If you’ve been playing guitar for a while and haven’t changed your strings yet it’s probably a good idea to think about replacing them. The strings on nylon string guitars in particular don't break very often, so it can be easy to keep playing on old strings because you simply don't think to change them. So how do you know when you should change the strings on your guitar?

Singing, particularly in a group, can be helpful for people with Parkinson’s for a number of reasons, including improving vocal function, improving social outcomes, cognitive engagement, and having a positive effect on mental health.

In my guitar, voice and musicianship lessons for young children, I use a Kodály-inspired approach. Kodály’s philosophy of music education is based on the principles that: every person is innately musical; that music develops a person intellectually, emotionally and spiritually; and that every person has the right to a high quality music education delivered by high calibre teachers.

If you've started guitar lessons or singing lessons it's a great time to establish a practice routine. We all know that we should be practising our instrument at home but what should this actually look like? How long should we practise for? How often? What should I practise? How do I help my child to practise?