If you just want to learn to play something, start on piano, violin, or guitar even drums can also help. These instruments generally have the most teachers in a given area, making it easy to find lessons and learn the basics of the instrument. If you’d like to eventually play classical, art music, or jazz, it’s important to pick up an instrument in the classical string category, a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument. These players generally dedicate lots of time and scholarship to learning their instrument. If you want to write your own songs and play pop music, it’s usually best to pick up a guitar, bass guitar, piano, or learn to play the drum kit. While it’s great to take lessons, lots of pop and folk musicians are self-taught, using DIY books, YouTube videos, and good old-fashioned trial and error.
Real upright or concert pianos can be expensive, but electric keyboards come at a variety of prices, from affordable to very professional and expensive. The great thing about piano is that you can learn the necessary fingerings and fundamentals regardless of the quality of the piano you’re playing.
While they’re not actually made of brass anymore, brass instruments are made of winding metal tubes that you blow through to create a tone. Woodwinds are made of composite materials and are played by vibrating a reed that’s held in a mouthpiece. Producing a distinctive warm and woody sound, woodwinds are used in classical music and jazz, and saxophones are used often in pop music. Pick up a classical string. Used in orchestras, string quartets, and other types of professional ensembles, violins, violas, double-basses, and cellos form the foundation of the classical strings. Guitars could also be considered a classical string, depending on the style of music.
Guitar Bass guitar Drums
One of the best things about percussion is that you can start building the skills without any kind of instrument at all. If you have an internal sense of time and the ability to keep a steady beat with your hands, consider learning percussion.
Develop good practice habits and routines for yourself. Always practice using good posture, warm up beforehand, and try practicing for at least 20-40 minutes each day. Practice a mixture of techniques, skills, and fun activities. For every scale you learn, take the time to mess around learning the Star Wars theme or some other fun song. Like when you exercise your body, consistency is very important. Try to practice every day, so you can maintain the good habits that you’re building and develop them.
If you want to become a musician, it’s very important that you be teachable. Hard-headed people who can’t take criticism don’t have much of a future as musicians. Listen closely to what good players say, follow directions, and learn everything you can. Make it your goal to get better. If you don’t have the time or money to have a formal teacher-student relationship, find musicians who are better than you to play with. Evening jam sessions on the porch with a couple of guitars can be a great way to improve your skills. Watch and learn. [4] X Research source
Also, learn musical history and some theory if you hope to compose your own music one day. Learning why certain notes sound good together, how to make a chord, and how music actually works is the best way to improve as an instrumentalist and as a composer, whatever instrument you play.
Listen to classical music, starting with old court-based consort music and moving your way up through the romantic composers like Mozart and Beethoven. Try listening to the 20th century avant-garde composers like Penderecki and Cage to challenge your conceptions of what music is. [5] X Research source Listen to rock music, of all strains, even if it’s not your cup of tea. Check out early punk, rockabilly, and psychedelic nuggets. Listen to what’s popular and what’s not. Try to find something worth listening to and ignore the rest. When you find something you like, look back to the influences. If you like Katy Perry, you might find out that Cher and Madonna are huge influences on her style and sound. When you listen to Cher, you might work your way back to Etta James, and eventually work your way back to Bessie Smith, one of the greatest early blues singers of all time. Find the roots of your favorite artists.
If you want to play classical music or organized concert music, it’s important to join a community band, a school band, or some other organized music group. Playing with others is also a good way to keep your ego in check. David Hood, part of the Muscle Shoals recording studio and one of the greatest session bass players of all time, was once asked how he got such a great reputation as as reliable player and he said, “My gear always worked and I was always on time. " Humility serves musicians well.
Coffee shop open-mics are a great way to find a forgiving audience who’ll be warm and accepting. Most open-mics are full of hobbyists who want to get started and most crowds are friendly and easy-going. It’s a great way to crack in. Alternatively, just play for yourself. There’s nowhere it says you have to ever play in front of anyone. Learn to play and enjoy the sounds you make for yourself.
Invest in a few cheap microphones to get started and record yourself directly to your computer using GarageBand or Audacity. Set the levels like you like them and burn CDs for your friends, or put them on your iPod. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can share your recordings with the world. Record your best stuff and start a Bandcamp page or a Soundcloud account to give out quick links to your tunes.
Consider going to music school if you want to make contacts and receive individualized training on your instrument. [7] X Research source Even if you don’t want to play classical, learning the skills of music production and history can give you an edge in the music business.
