A Beginner's Guide to Learning a Musical Instrument
Are you beginning music lessons and really not sure what to expect or how to go about it? When families approach us about music lessons, they often have so many questions! So we thought we would make a quick blog post with generic but useful advice for the person starting music lessons with absolutely no prior experience. We hope it’s useful!
Choosing the right instrument
To learn music, you will of course need an instrument (unless you are a singer!). There are a number of factors that go into choosing the right instrument, including:
Your budget
The size (small children often need smaller instruments, then upgrade to a larger instrument when they grow up)
Maintenance costs (some instruments need more expensive strings for example)
The type of music you want to play (a classical guitar isn’t as suitable for rock and roll)
Your hand and finger strength (lower action makes it easier to pluck strings or press keys)
The look and feel of the instrument
The sound of the instrument
Our best advice is to do a lot of research before you purchase an instrument! We also love going on Youtube and looking comparison videos in which professional musicians review and compare different models. If you get the chance, visit a music store which sells the instrument you are looking for, and try a few different models to see what you like best. Take all the time necessary to find the instrument that suits your specific needs. Of course, a teacher can also provide recommendations so don’t hesitate to reach out!
Setting realistic goals
Sometimes, when people start learning an instrument, they assume they’ll be able to play at a high level almost straight away. Whilst it’s great and motivating to have lofty goals, it can lead to frustration and impatience when they don’t get achieved. It’s better to come to lessons having realistic goals.
Learning music is a slow, difficult process, which requires constant practice and attention. Don’t be discouraged if your teacher assigns what you fee is “easy”. There is probably a reason for it - perhaps your teacher wants you to work on a specific aspect of your technique.
Generally we can assume that most students progress at a rate of one grade per year, although some will take a lot longer, and some other students will progress much faster. It really all depends on natural musicianship and practice.
Developing a practice routine
Once you have your instrument and have set realistic goals with your teacher, the only real way of achieving them is through practice. And the best way to do this is to develop a practice routine.
Music practice should be something you do basically every day, in the same way that you brush your teeth or go for a walk. You don’t necessarily have to practice for a long time, sometimes 10mins is all you need! The key is that it has to be regular and consistent.
To develop your practice routine, draw your weekly timetable and identify spots during the week where you don’t have anything scheduled. Then, mark that time off for your music practice. You might also want to put reminders into your phone for the days and times you will be dedicating to your practice.
If your schedule is irregular, you can spend a few minutes at the end of the week to plan your practice schedule for the week ahead. Remember, 10mins a day is way better than 1hr once a week.
There you have it, a beginner’s guide to learning an instrument! We hope to see you soon at our studio, ready with an instrument that suits you, with some realistic goals and a practice routine!
