more voices sing in unison. It adds a unique and aggrandizing effect to the music. 

When first listening to harmony, you may find them to be complex, angelic echoes. It can seem like creating your own is out of reach. However, just like learning any new skill, learning and improving is much smoother by taking small purposeful steps.

So let’s dive into the majestic world of harmony and build your skill up with these simple steps.

Learn basic music theory.

While it isn’t essential for singing harmonies, knowing basic music theory is an excellent place to start. 

Understanding the framework and the essential moving parts of anything grants you insights you wouldn’t otherwise have. For instance, knowing how intervals work or putting chords together makes timing easier, and choosing notes that resonate comes naturally. It can help with the cohesiveness of your harmony. 

• Intervals–represent the distance between two notes within a scale.
• Chords–are a series of notes that you play together.

Understanding chords and intervals make creating harmonies much more straightforward. In essence, they’re the same thing.

Sing along to your favorite harmonies.

An easy way to get some practice in is to sing along with your favorite songs! However, we’re not talking about the casual shower singing (although perhaps that could be useful too). Start with simple harmonies to get your bearings. Once you’ve got the hang of it, try writing your own!

Timing.

When it comes to harmony, timing is everything. Part of what makes a harmony create the effect it does is how it is used. You can memorize lyrics by heart and sing pitch-perfect, but none of that matters if your timing is off.

While some music genres implement harmony throughout the song, other styles use harmony at specific times–which means timing your entry is crucial. 

But how exactly can you improve your timing? 

(How about a bit of…)

Practice.

Practice, practice, and then practice some more! Like any skill you’re honing, the more time you spend engaging with it, the more innate it becomes. 

There are many unique ways to practice on your own and with others. If you’re feeling creative and have the tech, record yourself and sing along to your recording. You sharpen your harmony skills, but you’ll also get better at songwriting. 

Another great way to practice is to sing with a group. Find other people who like to sing harmonies and practice together. You may even find singers who have a deeper understanding of harmony, which can quickly help you to improve. Not only can singing in a group helps you learn at a faster rate, but it can make your experience more enjoyable. 

Pro tip: Stay positive. No matter what activity you engage in, overcoming obstacles is part of the journey. Our worst practice sessions also define our best practice sessions. Maybe you aren’t hitting the pitch or you don’t feel like singing–whatever the issue is, you just have to accept that it’s part of the journey. Keep coming back for more and it’ll pay off.

Join a choir.

A sure-fire way to practice and improve your harmony skills is to join a choir. It’s the perfect environment, and it’s literally designed to help people develop their ability to sing in harmony. 

You’ll be able to meet other people who are sharpening their skills, and under your teacher’s guidance, you’re bound to make drastic improvements early on in your lessons. Sharing a space with experts for putting together harmonies is the ideal atmosphere to take your singing to the next level.

Singing and composing vocal harmonies takes time, research, and practice. At times the journey may be frustrating. However, with a dynamic approach, and consistent practice, you’ll get the hang of it. 

Harmony is not just for singing. It’s very similar to the chords you play on the piano, and music is a beautiful form of expression where you can mix and match many arts. Another approach to improving vocal harmony and perfecting chords is playing the piano.

Don’t have time to learn everything at once? Try out Simply Piano and see how easy it is to learn to play piano in your free time.

FAQs

The post How to Sing Beautiful Harmonies appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

If you want to play something extraordinary on the piano this Christmas but aren’t sure where to start, here are some beginner-level Christmas songs for novice pianists!

Christmas isn’t Christmas without the music, and this year you can join and add to the atmosphere in a new way. Instead of just singing, beginner piano players can play along when friends and family want to have a sing-along.

Our shortlist shows you which popular festive season songs are easy enough, even without advanced knowledge or experience. We promise some of your favorites are on this list!

1. Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells is a typical Christmas song, but James Pierpont, the composer, didn’t write it. He published it as ‘One Horse Open Sleigh.’ People placed bells on sleigh horses during winter, so it doesn’t refer to Christmas. 

The simplicity of the sheet music makes it an excellent song to gain confidence. Your left hand mostly plays a single clef note while your right hand handles the melody. 

2. Silent Night

Silent Night, which tells the story of Jesus’ birth, is a famous hymn. Franz Xaver Gruber composed the melody, using lyrics from Joseph Mohr. Within a few decades, it was popular in New York. Bing Crosby recorded it in 1935 and sold 10 million copies.

