Choosing a New Instrument
A student and their parent discuss with a music shop assistant or teacher about choosing a new instrument, considering options like guitar, violin, or drums.
Un estudiante y su progenitor discuten con un asistente de tienda de música o profesor sobre la elección de un nuevo instrumento, considerando opciones como guitarra, violín o batería.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
instrument
A tool or device used to produce music, like a guitar or piano. In this dialogue, it refers to musical instruments the student wants to learn.
Una herramienta o dispositivo utilizado para producir música, como una guitarra o un piano. En este diálogo, se refiere a instrumentos musicales que el estudiante quiere aprender.
guitar
A popular stringed instrument played by strumming or plucking the strings with fingers or a pick. It's great for rock and pop music.
Un instrumento de cuerda popular que se toca rasgueando o pulsando las cuerdas con los dedos o una púa. Es genial para la música rock y pop.
violin
A wooden string instrument held under the chin and played with a bow. It's often used in classical music and requires good hand coordination.
Un instrumento de cuerda de madera que se sostiene bajo la barbilla y se toca con un arco. Se usa a menudo en música clásica y requiere buena coordinación de manos.
drums
Percussion instruments made of a set of drums and cymbals, played by hitting them with sticks or hands. They add rhythm to rock and pop music.
Instrumentos de percusión hechos de un conjunto de tambores y platillos, tocados golpeándolos con baquetas o manos. Añaden ritmo a la música rock y pop.
rock music
A genre of popular music with strong beats, electric guitars, and energetic singing. It's fun for beginners learning guitar or drums.
Un género de música popular con ritmos fuertes, guitarras eléctricas y canto enérgico. Es divertido para principiantes que aprenden guitarra o batería.
classical
A type of serious, traditional Western music composed by famous musicians like Mozart. It's often played on violin.
Un tipo de música seria y tradicional occidental compuesta por músicos famosos como Mozart. A menudo se toca con violín.
beginners
People who are new to learning something, like playing an instrument. Guitars and drums are easier for beginners than violins.
Personas que son nuevas en el aprendizaje de algo, como tocar un instrumento. Las guitarras y los tambores son más fáciles para principiantes que los violines.
patience
The ability to stay calm and wait without getting frustrated. Learning violin needs more patience at the start.
La capacidad de mantenerse calmado y esperar sin frustrarse. Aprender a tocar el violín requiere más paciencia al principio.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
So, you're thinking about picking up a new instrument?
This is a friendly way to ask if someone is interested in starting to learn a new hobby. 'Picking up' means starting to learn or take up. Use it in casual conversations about new activities.
Esta es una forma amigable de preguntar si alguien está interesado en empezar a aprender un nuevo hobby. 'Picking up' significa empezar a aprender o adoptar. Úsalo en conversaciones casuales sobre nuevas actividades.
We're trying to figure out what might be a good fit.
This means discussing or deciding what is suitable. 'Figure out' is an idiom for solving or understanding something. It's useful when talking about choices, like selecting an instrument.
Esto significa discutir o decidir qué es adecuado. 'Figure out' es un modismo para resolver o entender algo. Es útil al hablar de elecciones, como seleccionar un instrumento.
I really like the sound of guitars, but drums look pretty fun too!
This expresses personal preferences using 'like the sound of' for how something sounds, and 'but...too' to show alternatives. It's great for describing interests in music or hobbies.
Esto expresa preferencias personales usando 'like the sound of' para cómo suena algo, y 'but...too' para mostrar alternativas. Es genial para describir intereses en música o pasatiempos.
What kind of music do you generally enjoy listening to?
A question to ask about someone's music tastes. 'Generally' means usually, and 'enjoy listening to' is a common phrase. Use it to start discussions about preferences.
Una pregunta para hacer sobre los gustos musicales de alguien. 'Generally' significa generalmente, y 'enjoy listening to' es una frase común. Úsala para iniciar discusiones sobre preferencias.
He's pretty open-minded!
This describes someone who is willing to try different things. 'Open-minded' means flexible in opinions. 'Pretty' here means quite or fairly. Use it to compliment someone's attitude.
Esto describe a alguien dispuesto a probar cosas diferentes. 'Abierto de mente' significa flexible en las opiniones. 'Bastante' aquí significa bastante o razonablemente. Úsalo para halagar la actitud de alguien.
As for ease of learning, guitar and drums often show quicker progress initially for beginners.
This explains difficulty levels using 'as for' to introduce a topic, and 'show quicker progress' to mean improve faster. It's useful for comparing learning experiences, with 'initially' meaning at the beginning.
Esto explica los niveles de dificultad usando 'as for' para introducir un tema, y 'show quicker progress' para significar mejorar más rápido. Es útil para comparar experiencias de aprendizaje, con 'initially' significando al principio.
Can I try the guitar first?
A polite request to test something before others. 'Can I' is for permission, and 'first' shows order. Use this in shops or lessons when wanting to experiment.
Una solicitud educada para probar algo antes que otros. 'Can I' es para pedir permiso, y 'first' indica orden. Úsalo en tiendas o clases cuando quieras experimentar.
That sounds like a great idea.
This agrees positively with a suggestion. 'Sounds like' means seems like. It's a common, polite way to show approval in conversations.
Esto acuerda positivamente con una sugerencia. 'Sounds like' significa 'suena como'. Es una forma común y educada de mostrar aprobación en conversaciones.