It’s popular with beginner players because it mostly requires playing white notes. Also, use it to practice using the pedal during longer phrases. 

3. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

The Rudolph in this song is a fictional character. Writer Robert May published booklets with his story in 1939. 

In 1949, Gene Autry released a single of this song which Johnny Marks–Robert May’s brother in law–wrote. It rose to the top of US charts that year and in 2018.

This song has challenging elements, including the rhythm that changes when you transition from the introduction to the verses. Use it to challenge yourself, and use the SimplyPiano app to practice if you struggle. 

https://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/easy-piano-music-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer/

4. O Holy Night

This song started as a French poem by Placide Cappeau, and Adolphe Adam wrote the melody in 1847. Later, John Sullivan Dwight created the English lyrics. 

To be comfortable playing this hymn, sharpen your knowledge of piano chord structures. It challenges beginner players’ skills because of chord inversions, but once you master it, the rest is easy.

The song’s time signature is 3/4. Use your metronome and aim to play it at 164 bpm.

https://musescore.com/user/278331/scores/520771

5. We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Here is another easy song to help build your confidence. Because the chorus repeats the same words and notes, you’ll master it quickly. It’s a fun song that people love to sing, and the audience’s enthusiasm helps new players play with more bravado.

The origin of this song isn’t known, but it became popular around 1935 when conductor Arthur Warrell included it in a university singing group’s repertoire. It’s relevant for Christmas and New Year, so you only have to learn one song to be your family’s star performer on both occasions. 

https://musescore.com/user/1011626/scores/492771

6. What Child is This?

This song is easy to master because of the well-known melody, ‘Greensleeves.’ In 1865, William Chatterton Dix combined it with his new lyrics to form a Christmas carol. 

https://www.8notes.com/scores/1577.asp

7. Let it Snow

Beginner piano players who love jazz can use ‘Let it Snow’ to practice their skills in this genre. The piece helps you practice playing half notes on the left and eighth notes on the right. 

The correct name is ‘Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!’ Don’t confuse this with Boyz II Men’s version. Although there’s no mention of Christmas, we associate it with the festive season. The classic melody dates back to 1945, and it performed well on Billboard charts, with different recordings all reaching the Top 10. 

https://sheetmusic-free.com/let-it-snow-sheet-music-christmas-carol/

8. Frosty the Snowman

This song is super fun to sing and great for entertaining kids. It requires some practice because it’s one of the trickier melodies on our list. Start off playing it slowly to become comfortable with the movements. 

When using simpler versions, an advantage is that you’ll only play the following chords in most of the song:

• C major
• F major
• G major

You can use 1st inversion for G major and 2nd inversion for F major to keep finger movement to a minimum.

Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson wrote the song in 1950. It’s another song Gene Autry recorded. The singer and his team wanted another hit after Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, and it reached the top 10 on multiple US charts that year.

9. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Here’s one of the more complex songs on our list, but use a simple version, and you’ll get it after sufficiently practicing each hand on its own before putting it all together. When performing, people will likely clap along, helping you keep rhythm. 

If you struggle a lot, a handy method is to destupefy your left hand with intentional exercises. 

J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote this classic. Early recordings come from 1934, and over the years, over 200 artists have included it in their albums, including Mariah Carey. 

https://pianosheetmusic.writtenmelodies.com/Seasonal/Sheets/Santa-Claus-Is-Comin-To-Town.pdf

10. Deck the Halls

This melody comes from a 1500s song, ‘Nos Galan’, which translates to ‘New Year’s Eve.’ Thomas Oliphant wrote the words we know today in 1862. The catchy phrase ‘Fa la la la la la la la la’ is synonymous with Christmas and easy enough for kids to sing along to.

Deck the Halls is also easy to add to a beginner piano player’s festive repertoire because of all the repetition. Line one, two, and four are very similar, so you have fewer details to practice. The third line only has minor differences, so beginners can feel comfortable performing this melody faster than in some other songs. 

https://musescore.com/user/27997005/scores/5347261

So many many Christmas songs.

Using your music, help create that Christmassy atmosphere and enjoy the season even more than before. You can find more songs for special occasions online, and if you have suggestions of songs other beginners can try, please share in the comments section.

FAQs.

The post Top 10 Christmas Songs on Piano for Beginners appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.